Incumbent McNerey is looking for middle ground in order to establish firm energy policies for the US over the next twenty years. Although he is not in favor of offshore drilling, McNerey does realize that Americans are going to need petroleum for some years yet until biofuels, wind and solar energies can be sufficiently established.

Obama has said that he will approve some off-shore drilling in order to buy some time for environmental research analysts and biofuel producers, and McNerey says that he supports that decision.

McNerey: "We're going to continue to need oil for a long time...there's offshore permits that are available...60% of our offshore oil not being accessed is already available for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. So we want to go ahead and encourage the oil companies to drill off-shore in already available lands. I don't want to open up new lands because they're not needed."

Indeed, it seems when it comes to the issue of energy and domestic, what Congress needs is Representatives like McNerey who are willing to compromise but stick to their core values at the same time.

Recently, while visiting a work force development summit set up by the Tri-Valley Business Council, Jerry McNerney reemphasized his commitment to renewable energy initiatives and the foundation of a good, accessibly education system.

“No matter how many jobs we create or how much money we spend, if we don’t get kids engaged, we’re going to lose them,” he told the gathering of workers, teachers, and community leaders.

While it is one thing to push for clean energy, it is paramount to our economic investment in renewable resources to begin laying the groundwork for a robust job market and cutting edge operations within the system. McNerney understands that providing excellent educational opportunities and resources to our children and our schools goes hand in hand with our efforts to discover alternative and renewable energy resources. He has called for more federal funding to back math and science education in the public school system and has put his support behind legislation that aims to lower the tuition costs of higher education .

You know, I don't think anyone is too happy about the bail out, which McNerney voted for- but I also believe that it had to be done, in one form or other, and I think it was actually brave of McNerney to support it in both incarnations. In fact, if the GOP hadn't acted like a bunch of horses behinds, grandstanding in front of the cameras after the first attempt to pass the bail out, there would be $140 billion less in pork included in the deal. Thanks a lot, Republican members of the house. McNerney is a realist, a pragmatic politician with experience and vision, as shown by his approach to new energy. (see his post on Huffington Post below). I grew up in that area, and people that I know and have trusted all my life agree with me the McNerney is the man to vote for come November.

McNerney has substantially out raised his opponent to the tune of more than double. Both raise approximately 1/3 of their money from PACs