Congressman Gives a Plug to 'Paris Hilton Plan' in Energy Debate

Move over T. Boone Pickens. It’s Paris Hilton’s turn to steer the energy debate.

Texas Rep. Michael Burgess gave the socialite unexpected clout in the raging policy feud on Capitol Hill on Thursday, urging colleagues to consider the energy plan she proposed in a mock campaign ad.

"Even Paris Hilton had an energy plan that she's talking about," Burgess told reporters, as he and other House Republicans continued to protest Democrats who blocked a vote on offshore oil drilling before breaking for a five-week recess.

"Well, let's bring up the Paris Hilton plan," Burgess said.

There may have been just a trace of sincerity to that.

Hilton released a tongue-in-cheek Web video Wednesday, which she used mostly to make wisecracks at John McCain’s expense – payback for using her image in a recent campaign ad.

But lounging in a skimpy, leopard-print bikini, Hilton also took a moment in the ad to outline an actual energy policy.

Here it is: "We could do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. That way the offshore drilling carries us until the new technologies kick in, which would then create new jobs and energy independence. Energy crisis solved."

Burgess wasn’t the only one to latch on to Hilton’s "plan."

McCain’s campaign released a statement Wednesday saying Hilton was clearly supporting McCain’s approach and that, "In reality, Paris Hilton may have a more substantive energy policy than Barack Obama."