Is this the beginning

of the war over energy? Are we finally seeing a campaign to call out the Environmental Underpants Gnomes for what they've done to us?

First, the editorial board of the Las Vegas Review-Journal blasted Harry Reid for his imbecilic statements of last week, and notes how his own constituents could be devastated if Reid's opinions became policy:

Nevada's own Harry Reid has become a YouTube sensation for continually combining his gloomy disposition with rhetoric that makes even his most partisan supporters cringe.

His latest hilarious monologue came a few days ago on the Fox Business channel when, in trying to defend the exorbitant costs (and federal subsidies) of renewable power, he asserted that money is overrated in debating the country's energy policy.

"Coal makes us sick. Oil makes us sick. It's global warming. It's ruining our country. It's ruining our world," Sen. Reid blurted out between pregnant pauses. "We've got to stop using fossil fuels."

Yes, the resources that not only drive the world's economy and rising standard of living, but make life and prosperity possible in his political base of Las Vegas, are "ruining our country" and "ruining our world."

By Thursday afternoon, the video clip had close to 400,000 hits on YouTube. Like an "American Idol" reject who has no idea he can't sing, Sen. Reid serves up speechification that crashes and burns in spectacular fashion. Doesn't the Democratic Party have its own Simon Cowell, someone with enough common sense to cut off the Slipup from Searchlight before he finds all new ways to embarrass his home state?

Funny thing about coal and oil. Before they began transforming Americans' everyday lives by providing electricity and transport that didn't require a horse, average citizens trudged though life with mouths half-full of teeth, fortunate to live past age 40. Far from making us sick, they've powered advances that have extended the country's collective life expectancy to about 80, helped eliminate hard-core poverty and made us the wealthiest nation in the history of the planet.

Today, coal still provides half the country's electricity -- power that allows Las Vegas air conditioners to run 24 hours per day during the soul-searing heat of July, power that lets partygoers enjoy the city's luxuries at all times. And how did they -- and the foodstuffs they ate for breakfast -- get to this otherwise uninhabitable tourist outpost? They drove or flew here on a tank of fossil fuel.

Perhaps we should be grateful for Sen. Reid's uninspiring words. If Congress ultimately gives up on sacrificing our economy and quality of life, Sen. Reid's stumbling, mumbling policy pitches might be his lasting gift to this nation.

Like I said before, the Environmental Underpants Gnomes have adopted the following model for energy policy:

1. Stop using fossil fuels
2. ?
3. Clean energy

Meanwhile, no link, but FSN Pittsburgh ran tonight an ad by the RNC attacking Barack Obama for his refusal to allow increased domestic energy production.

Can we see more of these, please?

(h/t: Hot Air; crossposted at Pro Cynic and Circle City Pundit)