Mary Landrieu: “Yes. I wish to reemphasize too the importance of getting back to the basics on energy policy. I have been privileged to…”

“Yes. I wish to reemphasize too the importance of getting back to the basics on energy policy. I have been privileged to be here long enough where I have helped to pass comprehensive energy bills. I remain hopeful when I wake too. I am a person with the glass half full and not half empty, and I try to remain optimistic in the face of evidence to the contrary. I remain hopeful we can continue on the path of more energy independence for our country. That is why that article, written this week, which I will put in the Record, was very telling to me, because I have been saying, similar to the Senator from Alaska, are we making any progress? I believe if we cannot manage, we cannot measure. What is the measurement? One of the measurements is, are we importing more or less oil from dangerous places in the world. And when I saw that had dropped by 15 percent, I was very encouraged. And the article pointed out two reasons, not one--not drill, baby, drill or conserve and conserve only but both, because America has been doing a better job. Despite the setback of the moratorium, despite the setback with the Deepwater Horizon, despite some of the President's slow policies on drilling, and despite the Republican resistance to conservation, we have been doing something right, because we have reduced our dependence on foreign oil, which is good. We don't want to be dependent on Venezuela, and we don't want to be dependent on the Mideast, particularly Saudi Arabia.…”