Risch wants more drilling and he wants it now

Idaho Lt. Governor and Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate Jim Risch talks about his campaign during his visit to Lewiston.

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Story Published: Aug 12, 2008 at 10:53 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 12:32 AM PDT

By Greg Meyer

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LEWISTON - Idaho's Lieutenant Governor made a campaign swing north beginning Monday and Jim Risch said during an interview, like other Americans, he's nervous about the economy and has strong feelings about high gas prices.

"As an American I am really angry about this," said Risch. "We have some of the largest oil supplies in the world and the contribution of our Congress to this whole thing has been to lock up 85 percent of our offshore ground to further production and it's locked up most of Alaska for the production. This is just basically wrong. The keys to this whole thing are in the hands of Congress. Their the ones that control the ability to go get that. We need to do it and we need to do it now."

Risch said nuclear power has to be a part of developing alternative energy in the long-term. And he also said his opponent Larry LaRocco's criticism that he's taking money from big oil is misleading.

"It's important to note that both political parties take contributions from a lot of different industries and that includes the oil industry," said Risch. "For instance, in my campaign there have been 10,000 contributions from various sources. My heart belongs to Idaho people, no one is going to buy my vote, no one is going to influence my vote because my heart belongs to the Idaho people."

On the international front, Risch said the conflict between Russia and Georgia doesn't necessarily mean those who claimed the Cold War was over when the Berlin Wall came down were mistaken.

"I think at the time it was a legitimate judgment, but we are living in a different time right now then we were when the wall came down," said Risch. "It is very apparent that the Russian bear is anxious to reestablish itself as a world power that is dominant."

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