The Problem with Obama's Green Campaign Strategy

. . .is that it is based on a set of lies. The Hill is reporting that Obama's "green team" is launching speeches intended to convince the public that Obama's energy and environmental policies are building the basis for a future of great jobs. EPA Chief Lisa Jackson argued thusly:

Jackson also touted tens of billions of dollars in federal investments in green energy projects, which largely came through the stimulus law, arguing it has leveraged private capital and that “those projects are helping put people to work.”

Really? She wants to open the door on more discussion of Solyndra?

Meanwhile Ken Salazar, Secretary of Commerce, is touting his "all of the above" energy record, saying that Obama has been opening up federal land to oil and gas exploration. But here is the actual record:

U.S. oil and natural-gas production has risen under Obama, but combined oil production from federal lands and waters dipped in fiscal 2011 as offshore output was affected by limits imposed after the BP oil spill, according to Energy Information Administration data.

The rise in production has largely occurred in North Dakota. Meanwhile, the administration continues to believe that government can magically cause green energy to become more effective than hydrocarbon based energy.

. . .the Interior secretary urged Congress to make tax credits for renewable energy permanent and pass legislation requiring that a major portion of the country’s electricity is generated from low-carbon sources.

The fact of the matter is that we won't lessen our dependence on oil and gas for a long time. The only reasonable philosophy is to tax carbon to the extent that it contributes to pollution and let the free market make a judgement about the best source of energy.

In the meantime, I don't think most voters will care about green energy jobs of the future, when they have poor job prospects now and face high gasoline prices. Not to demagogue the issue, but the real problem with Obama's energy policy is that he is killing American jobs by preventing oil drilling and pipelines from Canada. If gas prices stay high and the economy continues its present anemic recovery, voters won't be buying into this line of attack.