Obama would consider off-shore drilling as part of comprehensive energy plan

[jefferson_dem]

:popcorn:

Obama would consider off-shore drilling as part of comprehensive energy plan
By MICHAEL C. BENDER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 01, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said today he would be willing to open Florida's coast for more oil drilling if it meant winning approval for broad energy changes.

"My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.
Presidential race

"If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage - I don't want to be so rigid that we can't get something done," Obama said.

Off-shore drilling has become a push-button issue in the presidential campaign since Republican candidate John McCain announced his support to open more of the country's coastline for drilling in order to reduce gas prices. Both candidates are campaigning in Florida today.

Obama has opposed exposing more coastline to drilling, saying that oil companies have not fully explored the areas open to drilling now and insisting that it would have little immediate impact on prices at the pump.

After speaking to a capacity crowd at Gibbs High School auditorium in St. Petersburg, he told the Post he would be open to expanding the current drilling boundaries if it meant winning approval for more fuel-efficient cars, developing alternative energy sources and making the country more "energy independent."

"I think it's important for the American people to understand we're not going to drill our way out of this problem," he said.

<SNIP>

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/08/01/0801obama1.html

[tekisui]

1. Just say NO!

Don't go there, Barack. Please don't. We don't need to.

[MBS]

10. I'm with you

Yes, bring the country together. But not by unnecessary and regressive compromise on issues like this.
The idea is bring the country together, and move us forward . Not back.

[KittyWampus]

25. we already have offshore drilling. And there are leases for areas that have yet to be drilled.

[whistler162]

33. Depending on the legistlation it could be interesting....

One acre of newly leased land for one acre of land the oil company isn't drilling and 25% of the verified profits go to alternative energy research.

[Hippo_Tron]

37. The problem is that we need 60 votes to get anything through the Senate

Meaning that if we want an energy policy that promotes oil alternatives we have to give something to the Republicans or they will just filibuster it. Drilling is not great for the coastlines of Florida or California, I will admit, but if we're ever going to get an energy policy, something has to give.

[ErinBerin84]

2. was this what Ron Brownstein was referring to on Hardball?

[Pirate Smile]

3. I guess so.

[NightWatcher]

4. Obama....the Center.....he's there.....now stop

he feels he has to say what he is doing, but I hope he remembers that we supported him before the run right.

[Hugabear]

5. Absolutely no more oil drilling - ANYWHERE

It's time to put Big Oil on notice. They can finish sucking the oil from their current wells, but once those wells run dry, it's OVER. NO MORE. Pelosi may be wrong on some issues, but she's absolutely right about this one, we have to save the planet. It's time to take a hard stance, to stand up to Big Oil and their lust for record profits.

[totodeinhere]

30. One question. How are we going to stop other countries from drilling offshore?

After all, the big oil countries are multinational corporations, and if we don't allow them to drill offshore other countries will. Witness Cuba's agreement with the Chinese to explore offshore drilling.

[Hugabear]

34. Nothing we can do about that

But we can stop drilling from occurring in US waters, and then work to try and help other countries develop alternative sources of energy.

[Pirate Smile]

6. IMO this, like the mandates issue, gets rid of a bludgeon the Republicans want

to use against Obama which would actually be effective for Republicans. He isn't promoting it. He is just saying he wont make a blanket refusal to consider it in negotiations re legislation.

Politically smart. I'm ok with it.

[jefferson_dem]

12. I'm ok with it too.

This is one of the few (potentially powerful) wedge issues the McCain't camp wanted to play this season. Take it away from him and crush it to bits.

[democrattotheend]

7. Smart move

Honestly, I think opposition to offshore drilling is a losing issue for him, and I like how he framed it in terms of flexibility. Says he opposes it but won't make it an absolute deal-breaker if it's part of a larger package that includes funding for alternative fuels. I think this is the right approach, but I know there will be some here who disagree.

[Barack_America]

11. It is a losing issue.

It got too much traction while he was abroad and he has little left to do now but indicate some compromise on that issue.

[chimpymustgo]

31. So if it's what you think is a losing issues, he should throw it under the bus? Make room for the

fucking environment under that huge bus that's dragging a whole lot of Democratic principles.

:puke:

[democrattotheend]

32. He didn't say he supports offshore drilling

He said it wouldn't necessarily be an absolute deal-breaker worth sinking a bill that otherwise contained some worthwhile environmental provisions. And frankly, I wouldn't want a president who was so dogmatic. I was pretty disappointed in him over FISA, but I think he's right on this one.

[nicktom]

35. I agree, he has outsmarted them again,

I really believe this has been in the works for at least a week. The polls I have seen
show the majority of people have fallen for the drill now argument. It leads every FOX
show, it was the one issue the McSame supporters felt they had an advantage on, even if
they used it for a) a pandering wedge issue, or b) an obvious way to profit the oil/corp.
entities by taking advantage of those of us paying the high prices.

By taking this position at this exact time Obama has de-fanged McSames stump speech without
actually giving up anything. Sure he appears to flip flop but in reality he gets to use the issue
to force the pukes to deal for what really matters, a $1000.00 energy rebate from the oil companies
taken from their billion $ profits announced today, "environmentally friendly" drilling off shore,
and all of his other energy proposals. How can the same republicans who shouted in the dark today
about congress shutting down without a vote on drilling be against a compromise? I think the Dem's
played this just right.

Remember the Dem's are going to control Congress next year no matter who wins the oval office, no bill
will even get out of congress unless it agrees with what they want.

My hat is off to Obama and the Dem's for playing this perfectly, after all they (and He) are looking
for ways to solve the energy crises, by the way McSame also flip flopped on off shore drilling
two weeks or so ago.

[chimpymustgo]

41. Outsmarted? No, CAVED. Again.

Our dear spelunker-in-chief.

[Muttocracy]

8. nevermind - misread part of OP. nt

[Barack_America]

9. Sometimes shit like this is a necessary evil.

It's not right that it is, but it is.

[Skip Intro]

13. Fuckin Great. I think that his accepting the oath on the 50 yard line makes perfect sense.

:wtf:

[jefferson_dem]

14. Good one.

Nice to see you 'round. :hi:

[jillan]

36. Yep.

[FrenchieCat]

15. At this point, considering the media his harping that 70% of Americans

want offshore drilling, let them fucking have some.

I want to win, and I'll be damned if this discussion is what takes us down.

With the Rethugs and the media chiming in every 5 minutes how this is a good issue for John McCain,
I'm glad that Obama has determined that there is no reason to go down with a sinking ship. He will right this later, and his many caveats for the drilling makes a reasonable approach for Obama.

[Skip Intro]

20. You want to win by becoming the opposition, adopting their positions?

What, at the end of that road, do you really have if you "win?" What have you won?

Repukes have caveats for drilling as well.

What if the media told you 70% of Americans are agaisnt abortion. Should Obama then too be against it?

Why not take the right stand on the issues, like drilling and FISA, and fight for those stands because they are right, not sell out one's own supposed convictions for political advantage?

This drilling position, this new one, is bullshit. And I'll be damned if I'm going to read it and then hypocritically pretend it is a stroke of brilliance just because it was uttered by Obama knowing full well I'd blast mccain had he been the one who said the same damn thing. There is a right and a wrong on this issue, and where you stand is what matters, not what letter follows your name.

[FrenchieCat]

22. I want to win while understanding the realities of our political system.

The reality is that some situation are a set up for one to fail.

You can go ahead and not vote for Barack due to this.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't give a shit.

[americanstranger]

23. Yeah. 70% want it - and most of them live nowhere near a coast.

The states will never allow offshore drilling. Obama knows this.

This issue is a red herring.

- as

[jefferson_dem]

16. AP picks up the story.

http://www.wbt.com/news/details.cfm?ap_id=D929O8KG0

[Drunken Irishman]

17. Good idea, this is the issue Obama is most vulnerable on.

Take their talking points way.

[davidinalameda]

18. it's called compromise

and of course, there's no way to put these things up overnight so he's hedging his bets

he also understands that more we need to fundamentally change our view on energy in this country

[27inCali]

19. hey, if those dumbshits in Florida want to drill

and risk decimating their tourist driven economy. Then go ahead.
I'm sure when their beaches are covered in tar and they're bleeding jobs out the ass, they might just learn their lesson.

In Cali, our Repug guvunator wont even consider it. In fact, he shut it down the minute the issue came up.

I guess some people give a shit about future generations and some don't.

[Hippo_Tron]

39. The bottom line is that most people don't live in California or Florida

And therefore they don't give a shit about California or Florida's coastlines. Personally I'm indifferent to the whole drilling thing. I want a sensible energy policy that creates massive incentives for renewable energy. If drilling has to be swallowed to get that 60 votes in the Senate, then so be it. If there's a better way, I'm all ears.

BTW despite this oil spill we just had in Louisiana, public opinion seems to lean pretty strongly toward drilling still.

[PM7nj]

21. Ugh...

[wpelb]

24. Sen. Obama has a point

It's not like we can change our energy infrastructure wholesale in the next few years. Even if we began a program to use more renewable resources, it would take years for solar and wind-energy generation facilities to be built in sufficient numbers to meet our energy needs. Even if Sen. Obama were elected and re-elected, we would not see the fruits of his efforts till long after he was out of office. Using more of our own energy supplies takes advantage of the energy distribution infrastructure that is already in place (i.e., the local service station); alternatives that distribute energy to the masses in a similarly relatively convenient way simply don't exist at the present time.

Unfortunately, the very nature of politics in a democratic society does not always lead to our leaders making the best long-term decisions. They--Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, independent, Green, whatever--will tend to look only as far as the next election (maybe a little beyond) when formulating and advocating policies. Sometimes, I think we'd be better off if we had a king, though that would ultimately lead to far more serious problems, at least if history is any guide.

:(

[Major Hogwash]

26. Obama should start advocating that we open up Yellowstone National Park to oil drilling as well.

Hell, let's drill for oil right next to the Capitol Building!
Let's open up Wall Street for exploration.
What's so special about that land in front of the Smithsonian Institute?
And what about all that property they call Lambeau Field, hell, there could be a barrel or two under there somewhere!!

Let's put all of those places in to play.
Let's quit "playing around" about oil drilling and get serious!

Obama should point out just how fuckin' ridiculous it is for the Republicans to just bitch, bitch, and bitch about off-shore drilling.

Instead Obama should advocate drilling right here on our shores, in national parks, hell it is just dormant land just waiting to be exploited, after all.
And then let's drill for oil in the everglades - fuck, don't the people of Florida want to solve this oil problem?

And then after we're done drilling for oil, let's dig the shit out of it and look for gold!!!

[ecstatic]

27. He'll only consider it. Politics 101. No big deal

Remember the rethug from U of Chi. who said that Obama would listen but wouldn't budge when it came to rethug ideas?

[depakid]

28. Since the DINO's sold us out on the bill to regulate speculators, Obama doesn't have much choice

We're getting OUR ASSES ROYALLY KICKED on the gas price issue.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

29. There's a difference between...

drilling offshore and drilling offshore in environmentally sensitive areas. Oil companies currenly have leases to drill on something like 70 million acres (much of it offshore). So saying that oil companies could drill offshore might be nothing more than saying, "You've already got the leases, now go drill."

[littlebit]

38. He changed his mind again?

I am so pissed that I am going to basically be forced to vote for this idiot.

[blonndee]

40. I really don't like this.

I think I've been very open-minded and tolerant of Obama's openness to policies that I personally disagree with, and have kind of taken a "wait and see" attitude to some recent issues that have arisen. But I will say I am not happy with this. "The answer" does not lie in oil, and I really wish that Obama would just say so. The time is NOW, Americans are ready for something else. I wish that instead he would appeal to the so-called "can-do" American spirit and really rally the troops, so to speak, to get alternative energy solutions front and center NOW. I know that he wants this...it just doesn't make sense to me that he seems to be giving in on the drilling issue right now. THIS is the time to go another direction! There will never be a better chance to do it, politically or practically. We can't afford to compromise. We have to get to work on non-oil energy solutions.

Obviously, this isn't going to affect my support for Obama. I'm working for the campaign. But this is a real turn-off for me and it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. This is disappointing.

[bridgit]

42. Fickle thy name is America: NO!, yes, Present!, no nukes, nukes!, wind, no wind...

Except of course the hot air venting out of congress and M$M. It seems to me that by default; America is set for the comeuppance of her lifetime, and Americans will be eating crow and gaking it down with buttermilk. Perhaps with the ushering of a Dem admin, regulations will be made whole again. But with barges crashing into tankers on the Mississippi you no longer have to live near the coast to have a problem on your banks.

But don't worry; nothing will happen till the old pilgrim money round Chesapeake Bay allows wind farms in their postcards :thumbsup: Till then shout, "Hallelujah!!" if gas ever gets back down to $3.85 http://www.arcosanti.org ;)

[polichick]

43. He should be educating people on the gimmick - not caving. Pathetic.

[Evergreen Emerald]

44. Dang

I had hope. What will Al Gore say?