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      POINCIANA, Fla. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Michele
Bachmann claimed Saturday that the United States has more fuel
resources than any other country, but blamed what she termed
"radical environmentalists" for bottling up American energy
policy.


      With untapped oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge and off the nation's coasts, shale oil in Western states,
and rich natural gas and coal deposits, she said the U.S. "is
sitting on a mother lode of treasure."


      "The United States is the number one country in the world for
energy resources," the Minnesota congresswoman told a central
Florida town hall meeting, arguing that in shale deposits alone the
U.S. easily outstrips the total oil supply of Saudi Arabia. "That
doesn't even include ... all the oil in Alaska."


      But Bachmann said environmentalists were preventing resources
from being exploited, leaving the U.S. dependent on energy imports.


      "Instead of thinking we are beggars out here begging for oil
and for energy, we are the king daddy dogs when it comes to
energy," she said.

      "The radical environmentalists have demanded that we lock up
all our energy resources," she added. "President Bachmann will
take that key out of the door. I will unlock it."


      The crowd at the upscale retirement community cheered wildly.


      And Bachmann got a similar reception when she promised to
eliminate the "job killing" Environmental Protection Agency,
saying that she would close the agency down in a single trip. "We
will turn out the lights and we'll lock the doors," she said.


      Bachmann is in the middle of a three-day swing through Florida.
Later Saturday she will address the Florida Family Policy Council,
which led efforts to ban gay marriage in the state constitution.


      She said she would be returning often to the state. Florida
could play a key role in determining which GOP candidate faces off
against President Barack Obama.


      The state hasn't set a primary date yet. But Florida officials
hope to schedule it ahead of all but the four earliest voting
states - Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

Gallery

Politics and Government News

The Republican presidential candidate claimed Saturday that the United States has more fuel
resources than any other country, but blamed what she termed
"radical environmentalists" for bottling up American energy
policy.

Bachmann: Environmentalists blocking US energy

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