Bush to urge lifting of offshore drilling ban.
By on Jun 17th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Bush to urge lifting of offshore drilling ban.
Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered “a bit of a capitulation to the oil companies” by announcing that, if elected president, he would end the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. Reuters reports that tomorrow, President Bush plans to give a boost to his presidential pick by making an “announcement” about energy and also calling “on Congress to pass legislation lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling.”
Update Like McCain, Bush supported the offshore drilling ban when he ran for president in 2000.
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Hm. It seems the Repubs have decided they have a chance to test the depth of America’s commitment to environmentalism. Gas is so expensive there is opportunity there. It will be very interesting to watch Obama’s counter.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:06 pmI hate to say it, but you’ll see less opposition to this than the wind farm at Martha’s Vineyard.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:09 pmFirst he plays on our fears of terrorists to start a war over oil, now he plays on our fears of economic uncertainty to further line the pockets of his oil buddies. Is it just me or does this presidency seem to be lasting forever?
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 17th, 2008 at 10:15 pmHow nice.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:19 pmHonda just came out with a hydrogen based car……. but NO. Our dependence on oil is the only thing these twats care about.
It took years to clean up the jersey shore from medical waste when I was in high school. Now bush wants to risk the chance that our beaches will be okay with his level of government oversight.
It’s almost like trying to guess where the next ecological disaster will happen under his watch.
I cannot wait until he is out of office.
the Lone Voice of Reason Says:
I hate to say it, but you’ll see less opposition to this than the wind farm at Martha’s Vineyard.
NIMBY is all powerful. We’d all love clean nuclear power – so long as it isn’t generated anywhere upwind of us.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:20 pmKeltoi at Night Says:
Hm. It seems the Repubs have decided they have a chance to test the depth of America’s commitment to environmentalism.
I hope they do:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25211545/
June 17th, 2008 at 10:22 pmInstead of wasting five years getting more oil out of the ground, we should use those five years to get OFF oil. Period.
Where the hell’s my hydrogen filling station, Rep. Inslee?
June 17th, 2008 at 10:30 pmDoes Bush think if the gas prices get up high enough the people will gladly go for oil drilling?
Are the gas prices going up for this reason?
According to right hate America radio, did you know it is the liberals fault that gas prices are high?
If Bush gets his way of which he has been working on for 8 years, will the gas prices really go down?
June 17th, 2008 at 10:37 pmThe gas I pay $4.75/gal for will probably plummet on the news that we could get offshore oil by the year 2017. Definitely.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:38 pmKeltoi at Naught:
“Gas is so expensive there is opportunity there.”
Bingo.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:39 pmWhy has gasoline suddenly become so expensive over the last two years left of the Bush/Cheney Oil Co. Administration?
(Aside from the fiasco of Bush’s Crusade in search of the Holy Supertanker))
Honda just came out with a hydrogen based car……. but NO.
– - Well, sorta. The FCX Clarity is limited to a production of 600 vehicles worldwide and are available for lease only from Honda. Oh, right now this car costs Honda $1million EACH to produce.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:41 pmDid someone say simple lifestyle changes? Nay I don’t want to buy any of those weird hippie hemp reusable grocery bags just give me some of them there plastic ones. Sure is convenient to have that plastic yoke thing around these here plastic bottles of water. Still I prefer mine shrink wrapped. Damn these gas prices. We need to drill some more that dang oil…
June 17th, 2008 at 10:43 pmAmazing how the price of gas historically soared during an administration under two oil thugs.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:49 pmI’m all for seeking alternative energy sources, etc., but seriously, what’s the big deal about offshore drilling? It really isn’t as damaging to the environment as the media would have you believe.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:02 pmAnd now for some off-thread humor:
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-curveball18-2008jun18,0,954163.story?page=1&track=rss
Curveball Speaks.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:04 pm“Everything that’s been written about me isn’t true,” Alwan repeated.
Along with confirmation of Curveball’s identity, however, have come fresh disclosures raising doubts about his honesty — much of that new detail coming from friends, associates and past employers.
“He was corrupt,” said a family friend who once employed him.
“He always lied,” said a fellow Burger King worker.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:06 pmAnd this:
At the Djerf al Nadaf warehouse, laborers treated seeds from local farmers with fungicides to prevent mold and rot. But Alwan convinced his BND handlers that the site’s corn-filled sheds were part of Iraq’s secret germ weapons program. He worked there, he told them, until 1998, when an unreported biological accident occurred.
In fact, Alwan had been dismissed three years earlier, in 1995, after inflating expenses and faking receipts for tools, supplies and lamb for an office party.
“I fired him,” Freah said. “He was corrupt and he was found stealing.” But the family friend gave Alwan one more chance.
Freah, Alwan and two other friends formed a business to sell locally made shampoo and cleaners. Freah says Alwan overcharged the partners for each shampoo bottle, and the company collapsed. So did their friendship. Alwan’s embarrassed mother later repaid her son’s debts.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:14 pmbadmood, yeah they’re expensive, but scale, my man, scale!
June 17th, 2008 at 11:18 pmIf enough R&D and incentive was put into place, they could be mass produced just like we did in WWII.
Consider this WWIII or IV as the case may be, the race to save our asses. And the planet.
Commoner wasn’t on the beach in Santa Barbara in winter of 69 when the oil spill arrived and tarred the shit out of one of the most sea creature productive and beautiful beaches in the world.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:19 pmNo thanks.
Right on RU,
June 17th, 2008 at 11:44 pmthe reason alternative energy isn’t being actively developed is because the last of the robber barons aren’t done pillaging the treasury yet.
I’m pretty sure that there are a lot of great thinkers out there who have been dismissed outright because their ideas don’t “fit” the decided plan of this administrations policy of dependance on a proven finite resource.
Heh. Good luck with that, you irrelevant asssclown.
Drop dead.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:48 pmExecute a coupla oil speculators.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:54 pmThe ones who predict gas’s gonna cost $5 by Xmas.
Kneel ‘em over a pit they dug themselves, in their skivvies, and put two 9mm in the back o their heads.
Wouldn’t take many.
Start with Lee Raimond.
Oh, right now this car costs Honda $1million EACH to produce.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Solution: Nationalize the industry. Now we socialize cost, privatize profit. That really doesn’t work. So equalize the equation…
June 17th, 2008 at 11:57 pmOT
again did anyone listen to Randi Rhodes today on NovaM?
I am so sickened by the clip she played a few times from Mike Reagan. He is on record saying he “would like to see bombs put in the rear end of Muslims babies and blown up. Mother’s too” At least his callers were not happy with that as randi played those comments too.
So far I can not find the clip online but have written to mediamatters.com giving them the tip.
Blowing up babies???? What have these nut freaks come to?
June 18th, 2008 at 12:01 amJohn Kerry Says:
Your party had six years of complete control, yet no drilling.
Who’s balls?
June 18th, 2008 at 12:06 amWhat is Faux Kerry bleating about now?
Gas taxes going up? Have a link Joke? I dont see where federal gas tax has increased.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:21 amDems HAVE to make the point that the oil companies are currently sitting on hundreds of unused licenses to drill that they are NOT using. Make this point over and over.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:22 amFor the trolls. If gasoline demand is so high, which would mean high prices, why are their no lines around gas stations?
June 18th, 2008 at 12:26 amAlternative energy is not being developed because — up to now — the people haven’t seen the need — especially with cheap electricity and natural gas and even that awful nuclear energy with the side benefit of waste that needs a place to go…
I went to a Sustainability conference yesterday and the thing was jammed full of people… but without regulation — that means laws — mandating our own PUBLIC power companies to require this development… it won’t happen. So. All politics is local. Call your state and your federal representative and insist that some bills get introduced and passed. The time is NOW.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:28 amAnd it’s all about the o$l!
June 18th, 2008 at 12:29 amtokun, here’s a tack;
Outlaw using gasoline for automobile engines by 2015.
Spend the money we’re pissing away in Iraq for mass production of hydrogen tank and membrance systems.
Poof. Use the oil for lubrication.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:31 amWatch the Middle east settle in for a thousand years of poverty.
He was for the drilling ban before he was against the drilling ban.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:40 amAh and their secret mission is exposed.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:53 amThe pattern of exploiting and extorting during difficult times (9/11, oil prices)in order to increase corporate profits (how long has big oil been slavering over off shore drilling) is tantamount to treason. Bush manufactured the urgency for war with Iraq just as he has manufactured a need for domestic drilling. When is congress going to actually act as a check instead of an enabler?
June 18th, 2008 at 12:59 amUltimately, it makes little difference what fuels our cars. We must, however, move to smaller, lighter, limited performance, more efficient vehicles. Most “wet” fuels will be based on bio-mass and much of the electricity will be “green”. The days of traveling vast distances, alone, in a gas guzzler are coming to an end.
As for power generation, there are lots of little irons in that fire. All of them, from “solar” to tide, to responsibly built and run nuclear, all have a place. Even then. Coal and gas will be around a long time. However, it could come to pass that the “dirty” sources can be reduced to peak load use. Heck, if even ten percent of our “grid power” is supplied by “green” sources, we would gain much. A bit more and energy intensive industries could use “private” facilities with the best available scrubbing technology. Surly a worthwhile investment and a good place for subsidies?
June 18th, 2008 at 1:18 amRUCerious @ #7 pretty much nails it.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:25 am23: All bold letters make you appear deranged. Upon reading your comment, it’s confirmed.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:57 am.
… Because the off shore drilling 60 miles off the coast of Florida can’t all be gobbled up by China.
[/snark]
.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:26 am.
Dear John Kerry,
Without taxes, what roads would you drive your SUV’s on?
.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:28 amI have to say that off shore drilling is not only needed but necessary. Look people, Saudi Arabia refused to increase its out put when our president asked them to. (lets remember this the next time the Saudis need our military help. Sorry I digress. Look people of Florida, off shore drilling is already a reality. China (favorite trading nation) and Cuba have agreed to start drilling 60 miles off the Florida coast. Don’t be so naive! We (our nation) more than ever needs to become free of foreign oil. Drilling off the Florida coast, California coast, and start exploring for gas and oil in Alaska. That being said we need to pour much more money into the H2 fuel cell for automobiles. As a nation we must become a power again. Respected, Honored and trustworthy.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:25 amThe Reptilicans are lying to force through legislation based on fear and panic so that they can cash in once again.
There is no shortage of oil. Is anyone sitting in long lines? Do you see any filling stations running out? Has there been a federally mandated lower speed limit on interstate highways?
HELL no! Check out these 2 facts:
1. The price of oil is mostly due to market speculation:
2. The oil companies are currently sitting on permits which have the potential of doubling our national output!
June 18th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Although he cracks me up John Kerry is still irrelevant
June 18th, 2008 at 6:15 amA perfect example of ‘The Shock Doctrine, Disaster Capitolism’. This is greedy Fascism, create (or use a natural disaster) a crisis to further one’s agenda. This is why Bush did nothing to curb the high price of gasoline or make car engines with good mileage, the neo- cons want to pump and control more gas to make even bigger profits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG9CM_J00bw
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/4/20/naomi_klein_on_the_rise_of
.
June 18th, 2008 at 6:57 amIf Nixon hadn’t opened up the world to the Chinese and Reagan hadn’t brought capitalism to the Soviets there wouldn’t be such a great worldwide demand for oil.
Blame the GOP, it’s all their fault.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:00 amIf, as has always been claimed, oil really is a “vital national security interest”, then why do we allow its price to be controlled by the free market?
If the oil and gas companies really do start getting oil and gas from off shore, are they really going to sell that oil and gas to US companies for sale in the US, or are they more likely to try to sell that oil and gas on the free market, where they can make more money?
Tell me again why we say oil is a “vital national security interest”? Our policies about oil do not support that claim.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:41 amI’ve heard that more than a few oil tankers leave Alaska’s Prince William sound and head west across the Pacific…
June 18th, 2008 at 7:49 amWay to go Johnny Boy, one more tie to Dubya.
He is looking more and more like your Siamese twin, joined at the arse. Maybe when you go down in November, Dubya will go with you and give us all a Thanksgiving to be truly thankful for.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:50 amWho gives a rat’s a$$ what the chimp wants. He’s irrelevant.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:50 amReuters reports that tomorrow, President Bush plans to give a boost to his presidential pick by making an “announcement” about energy and also calling “on Congress to pass legislation lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling.”
Why on Earth does he think a Congress controlled by the other party, a party which has long supported the ban on offshore drilling, would even consider introducing such legislation? If Congress knows what’s best for them, they’ll take up the impeachment bills on Cheney and Bush before they do this.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:19 am“calling “on Congress to pass legislation lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling.”
June 18th, 2008 at 8:26 amAnd congress replies with a loud LOL!
LOL, and to anyone who believes McBush I have some great swamp land in Florida to sell you! LOL, you know as well as I do that somewhere today McBush will appear and say the total opposite and how he will fight to continue the ban, so he can make EVERYZONE happy on both sides. LOL what a MORON.
JT
June 18th, 2008 at 8:48 amUltimate Anonymity
Congress to Bush, “GO CHENEY YOURSELF, OILMAN!”
Does any sane person actually believe this latest line of crap from the GOP? THE ONLY ones that will benefit from offshore drilling will be the oil companies. History has shown that the only time domestic oil makes it to market is when it is in the highest demand which means it is also at it’s highest price. They sit on their leases and refuse to boost production (much like our Saudi friends. Ironic, huh?) and only begin moving when the peak money can be made.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:50 amLook people, Saudi Arabia refused to increase its out put when our president asked them to. (lets remember this the next time the Saudis need our military help -=fastfordad=-
Well, dont know where you got that info, Saudi did increase their output after the Bush visit:
And they are increasing July output:
Thats 800,000 barrels a day increase fastfordad.
As well, fuel demand in the use dropped 1.4% while fuel production increased 1.5%
The Cuba/China thing has been debunked and there is no drilling off the cost of Cuba.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:57 amXis, perhaps fastfordad should consider a permanent fact fast.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:00 amFurthermore 82% of the OCS IS open for drilling. When will people learn to look into whats being done before jumping on the emotional bandwagon thats being pulled around?
The GOP pushed to stop drilling in 2002 and now is wanting to start drilling..using some myth about China drilling off Cuba. Why, I dont hear any complainsts about China selling their goods at WallyMart. It takes oil to produce those cheap goods.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:09 amXis, perhaps fastfordad should consider a permanent fact fast. -=RUC=-
Its unbelievable how gullible and uninformed many Americans are, some of them are even in my family.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:11 amDoes anyone really believe gas prices will go down if drilling on the coast is allowed?
June 18th, 2008 at 9:15 amYou trolls are really gullible, ignorant, blimbaugh arse licking, annoying, immature, spineless, dumbass twerps.
tony and Lido
Did I miss anything else?
June 18th, 2008 at 9:15 amIts as if they think drilling off Florida is some instant cure. It would take years before we saw any oil from that area and its doubtful it would decrease prices.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:18 amWayne, I suspect Bush rather hopes Congres rebuffs him. It would provide grist for the RW talking point mill that they figure they can grind into more pounds of “democrat congress is blocking oil exploration”.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:20 amI suspect Bush rather hopes Congres rebuffs him. -RTWL
Congress should allow them to drill, then watch them back off the subject when the Florida (R) NIMBY’s start wailing about their pristine white beaches again.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:25 amNow, I know this is hard for the trolls to understand, but US OIL DEMAND is DOWN because of HIGH prices. DEMAND IS NOT UP. DEMAND is DOWN.
SPECULATION is driving the PRICES UP not SUPPLY
June 18th, 2008 at 9:31 amThe oil companies are trying to take advantage of our economic problems with the cost of their product, by getting cheap leases on land. They haven’t explored all they’ve already got leases on and aren’t planning on doing it soon. Why should they – they’re getting more and more of our money the way things are. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121358521129676481.html
The old version of this game was not having any excess refining capacity, so taking one or two down for ‘cleaning’ or whatever, caused a spike in gas prices. They’ve been playing the public for years.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:31 amRepublicans for so many years didn’t do anything about energy crisis we have now.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:44 amFor years they controlled both the Senate and the House..they also conrolled the White House..but the crisis got worse,and they tried nothing over the years.
Now few months before November elections,they are using the offshore oil drilling to score some policical points.
Where were these politicians all these years…?
They are now attempting now to shift the blame..by using offshore drilling to blame Democrats,when in fact they were in charge for so many long years, but did nothing.
BIG OIL has over 33 milion acres of leases which they pay pennies on the dollar for, there is no need for exploration anymore with those leases and don`t forget about the Naval Reserve leases that they know has OIL but will not drill.Forget about and move on to Non- Petroleum products because they can get to the market faster than OIL exploration , drilling and refining can.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:46 amOk so the Cuba/China thing may not be true but I’ll tell what is true: Cuba can do what they want in their waters (aside from international agreements such as whaling, coral reefs etc.) and if their water is 60 miles from Florida, and they drill for oil, then how is it in the minds of Neocon’s that the USA can or should stop them?
June 18th, 2008 at 9:52 amYou sure can tell it`s election time, the re-pukes are playing moderates and blaming the Dems for the BIG OIL problem, when we all know it`s the re-pukes and their president causing this mess. What these morons on the REICH don`t get is that America isn`t going to fall for this crap anylonger we see right through their bull$hit scheme, the REICH WING of this country has awakened a SLEEPINGB GIANT….
June 18th, 2008 at 9:53 amLooks like John McCain just wrote off California. Also, I’d bet that all those Republicans on the west coast of Florida would raise holy hell if oil rigs started cropping up off the beaches of Naples and Clearwater.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:10 amso, how long does it take to get any oil from a new offshore rig, after exploring for sites that will produce (granted,some of that may be already done), building the platform, getting the platform to the site, doing the actual drilling, arranging for transporting the oil – if any is found (aren’t most wells dry?) – then finding a refinery with enough capacity to process the crude? Seems like it would take 8-10 years for all that. How is that going to help gas prices now? idiots.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:45 amLet’s think with a realistic mind here…when the Saudis freaked out about the high oil prices, was it because of the thought that the U.S might drill for more oil?? Hell no, it was the thought that Americans might drive more fuel efficient vehicles and conserve more energy. They could careless about the possibility of U.S drilling, because they KNOW it won’t have an effect on oil prices in the short term NOR the long term. Why is this? Because by the time we do get the oil out of environmentally sensitive areas in this beautiful country of ours…..China and India will have over 100 million more oil guzzling cars on the road and all the countries in the world will be competing for the limited amount of resources still available on this planet, which will in the end make America more insecure and prone to oil shortages.
Don’t listen to these Reich-wing radio talking heads….they say that increased drilling will lower prices, but they can’t guarantee it and they don’t have the data to back themselves up! They are pushing for oil drilling just like they pushed for the Iraq war in uncertain times…and look where that got us. The REAL answer is immediate conservation of energy, that will have a real effect on oil prices and thats what scares the pants off the Saudis, not the false case for drilling. How convenient that oil companies are pushing for drilling in banned sensitive environmental areas just when they can make a killing at current prices.
Hopefully, Americans don’t false for this propaganda a second time.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:50 am#28 – that’s a great rebuttal, and I’d like to use it. Do you have a source? Thanks.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:44 pmRUCerious Says:
Commoner wasn’t on the beach in Santa Barbara in winter of 69 when the oil spill arrived and tarred the shit out of one of the most sea creature productive and beautiful beaches in the world.
No thanks.
Exactly my point- that was way back in 1969. No major drilling problems since that time and technology has greatly reduced the likelihood of future spills.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:41 pm