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Breaking: Obama Ok With Offshore Drilling

...Maybe

By: BigGator5 (Diary)  |  August 1st, 2008 at 05:52 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

While House Republicans call Democrats to come and at least vote on off-shore drilling (H/T), today Obama just threw his fellow Democrats under the bus…

Obama shifts, says he may back offshore drilling

By Mike Glover – 45 minutes ago

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — 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.

“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.”

In Congress, both parties have fought bitterly over energy policy for weeks, with Republicans pressing for more domestic oil drilling and Democrats railing about oil company profits. Despite hundreds of hours of House and Senate floor debate, lawmakers will leave Washington for their five-week summer hiatus this week with an empty tank.

“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.”

Obama’s no dummy. He knows he has to slowly turn the page throw Democrats under the ObamaBus™ on offshore drilling in order to “keep to the center” of this issue. I mean, Harry Reid has been stead-fast in protecting Obama on not having to vote on this issue and now he is getting repaid in only the way Obama can repay him.

I wonder how long this will last until he feels a backlash from the Netroots.

BigGator5.net

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COMMENTS

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  • gamecock

    prediction comes true. The dems will follow in Sept.

  • kowalski

    I’m sorry, but it’s revolting:

    …and now he is getting repaid in only the way Obama can repay him.

    Is that before or after Jesse Jackson takes the knife to him and redacts his manhood?

  • mccainsupporter

    Under the 1982 United Nations Law of the Seas Convention the US has an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles and mineral seabed rights up to 350 nautical miles extending along the Continental shelf. The US has the world’s largest offshore exclusive economic zone totaling 4.4 million square miles. Because we have the world’s largest offshore coastline it makes sense that we exploit our resources to achieve our energy independence.

    The John McCain campaign should use as an example Chevron?s discovery 270 miles southwest of New Orleans and 175 miles offshore. The first discovery well produced 6000 barrels of oil a day. This well named Jack 2 was drilled nearly 21,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico in more than a mile of water. Imagine, they drilled almost five miles deep. This well is within our exclusive economic zone. Its take huge sums of money to bring our offshore resources onstream with wells that are five miles deep costing 80 million dollars each. The current profits of companies like ExxonMobil will finance the offshore exploration and development such as Jacks 2 that will contribute to our energy independence.

  • Jaded

    and Obama will be the one to make them cave….it is what they know best…DEFEAT!!!

  • gamecock

    and said so many weeks ago and intermittantly, and many here called me a fool and I remember no one agreeing.

    Elephant chickens never forget.

    ps In fact, today I have counted no less than 4 Cockstradami’s come true.

    I may do a bog on it if I’m wrong on the fifth.

    World ends at 9pm.

  • WOSG

    Campaign funding promise, then FISA, then Iraq plans, now this …

    If his words were a currency, there would be a devaluation crisis and hyperinflation right about now.

    I bet there’s no joy in Kos-ville tonight. Not only is Obama an empty suit, he’s an EMPTY and EASILY FOLDABLE ONE!

  • Jaded

    crystal ball or witches brew the same thing I see which is that Obama will lose and lose BIG….are you finding a significant number of Democrats ie: liberals but not leftists digusted by the pick of their party? I am and it is so much fun sympathizing with them :-)

    I let them know I understand their pain and how I feel that even though I don’t find McCain to be conservative enough for me personally I find he is probably a hell of alot closer to their ideals then The One is…..at which point they nod their heads and murmur yeah!….best damn general election evahhhh.

  • gamecock

    q

  • mbecker908

    just follow BO’s lead we may be able to get something accomplished.

  • gamecock

    blocked oil drilling for 30 years, including the past 8 years.

    Tip’s and Pelosi’s majorities, Clinton, and Reid senate minority filibusters have been what has prevented oil drilling.

    Bush has pushed for it since day one and his move 2 weeks ago removing the exec moratorium and naming the dems by name in several speeches helped to bring prices down and put pressure on the dems.

    Yes, there was one time that 7 moderate repubs (and ALL DEMS) blocked a house bill, but the dem senate minority would have filibustered.

    The fact is that We the People and $4 a gallon are leading and we will get our wish in September.

    But Beck, a serious question. If all w e can get is a federalist solution, then fine, but given that this concerns national security and given that oil is interstate commerce (esp in the oceans and really all of it unless a state would restrict its use in state, but given SCOTUS rulings it would still “affect” interstate)

    isn’t the proper law, one that opens up oil drilling whether a state likes it or not?

    2nd question: Does food taste bad to you?

    smile

  • Susannah

    Good job Gator. And yes, I’m also curious to see what the Netroots reaction will be to this latest flip-flop by Obama.

  • mbecker908

    that not only falls under the national security umbrella, but rightfully should fall under the Commerce Clause. Same for construction of nuclear power plants and coal gassification/liquification.

    Heck, I’d even throw in wind power and issue an Executive Order to build Cape Wind just to piss off Kerry & Kennedy.

    Frankly, if the states (FL and the entire west coast) don’t like it they can go tinkle up a rope.

  • gamecock

    favor offshore drilling. Rumour has it Floridians occasionally have to drive and eat and have to pay for it.

  • rstreu

    did you just accidently say “Obama’s ‘lead’”???

    I’m pretty sure that’s an oxymoron.

  • nivlem

    John Edwhrds BS will already offset his own personal Carbon Foot Print. It is really “their fault”.