Elections 2012: Obama defends energy policies

Before an enthusiastic audience, Obama argued that drilling for new oil alone would not solve the country’s energy problems, let alone lead to lower gas prices at the pump now. Straying from his text, he joked: “We’re drilling all over this country. I guess there’s some empty spots where we’re not drilling. We’re not at the National Mall. We’re not drilling at your house.”

He also compared his critics to former President Rutherford B. Hayes, who served from 1877 to 1881, quoting him as having once said about the telephone: “It’s a great invention but who would ever want to use one?”

“That’s why he’s not on Mount Rushmore,” Obama cracked. “Because he was looking backwards, he was not looking forward.”

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Pages: 1 2 3