Group Finds Kerry Rhetoric on Rising Gas Prices 'Laughable'
By: Richard Stewart | Source: CNSNews.com
March 31, 2004 1:12AM EST

By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor
March 30, 2004

(CNSNews.com) - Democrat John Kerry's attack on President Bush for the nation's dependence on foreign oil in the midst of rising gas prices raised the ire of a public policy group that says, "Kerry's rhetoric would be laughable if the consequences of its implementation weren't so serious."

"Senator Kerry needs a reality check," said NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett. "The strategic petroleum reserve is supposed to be set aside for use in case of war or other national emergency, not to stave off temporary gas hikes. I guess he forgot about the war on terror."

NCPA also admonished Kerry for claiming the U.S. could eliminate its dependence on foreign oil in 10 years by investing in new renewable technologies and increasing automobile CAFE' standards.

"Every credible study shows that proposed technologies and the necessary infrastructure to replace the internal combustion engine are decades away at best," said Burnett. "Increasing CAFE' standards simple makes it cheaper to drive, thus it will not reduce our reliance on OPEC. It would instead result in thousands of otherwise avoidable deaths and tens of thousands of needless injuries."

Burnett said Kerry has no room to talk about America's dependence on foreign oil, since the Democrat has repeatedly opposed efforts to increase domestic production.

"We will only become more dependent upon foreign supplies of oil in the future under the Kerry plan," Burnett said.

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