CNBC Press Releases

BARTIROMO: WELL CLEARLY ENERGY IS CENTRAL TO THIS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THIS YEAR, AND REALLY SO CRITICAL FOR THE COUNTRIES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WHAT DO YOU WANT THE CANDIDATES TO KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE?

PALIN: OH NOT ONLY THAT ALASKA HAS THE SOURCES OF ENERGY THAT ARE READY AND ABLE TO BE TAPPED INTO, BUT I WANT BOTH CANDIDATES TO KNOW THAT I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT EVOLUTION THAT BOTH OF THEM HAVE GONE THROUGH, BOTH OBAMA AND MCCAIN, IN TERMS OF THE OFF-SHORE DRILLING, BOTH OF THEM SEEM TO BE MORE OPEN-MINDED ABOUT THE IDEA OF SAFE OFFSHORE DRILLING THAN THEY WERE EVEN THREE MONTHS AGO, SIX MONTHS AGO. SO THAT'S ENCOURAGING CAUSE THEY, AGAIN THAT'S REFLECTING THE PRESSURE THAT CONSTITUENTS, THAT AMERICANS ARE PUTTING ON OUR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALSO THOUGH FURTHER EVOLUTION IN THEIR THINKING ON ANWR. FOR BOTH OF THEM TO RECOGNIZE IT CAN BE DONE SAFELY AGAIN, ITS A TWO THOUSAND ACRE SWATH OF LAND IN A 20 MILLION ACRE PLOT OF LAND, TINY FOOTPRINT, IT CAN BE SAFELY DEVELOPED. ALASKA WANTS TO PROVE THAT WE ARE READY AND WILLING AND ABLE AND THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE THE STRINGENT OVERSIGHTS THAT ARE NECESSARY. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE BOTH CANDIDATES EVOLVE INTO THAT THINKING ALSO.

BARTIROMO: HAS SENATOR MCCAIN APPROACHED YOU TO BE HIS VP?

PALIN: WE HAVE CHATTED A COUPLE TIMES, JUST ON ENERGY ISSUES IN ALASKA AND MAYBE THE FUTURE OF ALASKA AND PEOPLE IN ALASKA, WHAT ALASKANS CAN DO TO CONTRIBUTE AND TO HELP. THAT YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HAVE TO ASK SENATOR MCCAIN, HIS PEOPLE WHAT THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT THE VP BUZZ.

BARTIROMO: WOULD YOU WANT THAT?

PALIN: YOU KNOW, I GO BACK AND FORTH ON THINKING WOULD I BE ABLE TO HELP AND CONTRIBUTE MORE AS THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, WHICH I AM NOW AND I THINK THAT WE CAN DO, HELP THE NATION MORE, BECOME MORE ENERGY INDEPENDENT AND BECOME MORE SECURE, AND I SAY THIS AS A MOM ALSO. MY SON, HIS STRYKER BRIGADE -- HE'S IN THE U.S. ARMY, HE'S 19 YEARS OLD. HE'S A KID. HE'S A GOOD AMERICAN KID SERVING IN THE ARMY FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. HIS STRYKER BRIGADE WILL BE DEPLOYED SEPTEMBER 11th.THAT'S COMING UP HERE SHORTLY.AND I THINK, AGAIN, IF WE'RE FIGHTING AT ALL OVER FOREIGN SUPPLIES OF ENERGY WHEN DOMESTICALLY AGAIN RIGHT HERE IN ALASKA WE HAVE THE ENERGY SUPPLIES THAT COULD AS WE PROGRESS WITH MORE DEVELOPMENTS REPLACE SOME OF THOSE SUPPLIES WE BETTER NOT BE AT WAR OVER THIS CAUSE I AM A MOM AND MY SON IS GOING OVER TO IRAQ AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PLAN THERE. SO I THINK, AS A MOM, AND AS A GOVERNOR, WHERE CAN I BEST BE ABLE TO HELP TO CONTRIBUTE. I THINK TODAY, WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW IS PROBABLY WHERE I CAN CONTRIBUTE MOST, SO THAT'S MY ANSWER TO THE VP THING.

BARTIROMO: GOVERNOR WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE, DO YOU THINK WE HAVE HIT ON ANYTHING, EVERYTHING THAT WE SHOULD BE HITTING ON WITH REGARD TO OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT IN ALASKA.

PALIN: I THINK ITS SO OBVIOUSLY EVIDENT THAT YOU HAVE DONE ALL OF YOUR HOMEWORK, AND I THINK THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE, CAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS COME UP HERE AND THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT THE OIL PRODUCTION, WHAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS LIKE AND I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE YOU ASKING WHAT DO ALASKANS FEEL ABOUT OIL PRODUCTION AND DRILLING. THAT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE ALSATIANS DO WANT TO CONTRIBUTE MORE. WE DO WANT TO BE SEEN AS CONTRIBUTORS AS PRODUCERS BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE SUPPLIES OF ENERGY. WE DO NOT WANT OUR COUNTRY AND OUR OTHER 49 STATES, OUR NEIGHBORS, WE DO NOT WANT OTHERS TO HAVE TO FEED OUR MARKETS FOR US. THOSE OTHERS ACROSS THE SEA, ACROSS THE LANDS WHERE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REPLACE THOSE FOREIGN SOURCES OF ENERGY. ALASKA SHOULD BE CONTRIBUTORS, WE SHOULD BE LEADING IN AN ENERGY POLICY THAT ALLOWS FOR THE SECURITY THAT OUR NATION NEEDS AND FOR MORE PROGRESS IN OUR NATION ALASKA IS READY TO DO THAT.

BARTIROMO: IT IS AMAZING THAT IT HASN'T HAPPENED, IT REALLY IS.

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