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Obama’s drilling bribe is insultingly small.

Don't do us any favors.

By: Moe Lane (Diary)  |  March 31st, 2010 at 08:32 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

(H/T: Hot Air Headlines) Does he really think that this is sufficient to peel off cap-and-tax opposition? Let’s do some strategic bolding:

The Obama administration’s plan adopts some drilling proposals floated by President George W. Bush near the end of his tenure, including opening much of the Atlantic and Arctic Coasts. Those proposals were challenged in court on environmental grounds and set aside by President Obama shortly after he took office.

[snip]

The first lease sale off the coast of Virginia could occur as early as next year in a triangular tract 50 miles off the coast that had already been approved for development but was held up by a court challenge and additional Interior Department review, officials said.

But as a result of the Obama decision, the Interior Department will spend several years conducting geologic and environmental studies along the rest of the southern and central Atlantic Seaboard. If a tract is deemed suitable for development, it is listed for sale in a competitive bidding system. The next lease sales — if any are authorized by the Interior Department — would not be held before 2012.

Let me put it another way: the White House is implying the promise of jam tomorrow - in reality, it’s just a study to revisit the denial of jam yesterday - in exchange for jam today. Only the jam today is actually a swarm of angry wasps.  Try again, Mr. President.  Start with rescinding your interference with the Bush drilling permits, and expect to give up more.  A lot more: your opponents are not interested in indulging the Greenies’ quaint, somewhat primitive religious sensibilities.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

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COMMENTS

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  • throwback59

    such as Lindsey Graham sell themselves for five dollars worth of bi-partisanship.
    The only thing worse than a prostitute is a cheap prostitute.

  • mschmitt

    Announce that you may reinstate the missile defense shield in Poland if the Russians approve.

  • proudgop

    I get he wants drilling off coast of VA but not Alaska?

    Why do libs care about Alaska so much? I doubt they will ever even go there cause they might run in Palin

  • mbecker908

    At least the whore provides a marketable service and doesn’t leach off the taxpayers.

  • tngal

    During one of his diatribes on energy he talked about all the ways we were going to obtain energy in the furture. Nuclear was in there, and a mention of frilling. Of course he never said where or how much. But this way, when he does his weekly radio address or the next SOTU he can say…”look what I did. Got us more off shore drilling. I kept my promise. Aren’t you lucky to have me?”

  • bobojake
  • http://vladenblog.tumblr.com Vladimir

    The important thing to remember is that the entire area has been in a lockbox for thirty years or so.

    For all the resource estimates batted around, nobody knows what’s there until it’s drilled and assessed. All the current estimates are based on seismic data that is very old and sparse. Now the process can begin of filling in the gaps with modern data, allowing the geoscientists to get a peek at the true resource potential.

    Here’s where the hangup will be:

    In many of the newly opened areas, drilling would begin only after the completion of geologic studies, environmental impact statements, court challenges and public lease sales.

    Especially with sympathetic judges and permitting bureaucrats, anti-drilling forces can keep this bottled up for a while. It may be an attractive playground for the big companies who need to explore frontier areas, but it they perceive too many obstacles to development, they’ll still be looking internationally.

  • EagleWatcher

    Socialist countries ultimately end up nationalizing their natural resources to support their government behemoths.

    Hear me know. Believe me later.

  • Praying

    Our sixth grade “leader” has made it clear that he will punish those who don’t go along with his socialist take over of America. For example, look how much of the “stimulus” money went to areas of the country that voted for him, than those that did not.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Industry representatives and various denizens of Congress have been meeting for sometime on this issue. Activity cranked up when Graham started the discussion by saying the offshore drilling needed to be included with the “cap-and-tax” deal.

    Obama view this as a “win, win” since it allows him to peddle the meme he is for offshore drilling. In reality MMS (see Elizabeth Birnbaum’s testimony) and the other goofballs Obama appointed at DOI have been larding up an already litigious process with more hurdles. Short story? This is mostly talk and any actual drilling/production will be years away (if it survives the environmental and other legal challenges). Any eventual “mandate” will be very narrow and negligible to our energy issue.

    Let’s see what DOI’s response is to Virginia’s (bipartisan, by the way) effort to proceed in January with the sale of leases off their coast will be. I am not hopeful for any real movement- other than it should lift the curtain on Obama’s mendacious, pernicious propaganda redirection.

    Oh and almost forgot. I assume the GOP reads the news an will respond sometime this century to counter the propaganda?

    Too much to ask, I suppose.

  • proudgop

    by time all that environmental impact statements and other things are done it will be at least 2050?

  • Amy Miller

    …didn’t you, Moe?

    That was the most vague piece of nothingness I’ve ever read.

  • gwalt

    We’re going to drill for our own oil?

    Under an Obama Admin?

    Yeah, rrrriiiiggghhhhhttttt.

    See Jim Geraghty’s list of 33 expired promises (lies) at NRO’s Campaign Spot.

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Was it apropos? :)

  • chbroussard

    we learned that this president will lie with a straight face and that the devil is in the details. Like the health care bill, we need to dig into the details of this proposal. I’m betting the farm that it’s not a pretty picture.

  • tippycanoe

    Always suspect the motives and intentions of the “evil one.” “Hmmmm…how can I get my tax revenue generating “cap and trade” past these Neanderthals. They don’t very much like me right now. Hmmmmm….this should work…drill baby drill!” Can you say “rabbitt trail” or better “rabbitt hole”?

  • blooch

    Now, if we could only sic the bureaucrats on HCR with environmental staements, studies and court challenges.

  • louisiana

    was to nationalize the energy industries. They have laid out a trap for Rep. If Rep. vote agst. crap & tax, D’s will yell “obstructionists!” & scream loudly that R’s are agst. energy independance. Gas prices will go up, & this will be the “crisis” that they will use to take over the industries. As I’ve said before, as bad as the deathcare bill is, not everyone uses health services everyday; however, virtually everyone uses energy 24/7.

  • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

    …assets according to the Congressional Research Service.

    http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=34233

    O/T – GOP wussing out on repeal already: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100331/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul_republicans

  • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100331/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul_republicans

  • kyoufuu

    Obama can say “Hey, look at what I’m offering you.”

    And when the Republicans refuse to deal, he can then proclaim them the “party of no” because of their refusal to “compromise”

  • http://www.laborunionreport.comandhttp://www.laborunionreport.blogspot.com LaborUnionReport

    This is your country with socialists in charge…

    Any questions?

  • http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

    Do I need to start enforcing that rule again?

  • Amy Miller

    …and Obama is Catbert, Evil Director of Human Resources:

    http://www.dilbert.com/strips/comic/2010-03-31/

  • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

    Stopped by the house for lunch and thought it a hot topic. I can’t comment from work.

  • smitch61

    But we cannot trust the republicans… we’ll see what happens. I am a firm believer that if it were not for the tea parties for example, the GOP would have assisted in what we now have as socialized medicine.

  • horizon3

    It’s a moot point on drilling in the Atlantic at this point, the costs uncured exceed the value of the oil at today’s prices.
    Even if a lease sale makes it to fruition (never happen the enviro-loons will keep it tied up in court for years). it simply costs too much to drill out there.

    As far as the Gulf concessions, the same applies, the areas that could be freed up for drilling are in Deep water, and costs don’t presently work out there either.

    While Obama is spewing this garbage, you better watch what the other hand is doing, because to date he has done 180 degrees opposite of what he says he is going to do 100% of the time.

  • Richard Mullins

    but it would never really change our Politicians here in Texas(well the Republican ones, the Democrats not so much). It time for a beatdown of anyone in the Republican caucus that excepts this deal.

  • blooch

    is the Obama Spa, where they massage numbers long time but never get aroiund to the release.

  • http://vladenblog.tumblr.com Vladimir

    That’s exactly what’s going on.

    Obama will never have to deal with the reality of drilling in the Atlantic while he’s in office.

    It’s a helluva chip to get cap-and-tax, though.

  • yoyo

    President *Let Me Be Clear* Obama lives in the “The Fierce Urgency of … Sometime-in-the-Kinda-Sorta-Forseeableish-Future,-Maybe.”

    His lips are moving. EVERYTHING is a lie. But at least we know where he stands.

  • GCBWI
  • Scope

    Thank the good Lord Kaine is gone gone gone as our Governor. He wrote a letter to Salazar back on 2/19/09, asking him to delay the lease sale-

    http://www.offshoreenergylawblog.com/files/uploads/documents/kaine_letter_to_salazar.pdf

    From his letter-

    “Our policies do not support exploration for oil or production of gas or oil, which would be allowed under lease sale 220.”

    “As I understand it, the 5 year lease plan includes 3 areas off the Atlantic Coast. I have consistently called for the MMS to consider the Atlantic coast as a whole, rather than singling out a particular state for lease sale.”

    On December 23, 2009, our newly elected REPUBLICAN Gov. McDonnell wrote a letter to Salazar, and asked that he not delay the lease sale-

    http://www.bobmcdonnell.com/index.php/press_releases

    Salazar Rebuffs McDonnell-

    http://thehill/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/78223-salazar-rebuffs-mcdonnell-on-virginia-lease-sale-report

    Salazar replied that any lease sale would be delayed until “at least” 2012.

    I believe McDonnell’s letter stated that from studies already conducted, there would be enough oil to fuel all of Virginia’s vehicles for at least 4 years. Yes, this is a pitifully insultingly small bribe. However, McDonnell has said that he knows of at least a few oil companies interested in purchasing the leases. I doubt the oil companies would go for something that would be a loss. But, it doesn’t matter, it will never happen. It is probably to insure our 2 Democrat Senators, Webb and Warner’s votes on Crap and Pis$. They are for drilling in VA.

  • Scope

    then why are there oil companies lined up to buy VA off shore leases? Would they be willing to go into it knowing it would be a loss?

  • Scope

    supporters. During the Gingrich “Drill Here Drill Now” wave, I believe that there was something like 74% in favor of drilling for our own oil. I wish we had that kind of number of people opposed to Obamacare, but that’s a moot point now.

    http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/31/1204601/obama-to-unveil-offshore-drilling.html

    According to administration officials, they will proceed with drilling off Virginia, provided that the project clears environmental and military reviews.

    There is no way on earth that “the project clears environmental reviews” period, end of story. The greenies are major Obama supporters, and no way will they allow mother earth to be raped and pillaged by those evil oil companies. That is, unless Obama gets 99% of the revenues. Then the greenies will be under the bus.

  • wannabeanncoulter

    In addition to Virginia and some other areas, Obama’s opening up oil and gas drilling off the coast of Alaska as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8598076.st

  • wannabeanncoulter

    I’m the world’s worst poker player… never know when people are bluffing, misread my own cards, lose track of my chips even. So when I heard Obama’s oil/gas drilling announcement today, the first thing I thought is: Gee, we must need the oil really bad.

    And maybe it’s as simple as that. Maybe we just really need the oil and the gas, regardless of today’s current price. And we really need the nuclear reactors. And the windfarms and solar ranches. And the clean coal. Maybe the administration’s energy guys tallied up all the figures and screamed: Holy crap!

    Or maybe I just got bluffed again.

  • horizon3

    Buy, Sell & Trade leases all of the time, You have to keep in mind that these areas are previously unexplored, and will take years of approvals, environmental impact and seismic / geologic studies before the first drill ever hits the seabed, IF they find evidence of hydrocarbon deposits in the geologic surveys. The price of crude could well be worth the effort by then. They also buy leases just to keep another company from acquiring them or to dry up a competitors funds bidding on a dud lease. Buying into a lease is a gamble, most of the companies will already have a good idea if there is a chance of economically recoverable reserves there before they bid.

  • Achance

    if the “climate” changes. For example, when Phillips et al. paid almost a billion bucks in ’68 for the Prudhoe Bay leases, I don’t know that “smart money” would have bet that they’d be able to develop the province with the federal government’s reluctance to transfer lands to the then-new State of Alaska, rising environmental opposition to oil development and the generally low price of oil; these were the days of thirty cents a gallon still. But then, the oil states of the Middle East begin talking about and then using the “oil weapon,” the price begins to rise, and by the time Prudhoe Bay is actually developed, the price of oil is over $30/bbl, about $90/bbl. in today’s dollars. Now Phillips, Exxon, and BP look real smart, but not so much back then.

  • JTFs

    This is a quote from August 1, 2008 in Florida before the Democratic convention opened on August 25, 2008.

    “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.”

    The freshman Illinois senator and presidential nominee-to-be added: “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.”

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