Buddy Roemer talks energy independence in New Hampshire

Republican presidential candidate Buddy Roemer focused on the issue of energy independence during his speech at last Friday's Belknap Republican Committee fundraiser aboard the M/S Mount Washington. Watch video of Roemer's full speech or read his comments on energy below:

Buddy Roemer's comments on energy independence:

Number two Mr. President, let’s be energy independent. Aren’t you embarrassed that American has to beg China for credit and is addicted to oil from the Middle East? Here’s my plan: let’s drill. We have new technology. We have clean technology. We have one accident in the Gulf of Mexico. If a plane goes down, we don’t quit flyin’, do we? Well, we quit drilling for one year. It’s disgraceful. The price of gasoline has doubled under this president. It can go back to $1.86. Let’s be independent and free.

And I’ll tell you what I’ll do specifically. I’ll put a tariff on Middle Eastern oil. They will quit sending their oil to America. We’ll drill and find it here. We’ll use clean coal. We’ll use safe nuclear. We’ll use natural gas. We’ll use solar. We’ll use geothermal. We will be energy free by the end of the decade. You know what that does?

That’s 5 million new jobs that pay $35 per hour. How’d you like one them, people who can’t find work?”

That’s $500 billion we’ll quit sending to the Middle East. That is the sum total of our international trade deficit - $500 billion. We’d wipe it out like that.

We would increase the value of the dollar and as it increases the price of gas will go down. And we’ll quit sending our money to nations that slip it on the side to terrorists. And we’ll quit sending Marines for oil duty in the Middle East.

By god, we will be free again and it will start with energy.