I'm in Denver, using the hotel's clock radio to wake me up in the morning. The station it is set to is an AM station -mostly because it comes in clearly, gives me the weather and news.

What it has also given me the last two mornings is a commercial from the oil & gas industries asking people to contact Congress and tell them not to go back to the failed energy policies of the 1970's - raising the spectre of long lines at gas pumps because of rationing and price controls. The ad basically says that America is strong because of the use of oil & natural gas.

I'd like to run an ad saying that America will be stronger when it achieves energy independence by using our ingenuity and independent spirit to develop and implement the world's most effective alternative energy system that is clean, reliable and cost-effective.

Sigh.