While Hillary panders on taxes, Obama negotiates a ceasefire in the oil-rich Niger delta. Really.

[Occam Bandage]

LAGOS (Reuters) - Rebels who have stepped up attacks on Nigeria's oil industry in the last month said on Sunday they were considering a ceasefire appeal by U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has launched five attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta since it resumed a campaign of violence in April, forcing Royal Dutch Shell to shut more than 164,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).

"The MEND command is seriously considering a temporary ceasefire appeal by Senator Barack Obama. Obama is someone we respect and hold in high esteem," the militant group said in an e-mailed statement.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL0444578520080504

Meanwhile, 230 economists--both Republican and Democrat, including advisors to Presidents and Nobel laureates--signed a letter opposing the Hillary-McCain Gas Pander.

"First, research shows that waiving the gas tax would generate major profits for oil companies rather than significantly lowering prices for consumers," they wrote. "Second, it would encourage people to keep buying costly imported oil and do nothing to encourage conservation. Third, a tax holiday would provide very little relief to families feeling squeezed."

Signatories include four Nobel laureates: Joseph Stiglitz (a Clinton White House adviser), James Heckman, Daniel Kahneman and Roger Myerson. Also signing were: President-elect of the American Economic Association Angus Deaton; former AEA presidents Charles Schultze, Alice Rivlin and Peter Diamond; former Reagan administration economist Clyde Prestowitz and former Clinton economic adviser Jeffrey Frankel. Indeed, former president Bill Clinton's administration is well represented on the list, with the signatures of Jeffrey Liebman of Harvard University, Rebecca Blank of the University of Michigan and J. Bradford DeLong of the University of California at Berkeley.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/05/economists_release_letter_oppo.html

The difference couldn't be starker.

[democrattotheend]

1. This is a nice story about Obama. Why not take Hillary out of the headline?

And make this a positive thread?

[Occam Bandage]

4. Because this is an election, and I think this gives insight into how the two candidates approach

the cost of energy, which is of course an issue that is becoming very important in this election season. I don't believe I'm being unfair to Senator Clinton at all here.

[Lerkfish]

10. because contrasting the candidates is important

and the central point of the OP.

why don't you start your own "positive" thread instead of pissing on this one?

[kenny blankenship]

2. But was he under sniper fire at the time? YEAH I thought not!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Interesting to see foriegn policy already at work.

Obama- inspires a cease-fire.

Clinton- pisses off Bosnians, pisses off Iranians, lies about Ireland peace process, calls the PM of New Zealand a cockroach.

Great stuff.

[anigbrowl]

5. Way to bring down the price of oil Obama. What a panderer!

How dare he use his political position constructively. And isn't it just like him to keep it under his hat instead of making speeches about how great he is? I loathe this 'quiet' approach to 'getting things done', whatever that means. Our media is right to totally ignore this issue because it's a stupid distraction from the important business of who spends the most time in pickup trucks and how many shots they can drink while counting their testicles.

[Occam Bandage]

7. Really, I can't believe he even wasted his time. No chance an inspiring story of diplomatic success

makes the nightly news--not when we've got Rev. Wright to "analyze!" What a schmuck, spending time productively when that effort could have been spent fine-tuning attack ads.

[niyad]

6. he's conducting foreign policy? and what did he "negotiate:? the article

said he suggested a cease fire.

[Downtown Hound]

8. Not even president yet and already making peace around

the world. When was the last time Hillary was responsible for bringing peace to anything?

[Life Long Dem]

9. Is Ripley's around? I have a story! n/t

[Norrin Radd]

11. kr

[sandnsea]

12. Didn't happen, not on the teevee n/t

[texshelters]

13. Those Reuters liars!

What the hell do the Brits know about international news anyways?

I believe my teevee too!

Tex Shelters

[niyad]

14. I repeat, WHAT did he "negotiate" (a different word than "appeal") and since when

do senators conduct foreign policy?

[OzarkDem]

15. Do we really want to rely on Niger for our oil?

Its a nice gesture, but they're even more unstable than the ME.