Wow, Wow, Wow, Jon Stewart just showed video of the last 8 presidents.......

[KansasVoter]

Saying "we need to remove our dependence on foreign oil". From Nixon to Obama.

It is so sad and depressing. Nothing ever gets done.

Catch the re-run if you can. Unbelievable.

[Captain Hilts]

1. THAT's why we're drilling offshore so much. Dog forbid we lower consumption or conserve. nt

[tekisui]

2. Or develop sustainable alternatives.

[dionysus]

45. +1

[Gore1FL]

3. The problem is and has always been

No one wants to impact the dependence of sovereign oil while doing so.

[Pirate Smile]

7. The problem is that no one wants to impact the American lifestyle.

IMO...

[SemiCharmedQuark]

13. I agree.

Who wants to tell people they can't have their hummers or have to pay 3 dollars extra for electricity?

[tekisui]

15. No one wants to. Someone needs to, though.

One day we won't have the option to drive the hummers. We need to start moving now, to lessen the pain of the inevitable come down from oil. We will be better off if WE determine the when and how. If we are forced by circumstance, it will be incredibly painful.

We briefly have a choice, short-term managed discomfort or long-term unpredictable pain.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

26. Absolutely.

But needing to do something and actually doing it are two very different things. I'm wary of Obama's words because everybody has said they intend to do this and nobody has to any significant degree. OTOH, maybe we will this time. Everyone talked about HC for 60 years and although I don't think it's perfect by a long shot, I feel it is a significant step forward.

[Golden Raisin]

40. Bingo. To say nothing of

our government's need for insatiable amounts of oil to fuel it's imperial overseas wars. Jets, tanks, etal. require oil to run.

[CreekDog]

54. No, plenty of people are fine with using alternatives to maintain our lifestyle

but a minority of powerful people are not.

[Clio the Leo]

4. sorry, couldn't watch...

... had to get into my CAR and DRIVE the two blocks to the gas station to get some beef jerky. :)

[KansasVoter]

9. Lol

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. depends whether the other presisnets actually sponsored bills as senator for renewable energy

Obama had sponsored plenty and his election manifesto said it. Jon, do your homework. You almost sound like a Repug. He should be challenging the GOP (Grand Oil Party) which has been campaigning against renewable energy as oil flows through their veins. Oil has never flowed through Obama;s veins. THe pressure formn the right on oil siphoning is oweverwhelming They have the audacity to say more drilling when there are billions of gallons been spewed into the gulf by their friends BP, Halliburton.

Jon you have got the wrong guys.

[obxhead]

10. It was Obama who expanded offshore drilling

without getting a single fucking thing in return. He's no saint when it comes to oil.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. it was a surprising announcement which really went against the grain

I think he realizes that the ordinary SUV type people are going to scream if they can't get their beloved oil and also the GOP darlings who promote drilling. There to be a fast moving transition period to wean off oil starting yesterday.

[FrenchieCat]

18. He was going for the compromise,

in order to get an energy bill through that did much more
for alternative energy than for oil.....as he didn't have the 60 votes
needed, when you add the Louisiana Senator to the pile of Republicans,
all opposed.

Plus, his announcement didn't expand anything at the time that he made it.....
as it was predicated on safety measure being put in place,
and wasn't gonna be taking place before quite some months.

So whatever leak happened would have happened anyways regardless of his announcement.

His decision just looks the worse due to the bad timing,
and that wasn't good PR, and those who want to are making it the reason
to blame the leak on him.

Bush is the one who lifted the offshore drilling ban in 2008,
I do believe.

[tekisui]

53. This is why compromises with conservatives are a fool's errand.

I hope we have all learned the lesson. There are reasons conservatives policies are considered dangerous and stupid.

[Turborama]

16. I'm still waiting for someone to offer rational criticism of what the President actually said

"One of the lessons we've learned from this spill is that we need better regulations better safety standards, and better enforcement when it comes to offshore drilling. But a larger lesson is that no matter how much we improve our regulation of the industry, drilling for oil these days entails greater risk. After all, oil is a finite resource. We consume more than 20% of the world's oil, but have less than 2% of the world's oil reserves. And that's part of the reason oil companies are drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean because we're running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water.

For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered. For decades, we have talked and talked about the need to end America's century-long addiction to fossil fuels. And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires. Time and again, the path forward has been blocked not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor.

The consequences of our inaction are now in plain sight. Countries like China are investing in clean energy jobs and industries that should be here in America. Each day, we send nearly $1 billion of our wealth to foreign countries for their oil. And today, as we look to the Gulf, we see an entire way of life being threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude.

We cannot consign our children to this future. The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now. Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash American innovation and seize control of our own destiny.

This is not some distant vision for America. The transition away from fossil fuels will take some time, but over the last year and a half, we have already taken unprecedented action to jumpstart the clean energy industry. As we speak, old factories are reopening to produce wind turbines, people are going back to work installing energy-efficient windows, and small businesses are making solar panels. Consumers are buying more efficient cars and trucks, and families are making their homes more energy-efficient. Scientists and researchers are discovering clean energy technologies that will someday lead to entire new industries.

Each of us has a part to play in a new future that will benefit all of us. As we recover from this recession, the transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of good, middle-class jobs but only if we accelerate that transition. Only if we seize the moment. And only if we rally together and act as one nation workers and entrepreneurs; scientists and citizens; the public and private sectors.

When I was a candidate for this office, I laid out a set of principles that would move our country towards energy independence. Last year, the House of Representatives acted on these principles by passing a strong and comprehensive energy and climate bill a bill that finally makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy for America's businesses.

Now, there are costs associated with this transition. And some believe we can't afford those costs right now. I say we can't afford not to change how we produce and use energy because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security, and our environment are far greater.

So I am happy to look at other ideas and approaches from either party as long they seriously tackle our addiction to fossil fuels. Some have suggested raising efficiency standards in our buildings like we did in our cars and trucks. Some believe we should set standards to ensure that more of our electricity comes from wind and solar power. Others wonder why the energy industry only spends a fraction of what the high-tech industry does on research and development and want to rapidly boost our investments in such research and development.

All of these approaches have merit, and deserve a fear hearing in the months ahead. But the one approach I will not accept is inaction. The one answer I will not settle for is the idea that this challenge is too big and too difficult to meet. You see, the same thing was said about our ability to produce enough planes and tanks in World War II. The same thing was said about our ability to harness the science and technology to land a man safely on the surface of the moon. And yet, time and again, we have refused to settle for the paltry limits of conventional wisdom. Instead, what has defined us as a nation since our founding is our capacity to shape our destiny our determination to fight for the America we want for our children. Even if we're unsure exactly what that looks like. Even if we don't yet know precisely how to get there. We know we'll get there.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

31. If you ever watched 'Dallas' the soap - the JR Ewing society has to go

I wonder how long it will take us to wean us off oil.

[Colobo]

6. Simple: America needs to become a Mass Public Transportation-friendly nation.

Bullet trains all over America.

[LeftyAndProud60]

8. I'd like to say Fuck Jon Stewart. I quit watching after that "Complicated" sh1t he did. Colbert is

funnier anyways.

[jgraz]

11. Yes, fuck anyone who dares criticize our leaders.

:eyes:

[Cleobulus]

21. I'm still trying to decide whether you are a parody of a mindless acolyte...

your posts seem consistent with this view. Not to mention you seem to have suspended all your rational facilities.

[FrenchieCat]

27. I don't get it either!

:shrug:

[jillan]

33. This wasn't really against Obama - it was more about how every President says they will get us off

of foreign oil, and here we are.

[KansasVoter]

35. True! He was slamming politics, not Obama!

[Chef Eric]

44. Yes, how dare somebody show footage of Obama repeating the same word. nt

[harun]

14. Proof they are all full of it.

[FrenchieCat]

28. Except for Obama has an actual bill passed by the house and one

sitting in the senate......

and has been on the job less than the rest of them.

[wisteria]

29. Your right. Now lets hope enough Senators will do the right thing and vote for it. n/t

[FrenchieCat]

30. I'm working on DiFi! That well-paid two faced political moron!

[NYC_SKP]

17. How many here know that an "Energy and Climate Change" bill now languishes in Congress?

:shrug:

And my Senator Feinstein is on the fence.

:mad:

June 16 (Bloomberg) -- The BP Plc oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is unlikely to create enough momentum to pass a comprehensive climate bill sought by President Barack Obama, say leading Senate Democrats.

Many Democrats don’t want to vote in this election year on whether to cap the greenhouse-gas emissions linked to climate change, saying they prefer to work in the coming months on legislation directly responding to the spill.

“The climate bill isn’t going to stop the oil leak,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat. “The first thing you have to do is stop the oil leak.”

Obama, in a speech to the nation last night, praised a climate plan passed by the House last year and said the U.S. “can’t afford not to change how we produce and use energy.” Still, he didn’t place direct pressure on the Senate to follow the House’s lead and didn’t repeat his call earlier this month to put “a price on carbon pollution.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aETrbbprJRnc

And several other Democrats have not yet committed.

Yet, we hear very little about it here or in the MSM.

So, please, find out where your Congress Critters stand on this legislation, and give them a kick in the ass if you need to.

TIA.

:patriot:

[vaberella]

20. Lorrdy. n/t

[vaberella]

19. The problem is us. However Obama is working on it. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

22. I love Jon Stewart, but he can be cranky sometimes.

Last week (I think) he complained that it took 9 months to get health care reform done. I mean, it was funny as a joke, but of course it actually took 60 years to get health care reform started.

You have to just enjoy the Daily Show as a comedy show because that is all Jon Stewart ever claimed it to be. I mean, for this, obviously, some presidents have tried harder than others.

[vaberella]

24. True. However, some here take it as more than just comedy & that's the problem. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

25. Well sometimes he does point out important truths.

I liked yesterday's show a lot. On the other hand, I thought his criticism of the Dems for being wary of Alvin Green was a little off as far as facts go. I think you need to evaluate each one individually.

[Lorien]

52. Um, no. We can't build solar power stations on our own, or affordable electric cars

wind farms, create a carbon tax, etc. WITHOUT government help. The "invisable hand of the free market" likes the system as it is. It WILL take government intervention, as it has in other Nations, to make some real Changes. Obama is not some helpless victim; he CAN push for the changes that he trumpeted during his campaign. We saw it when that sham of a health care bill went through; if he wants it, it'll happen.

[HughMoran]

23. Remember how shocked we were when dim son said it?

That was one weird day.

[rucky]

42. It was on his list...

just behind the cloning of human hybrids.

[jillan]

32. That was great! I loved the end when he was showing Ford with the Calender...

What did Congress do in April? Nothing - rips off April
What did Congress do in May? Nothing - rips off May...etc.

And his Clinton joke about the other spill was hysterically funny.

I never realized that Nixon accomplished more in protecting our environment than any of the others. Interesting.

[KansasVoter]

34. The Nixon part shocked me! Good for him!

[old mark]

36. I would have liked to see something similar on health insurance reform-you can go back

a lot farther on that issue.

mark

[treestar]

37. How clever!

So what has he done to get us off oil? What have we done?

Zilch. We still drive around in our cars and watch comedians on Teevee.

[FrenchieCat]

38. It's probably a good thing! He is telling folks that hey....this time,

we got it in the works.....now we just need to wake the fuck up and insist as a nation
as to what we want. I don't think this President minds......especially if it can get
folks fired up and ready to fucking get there!

[vaberella]

48. And use Vicks when we have a cold. n/t

[Berry Cool]

39. I have to say, he made a depressing point with me.

He did an excellent job of pointing out that while several past presidents actually did a pretty damn good job of doing what I had hoped and wished for Obama to do last night in terms of outlining and implementing a plan, and even holding Congress's feet to the fire when they didn't cooperate, not a damn one of them got anything done in the "reducing oil dependency" area.

But give credit to Nixon. He did get a lot of environmental stuff done. Just not that.

[vaberella]

46. What I've noticed is that there's not much of a movement from US citizens to end dependency.

Some say it's the Government, but when the people are demanding it---and it's in every part of our environment I don't see how that ends. I have yet to see a real push to boycott petroleum based products. Additionally---every time Obama mentions climate change bill or green house bill or things like that---people start screaming he's using this spill as an excuse for government control.

Do you know Congress doesn't give a crap about this?! They don't even have the votes. Shit---to get the 75 million---Congress shot that down.

Further more---this wasn't a plan process. This was to speak to the American people at large. People don't know what's going on with the oil but they are 100% aware that no one is stopping it---you don't go into some rather plan of saving the earth when people don't even know where you stand on this issue. This was to talk to the American people about the situation at hand and that was it. The American people definitely appreciated it even if the pundits and DU did not.

[Jennicut]

41. He has a point. And the public never really put enough pressure on the politicians

as a whole. Just look at how some still want deep sea drilling in the Gulf and the moratorium to be lifted? How past Presidents and Congress didn't act. It should be a wake up call to us all, not a criticism necessarily of Obama.

[vaberella]

47. The public really from what I can see, generally, doesn't care and wants more oil. n/t

[Jennicut]

49. As we see on the Gulf, many residents rely on it for jobs. The question is how to move those

people into green jobs.

[vaberella]

50. That is true...but you know to get those up and running is a hurdle.

Considering we have betrayer Dems and obstructionist Republicans in office.

[RoyGBiv]

43. It was amusing and on point ...

...but it wasn't complete.

What's missing from from the spiel, which pretty much sums up what a lot of critics of American energy policy have been saying for quite some time, is the bit where we get to see what happened when any of them actually attempted to do anything.

The people (that would be us) screamed their fool heads off and made clear they would not actually elect anyone who actually tried to do what is necessary. People want to hear the words. It sounds so patriotic. We don't want to rely on no damn foreigners for our oil. Well, of course, the sad truth is that we can't produce all we consume domestically, which leaves us with a bit of a problem. We have to reduce consumption.

And by gopod, you just wait and see what happens to a President who gets up there and tells us we have to lower our consumption. What right does that dictator-commie-fascist-out of touch-clueless-hates the poor-hates business-hates the American ByGod Way of Life have in telling *me* I am going to have to re-think the way I live my life? None, that's what. So, fuck'em.

Carter came closer than anyone. Look what happened to him.

It's a delicate thing to tell a people their traditional way of life is over.

[n2doc]

51. Yep. But the problem is it can't be fixed by drilling

The myth that by drilling in US waters/lands we can eliminate imports needs to die.

Only alternative energy and conservation will accomplish this. We shall see if Obama fights as hard for this goal as he did for bank bailouts. Or even health care reform.