Lawrence Ari Fleischer

“ You've never -- you guys have never sat down and thought, wow, there could be a problem that the President, the Vice President, the Chief of Staff -- I mean, 25 people in your administration come from the energy and auto industry -- never thought that this could be problematic as you put together an energy plan that focuses mostly on supply and mostly on industry? ”

“ As you'll hear in the President's remarks themselves, the President's going to talk about a broad energy policy that's comprehensive, that relies on conservation, innovation, new technologies and production, as well as modernization of the infrastructure. ”

“ If presidents lead by polls when it comes to energy, America's lights will slowly go out. To solve the energy problem, it requires a president who will lead the nation, who will make proposals that focus on conservation, modernization, production, so that a serious problem can be solved in a way that the American people look to leaders to solve. Q Ari, when resident talks about all these new technologies today, will there be any assurances that his plan will offer short-term relief that people on the Hill are demanding? ”

“ If you're in an area of the country where your lights went out, you are in a crisis. That means your hot water won't run, that means you may not have gas, or you may not have a stove or oven that works, depending on if it's electricity-driven as opposed to gas-driven. It means if you're in a hot area, your air conditioner might not work, and you have -- you get overheated in the apartment. If it's wintertime, it means you can be -- the apartment is too cold. ”

“ I think the American people are grateful to have a President who, immediately, from day one identified this as problem that needed a solution, and that they have a president who is willing to take on this issue because people don't want their lights to go out, people don't want to pay sky-high bills, they don't want to pay $2 for gas, and they know they need to look to someone who will demonstrate leadership to help get the job done. ”

“ Q Ari, I'm curious as to why -- when the primary message of this report, as I've read it so far -- is that energy efficiency, reliance on renewables and even conservation really can't solve what is the energy problem in the United States, so the President is going out of his way to put together photo opportunities at places that don't deal with the central recommendation of the report. ”

“ What the Vice President said was conservation is a virtue, and that conservation, alone, is not a comprehensive policy. Q Does he stand by your comment about -- you know, a lot has been made since you've said it about the American way of life being a blessed way and that policy makers have a responsibility to protect it. ”

“ The Iowa Energy Center also leads the state in providing accurate, usable information on wind and solar research. So these are cutting-edge ways of generating power through alternative resources. The President's budget and the President's energy plan provide incentives for the development of alternative fuels. ”

“ The Sierra Club would not turn its back on valuable efforts that rely on technology and innovation to produce renewables. Q Ari, let's put it this way. You clearly agree that the major emphasis of this report is on increasing supply of energy. Is that right? MR. FLEISCHER: The emphasis of this report is comprehensive. It's focused on conservation, it's focused on modernization, it's focused on supply. At the front of the report, there is a table that lays out how Americans choose to use their energy. Q When the President makes remarks about this, it's true, isn't it, that he emphasizes supply. ”

“ He had some real critical words for you and for the administration about how you've been characterizing this energy "crisis," and the prescriptions that you guys are talking about. MR. FLEISCHER: Again, the President's focus is going to be on a comprehensive plan that addresses the issue and gets it solved. Q What's your reaction to a former president's criticism of how you're handling this? MR. FLEISCHER: This nation, for many years, has not had a serious energy policy that was focused on comprehensive solutions, and that's what the President's focus will be. ”

“ But even the report spells out clearly that high technology, use of renewables, energy efficiency will not solve the supply problem. MR. FLEISCHER: Well, it's because the President understands that conservation is very important. And when a president speaks of conservation, it can inspire millions of Americans to make good decisions so they, too, conserve. So the President wants to focus on things in here that are new, that are cutting-edge, and that's why he's visiting St. ”