Joshua Simmons' column "Liberals have it wrong on energy policy" was just more false and misleading talking points from the Republican Party playbook. I'll take them on one at a time.
Mr. Simmons finds it "hard to believe that companies are profiting from gasoline at all." Last year, ExxonMobil made a profit of $40 billion, the most made in a year by a U.S. company ever. Chevron made $18.7 billion the same year - the fourth consecutive year it broke its own records. Shell made $27.5 billion in 2007 and was reported to make a staggering $75 million every day. For Mr. Simmons to doubt that Big Oil is awash in cash is ludicrous.
Mr. Simmons also implied that Sen. Barack Obama does not favor nuclear power. That's completely untrue.
As anyone who goes to his Web site can find out, Obama has repeatedly said that he favors using nuclear power along with other forms of renewable energy as long as there is strong action on the public's right to know about the possible drawbacks, as well as the security of nuclear material, waste storage and proliferation.
Mr. Simmons bashes "liberals with their emissions caps, recycling programs and fuel economy standards," yet he's in a tiny minority of far right-wing holdouts.
The American people have completely rejected the failed Bush/McCain policies on energy, foreign policy and the environment - and we will see this in November when we elect Obama as president and send more Democrats to Congress.
Ben Cavataro
UF College Democrats Secretary
