Congress Daily: Sounds like Dems are really going to go for the off-shore drilling.

madfloridian

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Sat Jul-12-08 10:04 PM
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Congress Daily: Sounds like Dems are really going to go for the off-shore drilling.

Several have already signaled their capitulation in the matter. The Republican media machine very quickly did a magnificent job of convincing the public how much drilling off shore would lower the price of gas.

Doesn't matter if it is true. It is the whole fear factor again. Just a couple of years ago most Floridians were dead set against anymore offshore drilling, they understood what little difference it would make. Now the polls are suddenly running high in support of it. Fear and propaganda still work very well.

It's moving ahead very fast. Just last week we heard Reid and Durbin express their willingness to put all options on the table.

Democrats signal they could be open to compromise on offshore drilling

Democratic leaders showed varying degrees of interest Wednesday in opening up new areas for oil production, as public opinion veers in favor of drilling. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters that expanded offshore drilling, which the Republicans have long supported, is not off the table. He said he opposes giving the states the right to choose whether to drill off their coasts, but also said Democrats are �taking a look at that.�

�I�m not knee-jerk-opposed to anything,� Reid said. �We�re willing to work; we haven�t shut our minds to anything.�

..."In the House, Democratic leaders have shown no interest in opening up coastal waters or the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. That was reiterated at a meeting of leaders and committee chairmen Wednesday afternoon, and �there was no dissension,� an aide said.

..."Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Wednesday that he wants to �limit offshore drilling if there is any environmental impact.� He added that there are more than 30 million acres leased by oil companies that they should use to explore. �They ought to lose their leases if they aren�t going to use it,� Durbin said.

However, he also stated, �Beyond that, if there is a suggestion of some new area to go into, I�ll look at it.�

A new report from Congress Daily shows that many House Democrats are considering forming a new coalition with Republicans in the House to look at drilling options.

House Centrists Look To Start Own Gang

Yes, that is in addition to the Blue Dog Coalition and the House New Dems who are the reason such bills as the bankruptcy bill and the FISA bill were passed. So now we will have another coalition. Looks like it is being formed to work more closely with the Republicans.

A group of House lawmakers are looking to replicate an effort among Senate centrists by bypassing their party leaders and putting together a compromise plan to address gas prices.

Reps. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, and John Peterson, R-Pa., are gathering a group of rank-and-file lawmakers � preferably split evenly between the two parties � for a meeting Monday in the hopes of quickly piecing together a legislative package. They plan to formally announce the group�s formation Tuesday.

�There is an effort that�s going on among members to try to � put together something that makes sense and is balanced,� Natural Resources Energy Subcommittee Chairman Jim Costa, D-Calif., said. Costa was one of 19 Democrats, predominately from oil and gas producing districts, who voted against a �use-it-or-lose it� plan sponsored by Democratic leaders shortly before the Independence Day recess.

House Democratic leaders as early as next week intend to bring that plan up again as part of a larger package emphasizing more production in areas where it is allowed to counter repeated calls from GOP leaders to expand access to new areas.

Many Democrats from oil and gas producing areas � including those opposing �use-it-or-lose-it� � agree with Republicans on opening up areas for drilling.

There is no one telling the people that US oil companies are shipping record amounts overseas.

While the U.S. oil industry wants access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, U.S.-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries.

A record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007. Shipments this February topped 1.8 million barrels a day for the first time during any month, according to final numbers from the Energy Department.

The surge in exports appears to contradict the pleas from the U.S. oil industry and the Bush administration for Congress to open more offshore waters and Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.

I have never seen anything like the way Floridians are practically begging Congress to drill offshore now. I have seen local interviews with people in bathing suits on beaches pointing out to sea and talking about how important it is to keep our country drilling.

The tactic has been to make it sound like our country has just been being selfish by not drilling everywhere we can. I can see it in the way the people being interviewed sound so unselfish and patriotic. Propaganda works well.

It works best when there is no opposition party presenting the other side. It is painful to see the lack of plain talk on this issue. It kills me to see polls that show so many in favor of it now.

It would not take much to change their minds. Most are just not informed. It angers me that we are not trying to counter the media and GOP propaganda, but instead going along.

Instead of standing up and fighting back, we are apparently going to go along again on things that matter.