Gov. Jeb Bush reverses on Gulf drilling

[seafan]

Tamara Lytle and John Kennedy | Sentinel Staff Writers
Posted October 5, 2005



Gov. Jeb Bush said Tuesday that he supports federal legislation allowing drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico -- including areas where he aggressively fought energy exploration just four years ago.

Bush cited new political realities and protections he thinks he could win for the state in exchange.

Environmentalists, Democrats and Republican U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida staunchly oppose the bill, which would allow oil and gas drilling 125 miles from Florida waters. They continue to insist that a strong political front in Florida can stop all new drilling in the eastern Gulf.

"Sure they do," Bush said, deriding their position. "But that's great. I've talked to the fairy godmother about it."

Not too long ago, the governor joined these same critics in staunchly opposing oil and gas drilling even beyond the 125-mile mark. In 2001, he strongly lobbied his brother, President Bush, to significantly scale back drilling in an energy-rich area called Lease Sale 181, which sits more than 200 miles west of Tampa.

--snip

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-jebdrill0505oct05,0,7516163.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-state

[electron_blue]

1. fairy godmother?

Is that secret agent talk for "Cheney"?

wth?

[mth44sc]

2. correct me if I'm wrong

but didn't we pay a ton of money to folks who held drilling rights to that area when the w decided to go along with little brother and make it off limits?

[shoelace414]

3. How will this play in Iowa and New Hampshire?

[Kolesar]

24. Two states that will have whopping gas bills this winter

http://www.slate.com/id/2127384/
...excerpt...
But high prices for another form of energy are about to brutalize Americans. October signals the beginning of the winter heating season. The high price of heating fuel—a problem that has been hibernating in the spring and summer—is about to become an enormous issue in the northern half of the country.

The price of natural gas, the most popular fuel for heating homes, is rocketing upward, driven by rising demand, relatively stagnant North American supplies, and the disruptions imposed by the recent hurricanes. According to the Energy Information Administration's most recent daily production update, up to 76 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's natural gas production remains off-line. As this chart shows, the price of a contract for November delivery of natural gas has risen 50 percent in the last six weeks, from about $9 per million British thermal units in mid-August to $14 today. Natural gas is vulnerable to such spikes. Because crude oil can be moved around the globe with relative ease, the hurricanes didn't massively disrupt the market for oil. That's not the case with natural gas. Natural gas from the Middle East would have to be cooled to -256 Fahrenheit, liquefied, transported in special ships, and then re-gasified in the United States. The necessary infrastructure is lacking. And there is no strategic natural-gas reserve the government can draw down in times of need.

[Straight Shooter]

4. "Fairy godmother." Gawd, how I hate those snarky Repub comebacks.

Those bushes make everybody ready for a fight, don't they? Always stirring the pot, wherever they go.

Barbara bush and her spawn. Good job, Barb, rearing those dividers you call your sons.

[Cha]

25. babs bush is The EVIL SPAWNER..

well, I guess she had help from gwhbush or it was the anti-Christs' way.

[SillyGoose]

5. "I've talked to the fairy godmother about it."

Doesn't he mean his imaginary friend, Chang, the warrior?

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. No, it wasn't Chang. It was Ka-Ching.

[meganmonkey]

6. Fuckety fuck fuck you and your whole family Jebbie

:puke:

No fucking fairy godmother would give you the time of day.

[liberal N proud]

7. Did jeb suddenly get in bed with the brothers oil merchants?

[Synnical]

22. Soon - he plans on returning to "private life"

He cannot run for re-election as governor and this is a clear sign that he has no intention of running for any elected office in the State of Florida.

[oneighty]

8. Ah!

The woman that was Florida has been used, abused, grown old and useless and cast aside no longer worthy of Jeb's Godly protections.

We are seeing the end of His devious plans for Florida. He do not care nomonomo.

And his God Mother is a Fairy? Oh my.

180

[Missy M]

9. Isn't this what the republicans accuse the Democrats of doing...

FLIP FLOPPING!!!!

[Javaman]

10. This is bushspeak for...

"jeb either you allow the oil drilling or I* will tell the press about you screwing teenagers."

Poof! Suddenly, jeb is all for the drilling!

colossal racist failure*.

[seafan]

11. A few more choice bits:

--snip

The current legislation that Bush is helping to shape would allow drilling in Lease Sale 181, which is off-limits to oil and gas exploration until 2007.

One portion of that area, called the stovepipe because of its shape, juts to within 23 miles of Pensacola. But drilling is prohibited in the region until 2012 as part of an earlier deal struck by Martinez and the (GHW) Bush administration.

When asked about his previous position favoring a ban on a larger swath of the Gulf, Bush grew testy.

"I could sit on the sidelines and say I'm for it, and that would be great. That's how politicians act," he told the Sentinel. "Or we could try to establish a long-term protection of our coastline, and I've opted to be engaged to try to protect Florida's coastline rather than be politically correct."

--snip

And Bush argues that it's wise to get the best deal now -- before previously negotiated protections run out in 2007 and 2012.

--snip



So, Jeb says we should *give up our drilling protections NOW, so we won't have to in 2007 and 2012.*

Through. The. Looking. Glass.

[Divernan]

30. Jeb's "the best deal NOW" means while he still has the power to collect $$

He's going to rape Florida for every monetary advantage he can get, and as far as offshore drilling goes, he'll be named to umpteen boards of directors at hefty annual fees as one part of the payoffs.

Clearly he has decided not to run for any other political office. As a recent psychoanalysis of his brother pointed out, there are some personalities which can only destroy - never build. Even the robber barons left legacies of libraries, museums, foundations. The Bush family just leaves the rubble of everything and everyone they have destroyed in their lust for power and wealth.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

12. Flip...Flop...F*ck...Jeb!!

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Well, so much for the Republican dynasty in Florida.

SWIIIIISSSSSHHHH.

You hear that? That's the sound of the pendulum swinging back to the left.

[Shakespeare]

20. Yup. The repubs in the panhandle won't stand for this.

And they'll show it with their vote.

:popcorn:

[The Backlash Cometh]

39. Jeb is about to learn a thing or two about his constituents.

I don't expect it to be pretty.

[lostnfound]

15. So St. Pete Beach, Longboat, Captiva can look like Galveston?

:cry:

I know there's some geographic differences, but a week ago I was watching living crabs and living sand dollars on St Pete Beach. Even developed, it's still a beautiful, beautiful ecosystem. And there are more beautiful places north and south of it that are simply stunning.

They will ruin it.

[bunny planet]

35. I'm from St. Pete Beach too lostnfound. The thought of an oil spill and

further destruction of the ecosystem and the beauty of Pass-a-Grille Beach (my favorite) and Fort De Soto Beach being threatened just makes me want to alternate between crying and screaming.

What can we do? I've relocated to New Jersey now but still have a home in St. Pete. What can we do?

[lostnfound]

40. I don't know.

Perhaps letters to the St Pete Times, Tampa Trib, Sarasota papers would be a place to start.

I'm sure Florida PIRG is working it. They were very instrumental in past oil drilling bans. I worked for them one summer many years ago.

My dad helped to push for Ft Desoto park several decades ago. He was always proud of having done that. I bet Pinellas County had 1/20 of the population then!

[alarimer]

43. And in those places you can actually see the stars

at night instead of being blinded by the lights from all the rigs in the nearshore area.

[lostnfound]

16. Let him suck it out with a straw, then.

The BFEE sucks enough to do it.. :grr:

[lostnfound]

17. Self delete (dup) nt

[gulfcoastliberal]

18. Yes, hurry up & melt those pesky icecaps, glaciers, etc.

We need to hurry up & look like Mars already.

http://discardedlies.com/entries/2005/08/shells_mars_tension_leg_platform_damaged_by_katrina.php

[sinkingfeeling]

19. Flip-flop!!

[iamjoy]

21. Bushes Have Nothing To Lose

Jeb & George aren't up for reelection, so they don't care about Florida.

Even the next Republican Senatorial candidate can still claim opposition to the party on that one issue if they feel it would help them. Or they could take the money from the energy companies and sell out our coast.

[seafan]

23. Jeb was FOR drilling protection for Florida before he was AGAINST it.

And he was FOR it only until it no longer serves his or his brother's political motives. We've always been aware of what he has been doing to our state. It's clear.

Florida's beauty, natural resources and residents have been horribly abused and callously thrown aside now by this criminal family.

[UDenver20]

26. Jeb Bush...

Is such a PUSSY.

[SoCalDem]

27. He's not running again, and his brother has f'ed up so much that

Pres Jeb is unlikely, so he might as well start lining his pockets with oil bribes while he has the power to start the offshore drilling..

Once he's "done" with Florida politics, he'll probably move to Kennebunkport or Houston, andf leave the floridians to clean up the mess later:puke:

[barbaraann]

28. They aren't hiding their true motives any more.

:scared:

[rodeodance]

29. Jeb has Poppy problems----Read my lips!!

[lovuian]

31. flip flop flip flop!!!

:bounce:

[Ganja Ninja]

32. What a shocker! Jeb turns out to be on the side of Big Oil.

As soon as he doesn't need anyone's vote any more he drops his pretenses and tries to grab the brass ring for the BFEE.

You know what? The next time I hear someone say the Democrats don't have a plan, I'm going to say "That's the beauty of it". The problem with Republicans is they always have a plan. They just don't want you to find out about it until it's too late to stop them.

[seafan]

33. Wonderful comeback! I plan to use it. n/t

[wellstone_democrat]

34. Why not? Florida went to Bush* now who cares?

That's why he went with local opinion and *convinced* his brother to back him and now that neither needs Florida's votes---screw them all!

The penalty paid to the oil companies? compensation for delay, you know they knew it. Or, you should know it today...

oh, and next Florida hurricane? If Bush* ratings are good: don't expect him to deliver bags of ice personally. He's done with ya.

[DFWJock]

36. Is he on crack???

Oh wait, that's his daughter.

[rppper]

37. in the words of gomer pyle.....

SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE!!!

i mean really. i could see this coming years ago when he was all gung ho for opposing it...this should surprise no one that frequents this site.

HEY SCHMUCKO FLORIDA REPUBLICANS(and the west coast is JEB country)....how does it feel getting screwwed by your hero!!!!

now you all know how democrats in this state have felt for the past 6 years. my only hope is that it affects state and national republicans in 2006.

[David Zephyr]

38. Of course. Jeb was running for re-election back then...and this now.

There's only one thing anyone needs to understand about the entire Bush gene pool: they worship money.

I never bought Jeb's conversion when he "opposed" drilling off shore in Florida and now, of course, we know that it was all show for the election.

[pinniped]

41. The realities of voting for another sack-o-shit.

BS--

--
Not too long ago, the POS-governor joined these same critics in staunchly opposing oil and gas drilling even beyond the 125-mile mark. In 2001, he strongly lobbied his POS-brother, President POS*, to significantly scale back drilling in an energy-rich area called Lease Sale 181, which sits more than 200 miles west of Tampa.
--

I hope no one ever fell for this sham. A POS oil-family agsinst offshore drilling, no FCKN way.

It has already been shown these punks have zero regards for the ocean, animals, forests, and environment as a whole.

[BreweryYardRat]

42. Fucking BASTARD!!!

Worthless useless little piece of SHIT!!! I hope the useless fucker catches cancer, suffers and dies in agony!!!