Lotta talk today about Obama slamming McCain for being in the pocket of the oil industry and keeping gas prices up.
What I don't hear enough of is that our dependence on oil is a national security issue. The less oil we use, the safer we'll be.
Oil money paid the terrorists who flew the planes into the towers. Our thirst for oil keeps us in Iraq. Oil money props up Vladimir Putin and Hugo Chavez.
The Republican strategy is based on fear: the Democrats won't protect us. Why not hit them where they live? Why not show people that it's the Republicans who have handed our money to our enemies?
Obama's ads have been pointing out that McBush is in the pocket of the oil companies, and he's helped block alternative energy and conservation. That's costing us all money at the pump right now.
But sky high oil prices do much more damage to the US than merely hitting our wallets. They put money in the wallets of our enemies.
Hugo Chavez has been supporting his "socialist revolution" with oil exports.
Vladimir Putin stays popular through oil exports.
The mullahs stay on top in Iran by spending petrodollars to co-opt the middle class.
And, of course...
... Al Qaeda was built on Saudi oil money; and
... we've fought two wars in Iraq because of its oil.
Which means, in turn, that China has its foot on our economic jugular because we owe money on our oil and war debt.
Do we have any other serious opponents internationally?
Forget the environment (for the moment). Any sane US defense policy would be focusing on keeping oil money out of the hands of our enemies. Alternative fuels, wind power, solar, and above all, energy conservation -- all of these are not only good environmental ideas. They are essential to our national defense.
The American people are not particularly willing to make sacrifices to protect against long term "abstract" threats like global warming. But when it becomes a question of defending ourselves against dictators, Communists and terrorists, we've proven our bona fides.
I believe that Barack Obama should bring this issue up. Cutting our thirst for oil isn't just good for our wallets. It's not just good for the planet. It is crucial to our national security.
And the Republicans have put us in danger by ignoring it.