Washington, DC - As part of the American Energy Alliance's (AEA) ongoing advocacy campaign in South Carolina, the free market energy group today launched a statewide television campaign questioning US Senator Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) support for a national energy tax. Senator Graham has expressed public support for cap-and-trade legislation.
 
In the run up to the ads hitting the airwaves, Thomas J. Pyle, president of AEA, issued the following statement:
 
"While Senator Graham continues to bob, weave and clarify his position on global warming legislation, the fact remains that he supports a job-killing cap-and-trade regime that will increase energy prices across the board, increase unemployment and put domestic manufacturers at a huge competitive disadvantage in the global economy.
 
"Though Senator Graham advocates a ‘compromise’ on this legislation that would include offshore oil and natural gas exploration, folks must understand that his plan is not progress. In fact, the proposal he has vaguely outlined, based on last year’s 'Gang of 10' proposal, will permanently lock up 78 percent of the outer continental shelf for responsible energy exploration.
 
"AEA is ready and eager to explain the dire consequences cap-and-trade would have on our economy not only to South Carolina voters, but to concerned voters across the country as this debate moves forward."
 
NOTE: As the executive and congressional offshore energy exploration moratoria have both been retired, the only impediment toward expanded domestic energy production along the outer continental shelf (OCS) is the inaction of the Department of the Interior.

This television commercial is part of a multi-faceted advocacy campaign aimed at educating and engaging South Carolinians in the cap-and-trade and global warming debate. In addition to the AEA radio advertisements launched last week, this television commercial will begin airing on network and cable TV tomorrow, October 27, and will continue to run through Sunday, November 1. Additional outreach components to the campaign will be introduced later this week.
 
Click HERE to view the commercial.