BREAKING NEWS: Senate passes massive spending bill that ends offshore drilling ban

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON - Senators have passed a spending bill that aids Gulf Coast disaster victims and subsidizes federal loans for automakers. President Bush is expected to sign the measure despite some reservations.

The 78-12 vote Saturday also lifts a quarter-century ban on oil drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. That's a big victory for Republicans.

The $634 billion bill provides money to keep the government running until the next president takes office.

The low-interest loans for automakers are intended to help the companies develop technologies and retool factories to meet new standards for cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26915459/

[HughMoran]

1. Yeah, we knew this was coming

Here, drill baby, drill (be underwhelmed now) :eyes:

[shraby]

3. The ban was due to expire anyway at the end

of September. In this bill they were to have added spending that would have gone by the wayside otherwise and changed the limits of distance to offshore drilling. Wait till the particulars come out.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. Fuck the particulars!

:D

[no_hypocrisy]

2. It would have been the same result if the Senate had let the ban expire.

It simply tacked on affirmative legislation onto a spending bill with items it wanted to have put into the budget.

[ryanmuegge]

4. Take the issue off the table until after the election is over and then re-enact the ban after.

The polls show Americans want it. Placate the public until after the election so McCain can't use the issue and then disregard them.

We'll have a big enough majority and hopefully an Obama presidency to do whatever the fuck we want. Now all they need is the courage.

[HughMoran]

5. 'zactly

We can let this issue fall off the table for now - we have an election to win!

[Greg K]

6. Don't reenact the ban

The ban is an impediment to getting true change in alternative energy. Either:

- The oil companies aren't really interested in drilling, and they won't - removing the ban calls their bluff.
- They do some drilling and it doesn't affect the price of oil in the slightest.

Either way, the issue is gone and President Obama can start promoting real change.

Just my opinion.

[ryanmuegge]

8. Good point. They have a shitload of leases already. Call them on their bluff.

[Mz Pip]

9. I agree

If the oil companies were so hot to trot with off shore drilling they would have pushed for this when the Repugs controlled everything.

It's really not going to go anywhere. It's just a Republican red herring.

[global1]

13. And When No Drilling Begins....

we say - look - you wanted to drill - we let you - and you didn't.

Or if they do some drilling - we all know it won't impact on the price of gas - we can say - see - we told you so.

[ohio2007]

7. they did NOTHING and let it expire. Of course, they can blame somebody for refusing to bring it up

to the floor for a vote ;)

[dgibby]

10. And China approved this?

What are we using for collateral? Alaska?:sarcasm:

[Frisbee]

11. If we are...

and they decide to take it, let's be sure they have to take Sarah Barracuda and the First Dude with it.

[wishlist]

12. However I believe the affected states still have restrictions nt

[lostnotforgotten]

15. Peak Oil Dictates That Suspension Of The Off Shore Drilling Ban Will Have Little Effect

Don't get so riled.

[madrchsod]

16. there will be no drilling for years

there`s no rigs,workers,and engineers to start massive off shore drilling.

[AZ Criminal JD]

24. That is foolish

You are apparently not up to speed on the industry. There are plenty of workers and engineers available. Rigs don't take that long to go on line.

[NickB79]

39. A simple Google search proves you wrong

http://www.google.com/search?q=offshore+drilling+rig+shortages&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

For example:

"But even as oil trades at more than $135 a barrel — up from $68 a year ago — the world’s existing drill-ships are booked solid for the next five years. Some oil companies have been forced to postpone exploration while waiting for a drilling rig, executives and analysts said."

[FarCenter]

37. they will be headed for Brazil, where there is actually off-shore oil

Other than off southern California, the prospect for oil off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts is pretty dim.

Are there oil wells in North Carolina? Why would you expect to find oil off-shore there.

[Jack Rabbit]

17. ()

Pebbelz.com

[louis-t]

19. Is that a "better to light one, small candle..

than to curse the darkness"? My father used to say that.

[mbperrin]

18. I wonder if we'll collect any royalties this time. Due to an "oopsie" last

time, the taxpayer-owners of the offshore fields don't receive a penny in royalties.

"No one could have foreseen that royalties could have been left out" and the * people didn't feel like suing. No contract without value exchange is valid.

Oh, well. Hey, why don't we just throw in a billion or so apiece for all the existing billionaires who haven't contributed a dime to charity in the last brazillion years?!

Why not just hand it ALL over....

I'm tired this afternoon.

[loveable liberal]

20. spineless shithead Harry Reid leading the way I'm sure.....

[greyghost]

23. Of course, how Reid became leader I'll never know, Hillary...

would be a better choice.

[bluecatz]

21. "The legislation also contains 2,322 pet projects totaling $6.6 billion"

Aren't we supposed to kill earmarks?

[ohio2007]

26. How much pork is going back to "the home districts". shouldn't that be up for public display

earmarks get these weasles re elected. It's a payoff before the elections, before anybody can take a look at where every penny spent is going to go. Fast and under the radar

[atomic-fly]

22. what...is this seperate from bailout?

Keep the government running? What has Bush been doing with all the money?

[wordpix]

42. you don't know * has put us $10 trillion in the hole with his wars and mismanagement? Where ya been

[lamp_shade]

25. Good. I look forward to whatever next steps the "drillers" take.

[superconnected]

27. Spending bill lifts coastal oil drilling ban

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Automakers gained $25 billion in taxpayer-subsidized loans and oil companies won elimination of a long-standing ban on drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as the Senate passed a sprawling spending bill Saturday.

The 78-12 vote sent the $634 billion measure to President Bush, who was expected to sign it even though it spends more money and contains more pet projects than he would have liked.

The measure is needed to keep the government operating beyond the current budget year, which ends Tuesday. As a result, the legislation is one of the few bills this election year that simply must pass. Bush's signature would mean Congress could avoid a lame-duck session after the Nov. 4 election.

The Pentagon is in line for a record budget. In addition to $70 billion approved this summer for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense Department would receive $488 billion, a 6 percent increase. The spending bill also offers aid to victims of flooding in the Midwest and recent hurricanes across the Gulf Coast.

Read more: http://www.komonews.com/news/national/29840784.html

[liberalmuse]

28. I already read this earlier.

It's fantastic! I remember reading posts on the net from people very concerned about Obama's performance. They were afraid he would make the same mistakes he did during the primaries. He didn't. Though he could have hit harder, I have to say he did better than expected last night, and I've no doubt he will be more forceful in the next debates.

[superconnected]

29. I saw it right after I posted, so I posted another topic

which I see is already posted to.

Ah. The worst part is I searched for both. I always do first.

[lib2DaBone]

30. Will Oil Drilled in America Be Sold In America..?

Or will HaliBurton/Exxon sell off our cheap American oil first, then stick taxpayers with expensive Saudi Oil? (cha-ching). Go back to sleep people..Clay Aiken wants you to know he may be gay.. OMG

[spag68]

31. oil

You have it back wards, our oil is called light sweet crude, because it is easier to refine. Saudi oil is called sour, because it has more impurity's in it and is harder to refine. It is still up to the states if they want to permit oil drilling, Hopefully after Obama is elected with a larger majority to work with, they will fix this once and for all.

[rhett o rick]

32. So once again the Democrats in the Senate sold us down the river. nm

[cstanleytech]

33. *sigh* Fine lets say they oppose it, the republicans would

then use it against the democrats to rally voters to vote republican because of the high gas prices but hey, if you want the democrats to commit political suicide and turn over the house and senate back to the republicans thats cool.

[rhett o rick]

38. Let me get this straight. Your argument for them to cave on off-shore drilling is because if they

do the right thing and oppose it, it will kill them politically? Why are they even there if they are going to cave to the republicans every time? Time to stand our ground and fight to the last woman, er man er person.

[wordpix]

41. I'm with you, RoR---grow a backbone, Senators!

[cstanleytech]

43. And sometimes you have to pick your fights, this fight at the moment was

one that if they had fought it they would have ended up paying a far to high of a price for.
Besides just because they are allowing it now does not mean it will last, I feel confident enough that Obama will either revoke it or atleast put into place new rules and safeguards about where they can do the drilling and how if of course he wins which I hope he does.

[rhett o rick]

44. Picking your fights is understandable only if you ever do fight. The Democrats

haven't been fighting over anything. Name one thing?

[MrToby]

34. Drill, Baby, Drill...

From my favorite oil industry website where you can learn almost anything you ever wanted to know about oil.

OIL INDUSTRY STATISTICS
US crude-oil production capacity, about 5 million barrels per day, is accomplished with about 510,000 oil wells, averaging 10.5 barrels per well per day. (That's more than half of all the producing oil wells in the world).

THE FACT THAT THE US ALREADY HAS 510,000 wells is just one reason why we cannot simply "drill more wells" to achieve a fictional energy independence, as many Americans naively suggest. Most of the oil in the US has already been found and produced - the peak of US oil production happened in 1970, and it can NOT be achieved again.

http://www.gravmag.com/oil.html

We have already gone past "peak oil" for domestic production. Adding new wells will not change that. The new wells will not be sufficient to offset the production declines in existing oil fields.

Even if we were to extract every ounce of domestic oil, we would still not come close to energy independence.

The timeline for passing legislation, selling or leasing the drilling rights and actually going into significant production is 10-20 years.

If we really want to protect our future, we should conserve as much oil as possible. We would be much wiser to focus on investing in non-oil energy technologies now. In the future, we will need oil for products that are difficult to replace such as jet aircraft, plastics, chemicals, etc.

Does this mean we should not drill new wells? No, but it does mean should use our remaining resources wisely.

I'll GO ONE STEP FARTHER
I am willing to say that it is in the national interest to nationalize any remaining oil production on public lands.

Control of this oil would give our nation greater control of our economic stability. It would also allow us to conserve the oil for uses that cannot be easily replaced by alternative means. This would give us greater long term national security than McCain's "Drill, Baby, Drill”.

[Maine-ah]

35. Democrat Barrack Abeam

Democrats also wanted to avoid an election-year clash with Bush that would have played in his favor. They are willing to take their chances that Democrat Barrack Abeam will be elected president in November and permit increases for scores of programs squeezed by Bush each year.



and Peel College Grants?

who the fuck edited this article?

:wtf:

[girl gone mad]

36. Even when we win, we lose.

The current Dem leadership is revolting.

[wordpix]

40. I don't like this - BiGOil has enough stinking leases they're not drilling and

they're not paying US for the leases they do have. So reward the Big Oil corps some more at this time of their record profits?

Now I'm really getting pissed at the Dems, too. :grr:

[GetTheRightVote]

45. There should be no drilling, they should not be able to add ear marks like this to a bill

to assist the auto makers or other similiar types.

:grr:

[Gin]

46. states have to approve it.......when did the 3 mile limit become

obsolete?