[eggman]

"We can't provide the supply of oil America needs from the Alaska wildlife refuge or from any other source in the United States, because we only have 3 percent of the world's oil reserves."

This is like saying:

"We can't provide for the supply of tax revenue America needs by increasing taxes on the rich, or any other small group, because they only make up a small percentage of the taxpayers. We must instead decrease the government's demand for additional tax revenue by cutting government programs and stimulate development of new sources of income through private investment."

I don't think Kerry to bring himself to say something like this. It might cause his head to explode.

[Different-is-good]

"We can't provide the supply of oil America needs from the Alaska wildlife refuge or from any other source in the United States, because we only have 3 percent of the world's oil reserves."

This is like saying:

"We can't provide for the supply of tax revenue America needs by increasing taxes on the rich, or any other small group, because they only make up a small percentage of the taxpayers. We must instead decrease the government's demand for additional tax revenue by cutting government programs and stimulate development of new sources of income through private investment."

From Rush Limbaugh's website:

"Top 5% pay 53.25% of all income taxes"

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/menu/top_50__of_wage_earners_pay_96_09__of_income_taxes.guest.html
So, a "small group" of rich taxpayers does indeed supply a majority of the tax revenue for America. It's simple numbers: that's where the money is. And: "The bottom 50%? They pay a paltry 3.97% of all income taxes." So no money there to tap.

Thus, back to topic, if America only has 3% of the world oil reserves (I believe this includes ANWR), it's simple numbers: that's not really where the oil is. It would be like us trying to fund our national defense budget with the taxes of the bottom 50% of income earners.