Good for Obama. Compromise on drilling is the way to go

[LuckyTheDog]

I am sure Obama knows that this entiely a fake issue. But applaud his willingness to compromise in the interest of ending the gridlock:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080801/ap_on_el_pr/obama_60

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday he would be willing to support limited additional offshore oil drilling if that's what it takes to enact a comprehensive policy to foster fuel-efficient autos and develop alternate energy sources.

Shifting from his previous opposition to expanded offshore drilling, the Illinois senator told a Florida newspaper he could get behind a compromise with Republicans and oil companies to prevent gridlock over energy.

Republican rival John McCain, who earlier dropped his opposition to offshore drilling, has been criticizing Obama on the stump and in broadcast ads for clinging to his opposition as gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon. Polls indicate these attacks have helped McCain gain ground on Obama.

[AllentownJake]

1. Nope

Makes him look like Kerry.

McCain can get away with it because...well the media will let him.

[LuckyTheDog]

9. It's not about McCain

Trust me, I know this is a fake issue. But I knew al along that it would resonate with the electorate. And I have said from the beginning that it should be used as a bargaining chip to promote the REAL energy agenda.

At this point, the ball is in the Republican court. By meeting them halfway, Obama forces them to come half way as well.

[jillan]

2. No! Obama needs to stand firm.

This should not even be discussed.

[PatSeg]

34. I agree!

This is insane. Everyone (well maybe not everyone) knows that big oil has 68 million acres leased that they aren't using. Why on earth lease more? Why aren't more people discussing this?

[TwilightGardener]

3. He is, above all, a pragmatist. And in terms of strategy, McCain has nothing

to trumpet now--Obama just stole away his issue, but did it more responsibly: where McCain started screeching "Drill Drill Drill" like a crazed little Yosemite Sam, Obama issued caveats and wants to allow it only if it is included in a better policy.

[LuckyTheDog]

11. Also: McCain flip-flopped on this

he just did it a bit earlier.

[TwilightGardener]

16. Yep--just what, two months ago? That flip is still fresh in everyone's minds.

[truthisfreedom]

4. Obama will easily get away with this. If McClown accuses him of flopping, Obama can point out that

McJoker did it first.

[Schema Thing]

5. But seriously, let's just give them every goddamn acre of America to drill

I'm not even joking.


Let's fucking buy this election from the American idiotic electorate. Throw in a few safeguards, but give them what they want to hear.

Then obstruct the motherfucking oil companies from doing anything new for the next 20 years (hell, doesn't it take 10 years for them to begin a new well anyway?).

Meanwhile, let's make Oil irrelevant. IRRELEVANT.

[madfloridian]

6. Oh, please....we need to stop this pandering to the propaganda.

.

[sellitman]

7. I am insensed he would say this.

Not enough back bone if you ask me.

This is VERY disappointing to say the least.

[chimpymustgo]

17. Man up, dammit! Stand up for our principles.

Cave after cave. What's he running for spelunker-in chief?

[jezebel]

20. He's running to win. nt

[LuckyTheDog]

21. Be pragmatic and win

or be inflexible and lose. Which would you choose?

This is to important. We have to win.

[chimpymustgo]

26. How about a new kind of politics based on what is RIGHT to WIN. Cave and cave after cave.

Spelunker -in -chief?

[LuckyTheDog]

28. Being inflexible is not the way to win

And allowing the other side to keep all other energy proposals hostage to this one thing would be politically unwise and bad for America. Obama take a club out of their hands here. He also give himself the upper hand to ask for the things he wants -- to insist on them.

There is no dishonor in compromising in order to get what you want. That's politics.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. There isn't enough oil to make a difference.

It is stupid. Stupid policy. We cannot drill our way out of our problem.

[LuckyTheDog]

13. Of course the drilling won't help much

But that's why we can't afford to let the rest of Obama's energy agenda to be held hostage to this stupid, asinine issue.

Here in Michigan, the details of Obama's energy plan would have been seen as background noise unless Obama put the drilling thing out of the way.

[Thrill]

15. You don't know how many idiots. Believe drilling is the way to go.

Its not true. But there may be a majority of Americans who think gas prices will go down if the oil is here. Its stupid I know. But they do. I hear it everyday.

[Thrill]

10. I don't see anything wrong with this. You have to win that idiot vote

[GarbagemanLB]

12. DING DING DING! We have a winner! One of the few on DU who gets it.

[jezebel]

18. I agree. It doesn't do any good for Obama to hang onto not drilling if 70% of the country is ready.

He needs to win and if that means letting some things go, fuck it I'm with him.

[Better Believe It]

30. By Talking Like An Idiot?

Great strategy. Wished I had thunk of it.

[bluestateguy]

14. Conservation and alternative energy should be the top priorities

as well as windfall profit taxes, and making the oil companies use the leases they already have in the US. If all of those things are done, then I would not oppose a token amount of new coastline drilling.

[democrattotheend]

24. I think that's pretty much what Obama's saying

[nc4bo]

19. I'm probably the only one who didn't know about The Rahill Bill

http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=389&Itemid=1

Rahall to Big Oil: Use It or Lose It

June 12, 2008

CONTACT: Allyson Groff or Blake Androff, 202-226-9019

Washington, D.C. - In an effort to compel oil and gas companies to produce on the 68 million acres of federal lands, both onshore and offshore, that are leased but sitting idle, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) today introduced legislation that gives Big Oil one option - either "use it or lose it."

"Big Oil, as many Americans already suspect, are perfectly fine with high gasoline prices at the pump while they hold back domestic production on federal leases and enjoy world record profits. I am calling them on the carpet. I am calling their bluff. We are not going to continue to allow them to speculate and profiteer with public resources to the detriment of the American people," Rahall said.

The Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act of 2008 (H.R. 6251) is a direct response to the facts outlined in the recent House Natural Resources Committee Majority Staff report, "The Truth About America's Energy: Big Oil Stockpiles Supplies and Pockets Profits", that illustrate how energy companies are not using the federal lands and waters that are already open to drilling. The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

The 68 million acres of leased but inactive federal land have the potential to produce an additional 4.8 million barrels of oil and 44.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day. This would nearly double total U.S. oil production, and increase natural gas production by 75 percent. It would also cut U.S. oil imports by more than one-third, reducing America's dependency on foreign oil.

The Rahall bill would force oil and gas companies to either produce or give up federal onshore and offshore leases they are stockpiling by barring the companies from obtaining any more leases unless they can demonstrate that they are producing oil and gas, or are diligently developing the leases they already hold, during the initial term of the leases.

[Youphemism]

22. Instead of handing out oil leases, what about trading them?

Given that the oil companies already have so much area they refuse to drill, why not allow an acre-by-acre exchange for offshore leases that are within the same state, as long as they aren't critical endangered sea life areas, etc.?

That would allow Obama to keep away from giving *more* area to oil companies and still address the silly drilling issue in a way that takes leverage away from McCain. My bet is that, given the overburdened drilling schedule oil companies have in better areas, you'd see none of these areas actually used.

You might prod the companies into going along with this by putting a sunset on their current oil leases when no drilling has commenced, and giving them a longer lease sunset on areas they trade to get.

The result would be the exact same amount of offshore territory held by oil companies, the likelihood that they wouldn't drill anyway, the eventual reverting of most of that territory from the grip of the oil companies, and every one of the McCain/Bush arguments evaporating.

[Blue_In_AK]

23. Obama is all about compromising

and that's all I'm going to say about that.

[LuckyTheDog]

25. I wish more politicians were as pragmatic

You give some to get some. Working to destroy each other does nobody any good.

[paulk]

39. "pragmatic"

that's another word for "triangulation".

the irony is thick.

[27inCali]

27. every important thing our government has ever done

has required a lot of compromise on all sides.

that's how the founding fathers designed our government to work.

It's frustrating when you have a big challenge to face and you feel like you know for sure what needs to be done.

but the founding father's designed it that way to protect the minority from the majority.

Obama is simply being pragmatic in accepting the reality that a lot of people just wont think through the drilling issue logically, because the very real financial pain they are feeling right now is so intense it is interfering with their ability to think about it rationally and not emotionally.

personally, I think if you believe drilling will do anything positive for this country in anyway, you are a dolt who is more interested in finding the easy way out than in being a grown up and doing the hard work to insure this countries future. People need to grow up and accept the fact that we've screwed ourselves on this oil issue and we have no one but ourself to blame for the pain we are feeling now.

that the first big oil crisis in the 70s didn't snap this country into action to make more fuel efficient cars, increase public transit and find new energy sources just shows how incredibly stupid the majority of people are.

[Better Believe It]

31. Has Obama Thought About Going After Big Oil & The Wall Street Oil Speculators?

That would win him about 80% of the public and pretty much clinch the election if that became a major focus of the campaign.

Of course, that would antagonize Republicans and some folks on Wall Street so we sure can't do that!

[Kermitt Gribble]

29. Good for him! Let's just let the pukes walk all over us on every issue!

:puke:

[PatSeg]

40. They've lost control of the House and the Senate

and will lose even more seats in November. They'll probably lose the White House. Why the hell are they calling the shots on almost every issue? What still gives them that power?

[Kermitt Gribble]

41. I'm coming to the realization

that "they" haven't lost control of anything. It seems we only have a handful of actual Dems left in congress - the rest seem to be of one corporate party.

[PatSeg]

43. I think there are many who are just flat out scared

to go against the republicans. The contrast between the Bush administration and the Nixon years is profound.

I kind of get the sense that in the future the republican party will die and the Democratic party might split into two factions - the more moderate versus the more liberal. The former will probably more closely resemble the old republican party, but the tag 'republican' might be permanently damaged.

[stray cat]

32. Sounds like a wise move - I don't want to lose the election based on this stance alone

[sellitman]

33. You have bought into the oil companies plan then

Hook line and sinker. Just like the repiggies.

If I wanted to drill offshore there is always a repiggy to vote for.

We are suppose to be more intelligent.

[Impedimentus]

36. ... and we'll only spend 50 years in Iraq

Might as well keep the compromises coming.

[VADem11]

35. Let the Obama Bashing Begin

Seriously, read what he fucking said before crying that Obama is a DLCer.

[DainBramaged]

37. A campaign pantload, does anyone really think Obama will compromise

with the Pukes once he takes office???

Think again my friends and fellow 'Muricans.

[Moochy]

38. half way to hell is half as bad!

[iconicgnom]

42. "compromise" is expected, but sadly in every single case it only goes one way.

How, exactly, does a "compromise" on offshore drilling help "enact a comprehensive policy to foster fuel-efficient autos and develop alternate energy sources"?

I don't see any connection whatever.

[Mass]

44. What about telling people the truth? He did that for the gas tax, and he was right.

It would be nice to do the same thing here. When can we start fighting against global warming? When it will be too late?

[ErinBerin84]

45. that's kind of.....demoralizing.

I can't believe how many people support off-shore drilling. Actually, I can believe it I guess.