**Cross-posted at www.ColoradoPols.com**
UPDATED: Minor typo, new link...
Breaking his long silence, in which he has only recently bothered to lay out a few vague talking points positions, Not Indicted Yet Bob has finally opened his mouth.
Seizing on the now tired Republican talking point that reducing the price of a gallon of gas by a few pennies eight years in the future (as the Department of Energy estimates might could result from opening the Arctic Refuge) is a "solution," Bob made an appearance this past weekend to embrace oil shale, gas drilling, and the other manacles of last centuries' fuel sources:
The NY Times is reporting that:
Republican opponents are trying to turn the Udall trademark into a black mark. They contend that the Udalls’ resistance to new drilling and to wringing oil out of Rocky Mountain shale has contributed to the energy cost squeeze.
More after the fold...
The Times reports that MIA Bob was actually seen in person out pressing the flesh at an Independence Day celebration in Greeley.
This is perhaps his first public notice since he talked up his genuine Colorado roots with a television ad depicting Alaska's Mt. McKinley. Denali Bob quipped, according to the Times:
"People are angry the Udalls have worked in tandem to drive the prices up as far as they are."
By not funding additional leasing of public lands for commercial oil shale development--before companies have even proven such is feasible on the 25,000 acres or so they have already leased in Colorado--or before these companies disclose how much water they will need to deplete from the over-allocated Colorado River Basin to produce oil that Republicans love to claim is just waiting for the pumps--the cousins apparently have thwarted good Americans everywhere. At least according to erstwhile Silent Bob.
As an oil company executive and war profiteer, I'm sure it was all the talk in the board room about how to bring prices down, lower the obscene profits, and wean Americans off their product.
Sweatshop Bob has assured us that the junket parasailing fact-finding trip to the Marianas had absolutely nothing to do with his subsequent vote to implement convicted-felon Jack Abramhoff's schemes.
And I'm sure that the tens of thousands that Bob has received in contributions from Big Oil, along with the salary, would never incline him to vote for these companies' interests over the poor Americans suffering at the pump.
He's laid it out as clear as drilling mud: it's all Mark's fault. Thanks Bob!