Tina Lagerstedt
The Daily Collegiate - University of Massachusetts
October 30, 2008

Former Virginia Governor and United States Senator George Allen spoke last night at a talk titled ‘McCain, Obama, and America’s Security’ at Bowker auditorium at the University of Massachusetts.

The event attracted about 90 people and was sponsored by the UMass Republican Club and the Young American’s Foundation.

Allen characterized next week’s election as a very important day for Americans and that there are five battleground issues that will be significantly affected by the next president.

The five issues he mentioned were: the war in Iraq, immigration, healthcare, taxes and energy policy. Although he briefly touched upon each issue in broad terms and contrasted the viewpoints of Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, he transitioned to focus on energy - the primary topic of his lecture.

Allen began his discussion about energy noting that it is an issue of ‘great, paramount significance’ in many ways. He mentioned the various areas that are affected by energy, such as national security, trade, American families, businesses and the standard of living.

He said that the American public wants ‘affordable, reliable, clean American energy.’

But Allen parted ways with the main political consensus on energy with his views on American reliance on energy.

“Americans are not addicted to oil,” said Allen. “Americans are addicted to freedom.”

He added that freedom of movement, affordability and availability of energy appeal very strongly to the American public.

He said many of the energy proposals out there are very similar and he reasoned that Americans need to ‘restart their creative engine.’

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