Obama: Would back limited offshore drilling

[IDemo]

Democrat shifts position on issue following attacks by rival McCain

AP - updated 1 hour, 49 minutes ago

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - 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.

"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.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25974097/

[Peregrine Took]

1. Oh, Kee-rist!! Can we do the primary again? I can't stand this dude.

He's compromising all over the place, making fools of all of us.

I KNEW this was going to happen. DLC all the way.

[tabatha]

8. Pragmatic.

He cannot lose the election over offshore drilling.

The individual states have to support it.

Any plan could also only allow additional drilling if the current acres and leases are used first.

Smart way to defuse the issue and still win.

[jakem]

9. oh yeah. we should have selected that politician that never compromises... what was his name?

...

:sarcasm:

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. .

:thumbsup:

[VADem11]

2. Misleading headline

This is exactly why we get all these whiny posts complaining how Obama "sold them out".

[cyberpj]

3. Did anyone really think compromise wouldn't be required? Really?

Give a little to get a little is still the rule of the game in D.C. and always will be.

[Tarc]

5. Funny how the central theme of Obama's primary campaign

was the condemnation of Clinton for doing just that.

[Mass]

4. The problem is that the proposal is inept.

If we do a real effort for fuel efficiency and renewable energies, the gas price will get down and we will not need this oil.

Now, can we count on a federal state and the industry to make these investments.

I understand why he says that, but it would be nice if Democrats could be straight forward. Drilling more is bad for the environment and will bring NOTHING for short term relief.

The only good thing is that, if oil companies are taxed, may be they will not want to drill anymore.

[IDemo]

6. RW succeeds for 17,481st time in reframing bs as a solution

Make no mistake about, whether or not you agree with Obama's "reach across the aisle" for an energy compromise, this represents nothing but a landmark victory for the repukes, based upon feeding bulls#^t ("drilling will bring down prices at the pump by sometime this afternoon") to a gullible public. Again.

[Mass]

7. f*ck Conrad and co for having written it in the first place.

http://conrad.senate.gov/pressroom/record.cfm?id=301684&

Their name will surprise nobody, always the same ones.

Senators working with Senator Conrad to develop the proposal include: Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.).

[JCMach1]

10. The next Florida poll will show him losing the state! Drilling is a huge issue there that cuts

across party lines.

No way he should cave on this! :grr:

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. Link to The Palm Beach Posts that adds more context to what Obama said

"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.

"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."


"The Republicans and the oil companies have been really beating the drums on drilling," Obama said in the Post interview. "And so we don't want gridlock. We want to get something done."



Later, Obama issued a written statement warmly welcoming a proposal sent to Senate leaders Friday by 10 senators — five from each party. Their proposal seeks to break the impasse over offshore oil development and is expected to be examined more closely in September after Congress returns from its summer recess.

The so-called Gang of 10 plan would lift drilling bans in the eastern Gulf of Mexico within 50 miles of Florida's beaches and in the South Atlantic off Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, but only if a state agrees to the oil and gas development along its coast. The states would share in revenues from oil and gas development.

Drilling bans along the Pacific coast and the Northeast would remain in place under this compromise.

The plan also includes energy initiatives Obama has endorsed. "It would repeal tax breaks for oil companies so that we can invest billions in fuel-efficient cars, help our automakers re-tool, and make a genuine commitment to renewable sources of energy like wind power, solar power, and the next generation of clean, affordable biofuels," Obama noted.

"Like all compromises, it also includes steps that I haven't always supported," Obama conceded. "I remain skeptical that new offshore drilling will bring down gas prices in the short-term or significantly reduce our oil dependence in the long-term, though I do welcome the establishment of a process that will allow us to make future drilling decisions based on science and fact."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/politics/content/shared-gen/ap/Presidential_Elections/Obama.html

[Windy]

14. Funny that most of the people knocking the compromise are former Hillary supporters

Gee, I wonder what Kyl/Lieberman and IWR Hillary would have done?

I'm certain that it wouldn't even be a compromise but an outright sell out!

[Haole Girl]

15. Well, I'm sorry, but I like the gulf of Mexico and Florida...

besides, how would that help when the next hurricane rolls around?

:-(

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Politics as usual. Pathetic pandering.