Why Republicans hate energy conservation:

Because it works, and none of their rich oil buddies make a dime off of it. Simple as that. The conservation measures Carter introduced in the '70s were hugely successful, and ended up changing the national mindset (temporarily) and driving the price of oil below $10/barrel. No wonder the Republicans are getting all freaked out. Conservation? How absurd!!!11!!

and while they pay a lot of lip service to it they are really opposed to it. After all if people really paid attention to what was best for them and their families they wouldn't vote republican.

simply proposes more drilling and more oil. Great - ignore the realities of global warming and fail to deal with what even Bush (with his links to oil) said was an American addiction to oil.

McBush - 4 more years of environmental damage.

unless some Republican asshole somewhere is making a billion dollars at it. The reason they want to re-start offshore drilling is not because they think it'll bring down the price of gas--it won't. What they want is an end to all regulation of the oil industry--complete carte blanche to drill anywhere, anytime, now that they're getting top dollar for the product. It's all about maximizing profits, and the fact that Obama's not playing along--is suggesting conservation, of all things--is totally freaking them out. What's disheartening is that despite all the information out there (and it is out there) that confirms that a big offshore oil rush won't make a dent, a lot of Americans still want to drill. Never underestimate the stupidity, etc.

Also insane. I used to argue with 2 fundies on a music forum who believed the Earth is here purely for man's consumption, per the word of God.

husbanding your money and resources, making do, a disdain for
showiness, appreciation for real values.
Today's "conservatives' consider it subversive or unmanly if you don't have
3 SUVs, a house you can't afford, and 39
appliances running at once.
Strength thru waste.

There's just corporatism, masquerading as conservatism.