December 1, 2008

By Ted Belman

The picture is getting clearer. Just as I forecast, Obama is continuing with Bush’s foreign policy. He is also continuing with his economic policy.

But here is the big surprise, Obama is following Gov Palin’s energy policy. Remember, she said energy independence was a national security issue and that “all the above” should be developed. Well, Obama has appointed Gen Jones as his National Security Adviser.

For Gen. Jones, formerly the Marine commandant and Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, “energy is a national security issue, and it is an international security issue of the highest order.” Gen. Jones is the president and chief executive of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In November, the Institute offered Mr. Obama a roadmap for bolstering U.S. energy security as a key component of increasing its national security. (Our colleagues at Washington Wire have more on the national security team announcement.)

The Institute’s business-friendly approach advocates more of everything—more domestic oil and gas, more nuclear power, more coal, more renewable energy, and above all, for the federal government to cut through regulatory thickets that have hamstrung U.S. energy modernization in recent years. The key message from the Institute’s transition plan is that U.S. economic and security interests have suffered due to the lack of a comprehensive national energy plan that addresses how we can get more energy and how we can use less.

The only thing Gen. James doesn’t countenance is more of the same: “We are in a race against the clock and complacency is our greatest enemy. If we do not take this challenge seriously, America’s economic prosperity, national security, and global standing will be at risk. The status quo is not only an option, it is a recipe for failure.”

Ironic isn’t it.