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Isakson discusses energy, economy

• Sen. Johnny Isakson says he doesn’t have any inside scoop on vice-presidential candidates.

Holly McCarthy

ALBANY — U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Atlanta, said Wednesday that politicians can’t face any group of constituents without hearing about the No. 1 issue on people’s minds: gas prices.

Isakson addressed what he said were Georgia’s most pressing issues — energy and the economy — at a Dougherty Circuit Bar Association meeting. Reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and a major reform of the housing market, he said, were imperative to restoring economic health.

He touted the work of the “Gang of 10,” a coalition of five Republican and five Democratic senators who have worked to find common political ground on how to get a handle on rising fuel costs.

Isakson said the group — he and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Moultrie, are both members — recommends, in addition to conservation and alternative fuel research, lifting prohibitions on offshore drilling.

“We know that the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic off the coast of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia... their oil reserves could immediately go into the supply chain and immediately increase our domestic supply and decrease our dependence on foreign oil,” Isakson said.

The Southeast needs to produce cleaner sources of oil, Isakson said, and would benefit from enrichment of nuclear programs and coal-to-liquid technologies.

“For 25 years the United States government has incentivized the consumption of petroleum and not incentivized our production and conservation,” Isakson said. “It is time we reverse that and explore our own resources to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

In another area of concern, Isakson called for support of sending 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan. He reported seeing safer environments during recent visits to Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Iraq is nothing short of miraculous,” Isakson said.

He said the Iraqi military is carrying out 85-90 percent of it’s own operations and applying equal justice to Sunnis and Shiites alike.

Dougherty County District Attorney Ken Hodges asked Isakson about the status of the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Grant program, which provides federal funding for Dougherty’s Victim Assistance Program. Hodges said he found out Tuesday that Byrne funding had been eliminated for the federal 2009 fiscal year, which begins in October.

Isakson said he voted against cutting Byrne funds, which totaled $468 million.

“There is probably no better program for local law enforcement in the United States of America than the Byrne program,” Isakson said.

According to Isakson, no appropriations bill had been brought before the Senate, and it probably wouldn’t happen until after the general election.

“I don’t know (presidential candidates) John McCain or Barack Obama’s individual positions on Byrne funding,” Isakson said, “but I can’t believe that Byrne money would be lost.

“What presidents love to do is take out stuff they know you will put back in and add it to something they don’t think you would probably give them, and that’s kind of what happened with Byrne.”

Hodges said Isakson “called it like it is,” and that he appreciated Isakson’s support of the Byrne grants.

“The president vetoed this and I can’t understand why,” Hodges said. “It hurts law enforcement and it hurts victims.”

Hodges said he planned to go to Atlanta today in efforts to restore funding.

Earlier in the day during a meeting with The Albany Herald Editorial Board, Isakson said he did not have any inside information on any vice-presidential picks.

He said, however, that Sen. Joe Biden would beef up Obama’s resume, adding experience and maturity to the Democratic ticket.

As for McCain’s choices, Isakson said Mitt Romney is “certainly the favorite of a lot of people.”