Comments on: Dems To Relent On Offshore Drilling
Democrats Will Allow 25-Year Ban On Drilling Off Coast To Expire
Add a Comment See all 68 Comments
- I would suggest to the democrats that the bigger problem is no gas in the south. The left will have to think long and hard how to pin this one on the right.
- Reply to this comment
- They already opened the eastern side of FL to drilling under the 2006 law and that was where the largest offshore oil and gas finds were. And it''s a certainty that CA won''t permit offshore drilling, and that''s where the next most promising site is. The rest of the US offshore areas are mostly deepwater areas and it won''t be economically profitable to explore them as long as the Saudi''s are still producing oil. This is nothing more than an attempt to pull one of McCain''s talking points away from him.
- Reply to this comment
- "Yeah right, wind and solar will run your car engine and run the factories and such. Anyone with any basic economic knowledge knows that drilling will bring the price down. And in 5 -10 years we will see the oil on the market"
Estimated to save at most 25 cents a gallon. 5 years? A pipe dream. 10 years maybe.
As to basic economic knowledge, 25 cents in 10 years might equate to 2 cents and keep in mind the amount of oil is "estimated" by the oil companies.
Drill baby drill is a simplistic answer to the changing face of energy use planet wise not just in the US.
Wind does power our school, our local city government electrical needs and has for 10 years. Reducing our taxpayer layout by over 300,000 a year. Do the math.
"And frankly, if there is an occasional oil spill so what, clean it up and get on with it."
They are still cleaning up from the Exxon Valdez and around the world from spills.
Keep thinking that the current course is the correct one with simplistic answers then look around and see how well 20 of the last 28 years with Republican policies have worked. Savings and loan failure,two wars, Iran Contra, massive deregulation, the current mess, no energy policy, leave no child behind failure, Katrina, Ike, failed immigration reform. A good portion of the time they had control of the senate and house also.
The results lay before you. And McCain won''t change a thing, he''s major part of that 28 years. - Reply to this comment
- michaelm07 said, "This oil issue is just one example of Pelosi betting the wrong way and as a result, we all lose..."
---
Even Bush''s own oil policy experts say offshore drilling will have nothing to contribute to pump prices are at least several years.
Added to that market delay is the fact most, if not all, of the recent gas price gouging has been pressured by commodities speculators.
Big Oil never has responded to the question the Dems initially posed-- what are they doing with the 85 million acres of federal offshore lands already leased?
(See also comments under "Trading Horses in Congress", a page or two before this one.) - Reply to this comment
- michaelm07 said, "They are the most worthless bunch I have seen. Now they want the Presidency and can''t even run the congress - it is truly Kafka-esque"
---
You reference Kafka, yet cannot understand the difference between a simple and a super-majority?
Try reading more about what the two terms mean, and you will understand why the current session of congress is best termed "gridlock".
On the other hand, "Kafka-esque" probably is an appropriate description of how both parties feel about this indeterminate state of affairs. - Reply to this comment
- And another thing you hand wringing liberal Dems, how about that Congress of yours? They are the most worthless bunch I have seen. Now they want the Presidency and can''t even run the congress - it is truly Kafka-esque to watch. Wathcing the biggest recipient of Fannie May bucks, Chris Dodd pontificate is just incredible. Come Dems, we can disagree but you have got to be conflited by the hypocrisy in Washington. I admit a lot of Republicans there are also jelly spined losers but you can''t even bring yourselves to admit when your side is supremely screwed up. This oil issue is just one example of Pelosi betting the wrong way and as a result, we all lose.
- Reply to this comment
- Yeah right, wind and solar will run your car engine and run the factories and such. Anyone with any basic economic knowledge knows that drilling will bring the price down. And in 5 -10 years we will see the oil on the market - the more the better. If we again listen to the whining neo-libs and neo-environmentalists we''ll again be no closer in 5 - 10 years. YES, develop alternatives but until then drill. I don''t get why the libs cannot fathom the simple logic. And frankly, if there is an occasional oil spill so what, clean it up and get on with it. These morons who think holding an entire nation hostage because of the chance of a spill don''t mind filling up their gas tanks but offer no real alternatives.
I personally think they fear that they might actually find a LOT of oil within U.S. borders and perhaps enough to tell the hostile oil supplying nation where they can shove there oil.
U.S. oil, clean coal (which Obama supports), and nuclear are the best ways to free ourselves until better alternatives can be developed. As for wind it is a nice token technology but can only contribute a small bit of help in reality, unless you put one up every few blocks - if you enviros think it is the answer put one up in your own back yard. They take forever to pay for themselves by the way and negate any savings on energy. - Reply to this comment
- It all started with the unchallenged lie that this will lower gas prices, which it won''''t. It will make some more bucks for oil corporations and their shareholders. Some of which will be slipped into Congressional and Executive branch pockets.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by occams_taser at 03:20 AM
Well said. I am sorry to see that so many people are so easily deceived by such rhetoric as drill here, drill now. This last year alone US exports of petroleum were at the highest. With the higher gas prices, big oil has already been drilling more and more right here. None of that was keeping the prices down. Why? Because it is sold on the world market and the goal is to make as much money as possible in that market. - Reply to this comment
- It all started with the unchallenged lie that this will lower gas prices, which it won''t. It will make some more bucks for oil corporations and their shareholders. Some of which will be slipped into Congressional and Executive branch pockets.
- Reply to this comment
- I predict the environmentalist lawsuits- the first of many will start to be filed the day after the bill is signed and that will effectively stop any drilling while it works it''s way thru the courts.
- Reply to this comment
- is a big victory for Americans struggling with record gasoline prices," said House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio. "
Oh YEAH, biggggg victory for US! maybe in about TEN YEARS we might start seeing some oil AFTER drilling rigs are built and installed, AFTER new refineries we are short of are still not built or delayed because no one wants a dirty refineri=y in THEIR state.
By the time any oil came out of that who knows what will have changed between now and 2018- another big war and maybe by 2018 gasoline will be $20 a gallon and the savings from the off shore- 5 cents off that. Or maybe we won''t even need it.
The oil co''s are NOT going to reduce prices, they WANT supplies TIGHT and refinery capacity at it''s limit- that keeps the freaking price $4 a gallon instead of 89 cents - Reply to this comment
- bgmusic:
"Biden.. the best thing that''''s happened to the Republican campaign.. STAND UP OH HANDICAP GUY.."
Yeah but it was a mistaken on Biden''s part...
In Palin''s church they call it faith healing... - Reply to this comment
- Well this should work out pretty well for the Democrats with the third grade level voters in this country... Things like this will make it harder for the GOP to steal the election with a straight face again...
However, when the DNC majority offices call me looking for money it won''t work out very well at all as I will be setting their donations aside for oil spill clean up. - Reply to this comment
- After grabbing Iraq oil-1/3 the worlds reserves,the price went up a fortune-hope I will be able to fill up every few months after the drilling!!!
- Reply to this comment
- THIS PROVES DEMOCRATS ARE INCAPABLE OF GOVERNING IN CONGRESS!
What is so despicable about this is, we could NOT reasonably expect ANY immediate positive effect such as a decrease at the pump! It will take years to erect structures, obtain the raw material, refine it, and have it available for use!
The Democrats have caved-in and been exploited by big business, betrayed the environment, but saddly---have once again---BETRAYED THE PUBLIC!
My solution: vote them out of office! - Reply to this comment
- Nationalize The Oil companies.The Exxon Valdez, destroyed,the coast line and has yet too,pay ? Stop taking it,Nationalize the oil, and hang the greedy pigs whom ruined our economy,and brag making 50 billion profit in 90 days.Now, they what our shores to make more $$$,destroying the environment.this administration is great at giving away everything, ,to the rich and nothing for the middle class on down ,oh, except a tax bill to bail out a company with one Trillion n assets, that will have your grand children paying the bill n poverty.
- Reply to this comment
- TRADING HORSES IN CONGRESS
EddyNewHopes said, "I hate McBush/Palin but you are absolutely right. Dems in Congress are f**** spineless."
---
"Spineless" is not quite accurate. As with most political manuevering, you must know what is going on behind the public posturing, on the "back channel", as they say in diplomatic circles.
Ultimately, our congress is a game of cooperation and impasse. The Dems do not have the supermajority to overturn Bush or his supporters in congress, and Bush and supporters do not have the power to act independently of the Dems. Each side plays a hand, as in poker, and bluffing reigns supreme.
By the time a description of the game reaches the press, it must be decoded by astute political reporters and columnists who understand what each side is trying to do, and what its priorities are.
It may be a while before we get the whole story on why the Dems voted as they did. Perhaps they got a key concession from the GOP on another bill-- say, with banking.
(See "Trading Horses"--2) - Reply to this comment
- TRADING HORSES--2
In fact, it is entirely possible the GOP would have held up Dem-proposed reforms of the nation''s unregulated mortgage banking market, just so it could claim a victory with offshore drilling. The GOP wanted to avoid the appearance of a forced concession to Dems on new banking rules, on top of the widespread blame being heaped on Bush and the GOP (rightly) for the mortgage banking meltdown.
The whole offshore issue is really a ploy for something else. None in the industry, not even in the Bush administration, says offshore will produce anything in the forseeable future to offset pump prices.
So, consider Boehner''s comment to mean, "We traded horses, and I think my side got a better horse." The Dems are probably also smiling about their side of the deal. And so it goes. - Reply to this comment
- Rep. Boehner seems to know less about where high gas prices come from than the average motorist. Which is not to say he is above dissimulation to the press-- all to spare his friends on Wall Street and in the oil industry from fiery criticism.
Commodities speculation is a big factor in high prices, some say the biggest. This condition persists so long as traders can escalate their synthetic demand into a feeding frenzy. Such a spike or sustained high price level can coexist with normal levels of gas and oil assets in the market.
Clearly, speculation is the enemy of the consumer, especially for those with no energy or transportation alterantives but petroleum. Again, thank Rep. Boehner and the GOP for that.
Once, the government did force gas and oil price speculation to stop, realizing it was a threat to the national economy. In response to the Arab oil embargo, Nixon imposed price controls and declared, "Now, I am a Keynesian."
The question is not if, but when, the oil commodities speculators will overstep limited public patience with their bilking the consumer. But don''t hold your breath for Bush to take action-- his free-market ideology already has brought us the mortgage banking fiasco. - Reply to this comment
- do we have to burn every last drop of oil before we come up with an alternative that''''s clean and makes us energy independent?
Posted by bushisadik at 09:06 PM : Sep 23, 2008
That would be my guess.
Consider the role oil plays in the pharmaceutical, medical equipment, packaging, fertilizer, chemical, and even explosives industries.
As we seem to be determined to burn the oil up instead of using an alternative form of energy to extend the supply, in the all too near future life is going to get REAL interesting.
Not to mention shorter. - Reply to this comment
