Obama: Romney's 'Energy Independence' an Empty Promise, Except to Big Oil

Source: US News and World Report

The Obama administration portrayed Mitt Romney's recently unveiled plan for American energy independence by 2020 as anything but new in a call with reporters Thursday afternoon, calling Romney's latest speech in New Mexico pushing for further exploration and development of America's oil and gas resources an old party trick.

"His speech today was devoid of any policy specifics or concrete steps [and] another much-hyped policy speech in which [he] is yet again long on empty rhetoric," said Stephanie Cutter, Obama's deputy campaign manager. "It's taking us back to failed energy policies of the past and subjecting consumers to market fluctuations and higher costs."

Cutter didn't fail to mention a recent fundraiser for Romney hosted by an oil industry CEO, evidence, according to Cutter, that Romney is more interested in doing the bidding of big oil than doing what's right for Americans.

"Romney doubled down on a bunch of energy policies that would increase our dependence on domestic and foreign oil," she added. "The plan he put on the table is really just rubber stamping oil companies' drilling plans without considering national or environmental [issues]."


Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/08/23/obama-romneys-energy-independence-an-empty-promise-except-to-big-oil