McCain Adviser Repeats False Claim That China Is Drilling For Oil Off The Coast Of Florida
McCain Adviser Repeats False Claim That China Is Drilling For Oil Off The Coast Of Florida
In recent days, several conservatives, in an attempt to push for expanded oil drilling, have parroted the talking point that China is drilling near Cuba, just off the coast of Florida. In reality, “China is not drilling in Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico waters, period,” as Jorge Piñon, an energy expert at the University of Miami, explained.
Nevertheless, as Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) calls for lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling, the McCain campaign continues to parrot the false line. On CNBC last night, McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer stated:
When you think about the fact that we’ve got China and Cuba drilling closer to the United States — the coastal United States — when American companies aren’t allowed to drill. It’s just insane.
This afternoon on MSNBC, she made similar comments:
And remember, you’ve got China and Russia drilling closer to American coastlines than American companies are allowed to drill.
Watch it:
In recent days, however, several prominent conservatives, including columnist George Will (who originally made the specious claim), have publicly rejected the talking point:
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH): “We’re not using the China talking point anymore.”
Vice President Cheney: “It is our understanding that, although Cuba has leased out exploration blocks 60 miles off the coast of southern Florida…no Chinese firm is drilling there.”
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL): The China-Cuba connection is “akin to urban legend.”
But Pfotenhauer continues to push a false claim that even her conservative allies no longer use. Not surprisingly, according to Senate lobbying disclosures, Pfotenhauer previously was a lobbyist for Koch Industries, a major energy company involved in oil exploration.
Transcript:
PFOTENHAUER: Well first of all Senator McCain is in favor of increased production across the board. Lifting the moratorium on offshore drilling is a very important signal to OPEC and to other countries and its also something that makes sense at this time. Remember he’s put in a caveat that says that the states will have to approve it. When you think about the fact that we’ve got China and Cuba drilling closer to the United States – the coastal United States – than, when American companies aren’t allowed to drill it’s just insane. It’s very safe right now. It’s ecologically, um, safe. It’s been tested by national disaster as Senator McCain mentioned. It’s crazy not to do it.
[...]
PFOTENHAUER: People are concerned right now by gasoline prices, grocery prices, rising health care costs, and they want a little, a little less talk and a lot more action. And, John McCain is about a lot more actions. He’s got plans for all three of those. And remember we’ve got China and Russia drilling closer to American coastline than American companies are allowed to drill. We desperately need to do something to increase our domestic production and that means increase drilling.
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Repukian scum bags have no shame, they will lie and not care if everyone knows it’s a lie…just as long as those Low Information Conservative Voters eat it up.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:35 pmJust what we need. Policy in response to urban legends.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:36 pmAll right All right. Stop making me walk around that weird turkish prison column. China is drilling oil… China is drilling oil…
June 18th, 2008 at 7:40 pmAt a time when average Americans are struggling with high gas prices, you can count on Republicans to keep the interests of Big Oil as priority #1. Those poor corporations are only making record profits in the history of any corporation worldwide, so why not reward them some more with more access to drilling? Let’s just rip up and pollute the entire coastline here in Florida so we can lower the gas price about 3 cents in 15 years. After all, our economy doesn’t depend on our coastlines at all. It’s not like people visit our state to go to the beach or anything.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:46 pmAnother stupid cow.
Zzzzzzzz…..
June 18th, 2008 at 7:52 pmNot surprisingly, according to Senate lobbying disclosures, Pfotenhauer previously was a lobbyist for Koch Industries, major energy company involved in oil exploration.
I wonder if Johny Boy will fully disclose this little piece of information.
But I do have to give her credit, she is getting it from both ends; taking care of her client Koch, and shilling for Johnny Boy all at the same time. Now THAT is being energy-efficient!
June 18th, 2008 at 7:55 pmIf she is an adviser for McCain, then its no wonder McCain is floundering out of the gate.
These idiots are their own worst enemy.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:57 pmChina man, bogeyman, fear-mongers delight.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:00 pmI wonder why we don’t hear more about sea farming of kelp as a solution to our energy needs. I have seen a documentary about the future of sea-farming, and how massive “fields” could be stacked in the ocean, one on top of the other. The field on top would be harvested, then move to the bottom level. It would not waste precious fresh water, since the kelp uses the ocean water obviously. The kelp produces CO2, which would help cool the planet. We would not need large amounts of land, so it makes sense to a growing global population. No citizens would be displaced, and no land would have to be purchased by the government. We wouldn’t need pesticides. In other words, you don’t have the problems you get with land farming.
The kelp can be converted to ethanol (it’s much more efficient compared to corn, and unlike using corn, you won’t drive up animal feed prices for farmers). Most car engines can already use 25% ethanol, and the Brazilians have a converter ($500) that can convert any engine to run 100% ethanol fuel.
According to the documentary, these sea farms could even be powered with a combination of wind, solar, and/or sea current power.
Everything I have heard about it sounded promising. It’s not the short term answer to gas prices, but might be part of the long term solution.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:10 pmGeez — didn’t she get the GOP memo?
June 18th, 2008 at 8:26 pmIt’s certainly promising Brian. There are so many new technologies that could be in testing, if not production, if the energy industry would get serious about developing next generation fuels and electrical sources. Then there’s hemp for ethanol, bio-diesel, lubricating and other oils, textiles, paper etc.
I don’t think any one technology or agent will save the world, but, kelp and hemp can help. (Pun semi-intentional.)
June 18th, 2008 at 8:33 pmMan, the RNC has a great talking points distribution system.
Unfortunately, their recall system doesn’t seem to have the same reach.
It’s like, as soon as the Vice-President spews it on one radio show, it’s already beyond the fail-safe point.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:41 pmIn 1941 Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda for the Nazi regime. That year Goebbels wrote:
Replace the word “English” in that statement with the word “Republican” and it describes to a ‘T’ the core principle which sustains the life of America’s modern conservative movement.
Just saying . . .
June 18th, 2008 at 8:43 pmCould we maybe quit with the nice language and call “false claims” lies.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:58 pmFirst China, and now Russia too?
Wow. Next thing you know, these deluded reichwingers will be telling us them evil Iranians are drilling off Cuba too…
(Cue the trolls and their copy-paste routine linking to an article in a rightwing rag about how someday, perhaps, maybe, could be, in the somewhat distant future some country other than the US might, just might, be drilling off the Cuban shores)
June 18th, 2008 at 9:00 pmdoes boner even realize he gives himself away. he doesn’t worry about facts or the law.
it’s all about talking points.
that’s all it is with them.
talking points.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:06 pmAnd since when do the reichwingers look at Cuba for ideas on what to do regarding domestic economic policy?
I thought them evil Cubans were commies and nothing good could come out of Cuba while a Castro is in power.
Talk about picking and choosing what you want to see/hear.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:07 pmThese people live in a bubble. They are clueless and are only capable of repeating thoughtless false statement. Perhaps they really aren’t human at all. They behave and sound like programmed robots.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:08 pmThe neo-con talking heads don’t want to advocate conservation precisely because it will lower gas prices at the current moment (which is what oil companies dont want) and they argue for more drilling precisely because it won’t lower gas prices at the moment, but because oil companies need access to all the oil reserves in the country and Americans are in a time of desperation, they play on their fears and exploit their ignorance to open up these banned areas for future drilling.
So, what solution do neo-cons have essentially? NOTHING.
And these crooks have the balls to blame the current crisis on democrats when we know that oil companies have access to oil which they are not drilling right now, we know that China and INdia are driving demand and we know speculators are investing because its such a hot commodity when housing, stocks and other markets are down.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:08 pmJohn “False Claim” McCain
June 18th, 2008 at 9:09 pmThe lass is a wee bit behind the curve would ya say?
June 18th, 2008 at 9:10 pmConservatives want to “conserve” a way of life which was really cool in the 50’s, but is not in the best interest of future America.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:18 pmWhere did she come from? Another young, ripe Bushie for McSame. Where do they get em? Grr.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:26 pmIf you saw Keith O’s show on MSNBC tonight, you will know the McCain and his economic advisors/lobbyists are up the their necks in this growing (and slowly being revealed) scandal of unregulated electronic oil futures trading which is costing American motorists about two dollars and fifty-five cents per gallon today. This unregulated electronic oil futures trading should be completely shut down: it serves no social purpose, it is just a way for greedy corporate speculators to steal from the American people. When the word of this scandal finally filters down to Joe and Josie in Middle City, USA, the McCain Presidential campaign will be over…
June 18th, 2008 at 9:26 pmAnd don’t forget, the Kochs are Bush in-laws; his sister is Dorothy Walker Bush Koch.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:32 pmThanx for the heads up, Oval12345678 aka James K. Sayre.
Phill Gramm up to his neck? I’m shocked.
sarc/off
June 18th, 2008 at 9:40 pmWhat a slap in the face for the conservatives. They treat them like the sheep of Animal Farm.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:43 pmThere’s a Chinese man drilling this skanky ho.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:11 pmA good story (lie) bears repeating ?
June 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pmIn case you want some more ammo to pound trolls with, look here
June 18th, 2008 at 11:16 pmObama leads electoral votes 347 to 191!
The dirty little secret about all this ‘China is drilling our oil’ mongering is that a few months ago, a Louisiana-based, privately-held oil and gas company sold its Gulf of Mexico holdings to a Korean company that is a partner of the government of Korea. It’s objective is to develop energy for the Korean people.
The company selling the energy assets was Taylor Energy of New Orleans. The owner of the company, Mrs. Phyllis Taylor, is a big Republican contributor in Louisiana political circles — as was the company founder, her late husband Patrick Taylor.
So, in this case it is wealthy Republicans selling off America’s energy future to Asian companies and their partners for lucre.
Here’s a link to the story on the sale.
Here’s an entry I posted about the sale at my blog.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:58 pmIf off-shore drilling were really such a grand idea, there would be no need to sell it with scare tactics:
“Eeeck!! Those evil, smelly commies are drilling for oil so close to us! If they do, so can we!”
Then again, fearmongering is practically the only skill reichwingers have.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:49 amMedia also is talking about China drilling near Florida, so this is not coming only from McCain!!!. They are other nations who are drilling around USA. We have so much OIL in hard land. Wyoming,Montana,Utah,Colorado, a hudge land full of OIL. Start digging!!! Truth is , that Democrats are against drilling anywere in USA, around USA and why not start drilling.
June 21st, 2008 at 4:43 pmFact: Slant drilling near the Florida Straits could tap into U.S. coastal oil reserves that are estimated at 4.6 billion to 9.3 billion barrels.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:56 pmFact: As of July 2008 China isn’t drilling. However, Cuba HAS been leasing blocks for oil “exploration” 60 miles off the coast of Florida.
Fact: It was the “right-wing” NEW YORK TIMES who stated in 2006 that China was negotiating an offshore drilling lease. Other sources have cast doubt on their claim (as so often happens with New York Times stories).
Fact: Chinese drilling could be even more of an environmental hazard since China is not as concerned about or equipped to deal with any potential ecological disaster as a result of a spill.
Fact: The Chinese have already reopened an abandoned Russian oil refinery in Cuba. Much of the gas refined there is believed to be destined for Freeport in the Bahamas, where the Chinese, through front company Hutchison-Whampoa, have developed a massive port facility and airfield.
Fact: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who controls the largest oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere, is negotiating to sell “his” oil to China, oil that is currently coming to the United States.
Fact: President Morales’ left-wing regime in Bolivia has nationalized the natural gas industry, sending troops into the fields and threatening to cut off supplies to the United States.
Opinion: The American left is blinded by their hatred of Bush. I don’t personally care who his in-laws are or which McCain aide is a “stupid cow”. Americans are chumps if our “leaders” allow ANY hostile regime to take 4.6 billion to 9.3 billion barrels of oil through horizontal slant drilling, while denying our own companies from doing the same.