This week, Senator Cornyn’s opponent Rick Noriega finally announced a plan to deal with our nation’s soaring energy costs. After weeks of ambiguity on his ideas for a solution, Noriega finally admitted we need to start drilling – but only in Iraq!
As the Midland Reporter-Telegram reported: “Noriega said Tuesday that America should not try ‘to drill our way out of this problem’ of soaring gasoline prices but instead rely on Iraqi oil and alternative energy sources.” (Campbell, 6/25/08)
Yes, you read that right. Rick Noriega wants to increase our dependence on foreign energy sources. In explaining his “plan,” Noriega wants us to rely on a country that he claimed for a year is in a “civil war” and insisted that U.S. troops immediately withdraw from Iraq.
Despite the bizarre nature of Noriega’s strategy, it was not just a one-time thought. During three other campaign appearances in the Permian Basin, he repeated his desire to drill in Iraq – including at a press conference in Odessa and at a meeting with the Midland Democrats. The San Antonio Express-News stated that throughout the day “Noriega repeated his call for exploiting Iraq's oil.” (Ratcliffe, 6/27/08)
Of course, once the people of Texas heard about this bizarre and illogical “plan” and began to voice their strong opposition, Noriega tried to wiggle his way out of the comments by claiming he was joking. W. Gardner Selby reported in the Austin American-Statesman: “Noriega's campaign insisted Thursday that the candidate was kidding. Spokeswoman Holly Shulman said: ‘He was clearly joking.’” (Selby, 6/27/08)
So this troubling and unbelievable explanation on Noriega’s part begs the question: was Rick Noriega really making jokes about drilling in Iraq? Watch the video of one of the many times he discussed this plan. You be the judge.
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