Think Progress

Giuliani Repeats Debunked Myth: China Is ‘Drilling For American Oil’ Off The Coast Of Cuba

Last night on his CNN show, Glenn Beck hosted failed GOP presidential contender — and ardent supporter of Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) presidential campaign — Rudy Giuliani. During the segment, Giuliani recycled the old thoroughly debunked GOP talking point that the U.S. needs to start drilling for off-shore oil because China is doing it off the coast of Cuba. But this time, Guiliani included a special twist in his argument — that China is taking “American oil“:

GIULIANI: And you look at — you look at Cuba … Cuba is going to allow China to drill for oil within 80 miles of Florida. And Florida had a 300-mile limit. So in essence, we have China drilling for American oil. [...] An American company would do it much more carefully. It would be regulated better. We`ve got to open up all these other things.

Watch it:

Yesterday, the Washington Post’s Ben Pershing said the China/Cuba oil drilling claim is the GOP’s “myth that keeps on giving,” calling it “just too juicy not to repeat.” TPM has been keeping a fairly solid list of the large number of conservatives hyping the false story.

At a separate part of last night’s interview, Beck — a stringent global warming denier — tried to get Giuliani on board, asking: “You don’t buy into global warming, do you?” But Giuliani wouldn’t bite, responding, “Well, I do.” An astonished Beck quickly said, “Wait…do you believe that man is causing it?” Giuliani still wouldn’t take the bait: “I think there is more evidence that man is contributing it to than not.”

So it seems that while Giuliani actually believes that humans are causing global warming, his desire to keep drilling for more oil indicates that he has no interest in doing anything about it.

Digg It!



55 Responses to “Giuliani Repeats Debunked Myth: China Is ‘Drilling For American Oil’ Off The Coast Of Cuba”

  1. ucsbclassics53 says:

    a truthful wingnut…an oxymoron…


  2. unbelievable says:

    So it seems that while Giuliani actually believes that humans are causing global warming, his desire to keep drilling for more oil indicates that he has no interest in doing anything about it.

    I used to have a friend who sincerely believed that we should rape and pillage the planet because on the brink of doom, the Christian god would send a saviour to solve the problem and give us another resource.

    Denial is the mantra of the Conservative movement.


  3. Badmoodman says:

    Giuliani, looking all greasy and sinister, “China’s drinking our milkshake!!


  4. upside99 says:

    Rudy has become so irrelevant, he has to sit next to the Nazi Beck for some love. How low these Repug scumbags can descend.


  5. Marcus Aurelius says:

    but there seems to be some truth to the report that Cuba is going to allow China to drill in the Gulf.

    _____

    Based on?


  6. upside99 says:

    jabberjaw Says:

    The real question is: What do we do about it if China does start drilling in the Gulf, utilizing slant drilling methods?

    We could be participating in these concessions if we lifted the embargo against Cuba. So, don’t look any further than DC for that one.

    (Also, I could get my Cuban cigars here instead of going to Costa Rica or Canada.)


  7. joe cantwell says:

    jabberjaw Says:
    Saying “Cuba is going to allow China to drill” is quite a bit different from saying that “China is currently doing it off the coast of Cuba.” China may not be currently drilling, but there seems to be some truth to the report that Cuba is going to allow China to drill in the Gulf.

    just “some truth”?

    no wonder it’s so

    easy to fool a conservative.

    just mix in “some truth”

    with the lies.

    *

    thank you.

    #


  8. Abu Ben Hussein Leporello says:

    If Florida indeed has a 300 mile limit and Cuba is 60 miles off the coast of Florida, locically Cuba is part of Florida. Obviously then the government of Florida needs to do something about all those pesky floks squatting on their property! Only in RepublicanWorld can concepts like this even be considered! I’m a New Yorker and was overjoyed when Rudi’s term expired and was even happier when Rudi was nationally recognised as the looney toon he really is. However, he’s Still a looney toon.
    Impeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution.


  9. Bob says:

    Is more drilling the only solution repubs can think of to alleviate our dependence on oil?

    They don’t seem to have any faith in American ingenuity. In the time it would take to get the newly drilled oil to market, other viable forms could be developed.


  10. Badmoodman says:

    #5: What do we do about it if China does start drilling in the Gulf, utilizing slant drilling methods?

    – - Nope, it’s too easy. Not gonna do it, nope….


  11. Paul W says:

    So it seems that while Giuliani actually believes that humans are causing global warming, his desire to keep drilling for more oil indicates that he has no interest in doing anything about it.

    Republicans are like children. For all of their talk of “responsibility,” they’re more about immediate gratification over long term results.

    http://progressiveworldreview.com


  12. Exit Stage Left says:

    jabberjaw Says:
    The real question is: What do we do about it if China does start drilling in the Gulf, utilizing slant drilling methods?

    Flagged for racist comment.


  13. Cal Malenky says:

    Tell a lie often enough and eventually people believe it


  14. Shayne says:

    We hand all our manufacturing over to China and remove all tariffs from goods from other countries and Jabberjuice is worried that they are going to drill off the coast of Cuba and steal our oil out from underneath us by shifting the tilt of the earth. The stupidity of Republicans is staggering.


  15. joe cantwell says:

    jabberjaw Says:
    Give me a break. The method is called “slant drilling” no matter who is doing it. There’s nothing racist about it. I hope you were joking.

    who are you talking to?

    you sound like

    a victim.

    *

    is the rnc server

    still down?

    :)

    give me a break.

    *


  16. joe cantwell says:

    Cal Malenky Says:
    Tell a lie often enough and eventually people believe it

    until they lose their jobs.

    *

    good luck.

    *


  17. RUCerious says:

    Come on now, what the hell do you expect from a moron like JulieAnnie?>


  18. Shayne says:

    Why don’t you go to the oil companies and ask them about all the leases they’re currently not drilling jaw instead of coming here with your BS talking points. Are you the only one who doesn’t see these are election talking points because your side has nothing to run on. They making it up, idiot.


  19. RUCerious says:

    jj’s been watching the movie There must be blood. Over and over and over. He especially empathizes with the robber baron in the last scene.


  20. Shayne says:

    When you realize how stupid Rudy is it’s easier to understand how McCain got the nomination.


  21. unbelievable says:

    The majority of the oil we’re extracting in Alaska goes to China now, and you don’t hear the Republicans whining about that. Just about some imaginary possible oil drilling that could send oil to the Chinese in a decade… Sheesh!


  22. hussein toasterhead says:

    jabberjaw Says:

    The real question is: What do we do about it if China does start drilling in the Gulf, utilizing slant drilling methods?

    July 3rd, 2008 at 10:57 am
    _______

    We bash them over the head with a bowling pin while yelling “I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE?”


  23. unbelievable says:

    jabberjaw Says:

    Oh please just shut up!


  24. joe cantwell says:

    jabberjaw Says:
    Shayne: First, I’m an Independent, not a Democrat, not a Republican, not an Obama supporter and not a McCain supporter. Second, nobody is talking about “shifting the tilt of the earth.” The discussion is about slant drilling (or directional drilling if you will) which is a commonly used drilling method.

    what discussion?

    you’re talking to yourself.

    *

    good luck.

    *


  25. RUCerious says:

    toasty, Nice…


  26. paleolib says:

    Let’s deputize Rudy to float out into the gulf and stop those evil Chinese from drilling for “American oil”. He can take The Dick, Mean Jean Schmidt and all of the other wingnuts who have repeated this silly myth.

    Don’t come back until you succeed.

    We’re counting on you.


  27. gummitch says:

    jabberjaw Says:

    Shayne: First, I’m an Independent,

    Blah blah blah independent blah blah blah republican talking points blah blah blah . . .

    Even “conservatives” are running from identification with the Republics these days, although they’re as “independent” as McBush.


  28. nanlichi says:

    JJ is right twice this morning. One, Guliani did say that Cuba was going to allow China.. Which begs the question, how the F does Guliani know this, or is he just throwing shit aginst the wall? I can say that Angelina is going to allow me to tickle her armpit but it ain’t gonna happen.

    Second, it is called slant drilling and I didn’t even get the racist connotation until ESL brought it up. Sorry ESL, I don’t think neocons have a sense of humor, I think this was accidental.


  29. A Patriot Acting says:

    I think jabberjaw(one of THE WORST hanna/Barberra toons btw) has been watching that Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns using the slant drilling technique to steal oil out from under the elementary school much to the chagrin of Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers.


  30. nanlichi says:

    Slant drilling is what caused the Persian Gulf War conflict wasn’t it? Sadam was pissed that the Kuwaitis were slant drilling and stealing his oil. He asked the USA what our response would be if he were to invade Kuwait to stop the slant drilling. We gave a quiet ok, then after he did what he promised, we kicked his ass.

    Memory may be a bit bad here, but that’s how I remembered it.


  31. Leftside Annie says:

    Jebus. I’m surprised that ol’ Ghouliani didn’t work “September 11th” into it somewhere.


  32. hussein toasterhead says:

    jabberjaw Says:

    The real question is: What do we do about it if China does start drilling in the Gulf, utilizing slant drilling methods?

    July 3rd, 2008 at 10:57 am

    Seriously, though – if China starts drilling in the Gulf, there’s no question that they would use directional drilling methods. If any of these boreholes violate the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States, then China would be in violation of Article 56 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and would be required under international law to cease.

    Of course, we’d have a bit of trouble enforcing this, since we have yet to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but details details…

    http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm


  33. upside99 says:

    ALL offshore drilling uses directional (Slant-hole) drilling. There may be 20 or more wells drilled from one platform or drill ship and they all drill out to cover the surrounding sub-surface area as projected by the seismic and geologic models built by the geologists and geophysicists.

    The only real news here is that the Righties are still trying to use the scare to save their weakass position on everything from Iraq and Iran to why they ran up the oil prices from $22 to $144 in 7 years by messing in the Middle East.


  34. DieNowForPeace says:

    Giuliani is a jerk.

    It’s true.

    I have the bumper sticker to prove it.


  35. eve says:

    GOPer’s don’t care if it is true or not. They like the story and know that a good % of Fox watchers will never read or hear the truth.

    Karl taught them that a lie repeated many times will work because some people will believe it even after hearing the truth and others will never hear the truth.


  36. Shayne says:

    jabberjaw Says:

    Shayne: First, I’m an Independent, not a Democrat, not a Republican, not an Obama supporter and not a McCain supporter. Second, nobody is talking about “shifting the tilt of the earth.” The discussion is about slant drilling (or directional drilling if you will) which is a commonly used drilling

    It was a joke jerkjaw and yes we know, you’re all independents. And we were born yesterday.


  37. jay_severin_has_a_small_pen1s says:

    Sounds like an episode of the Simpsons.

    Whatever China steals from us we will just buy it back.


  38. ralph the wonder llama says:

    hussein toasterhead Says:

    Of course, we’d have a bit of trouble enforcing this, since we have yet to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but details details…

    Then,

    jabberjaw Says:
    A bit of a clarification, Toasterhead. The United States has signed the treaty, but the Senate has not ratified it.

    Thanks for clatifying something that was explicitly stated in HT’s post, JJ.

    It should be pointed out, as nanlichi does, that JJ correctly states that Guiliani’s language about the Chinese and Cubans is phrased so as to be arguably correct. This is the same linguistic strategy that allowed Bush to deny accusations that he said Saddam was responsible for 9/11. They’re masters of phrasing that is strictly correct yet highly suggestive of the propaganda they want to catapult.

    In this case, it’s leaving the impression that the Chinese are drilling for our oil. That claim has already been made, and with the wingnut base, the anger it generates will obscure any later qualifications, even outright reversals. Giuliani’s carefully crafted booster shot of propaganda, delivered with the enthusiastic support of Glenn Dreck, will hit the vein of righteous indignation that feeds the wingnut base.


  39. ShorelineCT says:

    Check out this nice summary of the off-Cuba drilling issue. Seems that a Canadian company has the lion’s share of what is currently being pumped out from Cuban waters.

    http://tinyurl.com/4dv6ue

    Also, check out the link in the comments section and the link that was from Barrons Online article. Seems like Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush II and Jeb Bush all had a hand in keeping Chevon from drilling in leased tracts only 20 miles off FL coast. Now those tracks were partially bought back by the current Bush mis-Administration – for $115M – and the last remaining ones can not be explored until 2012. Just another way Bush has sold our country and threatened national security.


  40. Luis M says:

    Query: if Florida (and the US) can claim a 300-mile limit, can Cuba also claim the same limit?


  41. Evil Spaniard says:

    And yet another Query: Reps are babbling and fuming about China drilling (supposedly) in caribbean waters (Curiously enough, Cuba is also in caribbean waters), whining about “territorial waters”, yet the USA is profitting from iraqi oil and Guantánamo… frankly, a very hypocrital instance.

    Simply, they were thinking that the caribbean oil was guaranteed to the USA, no matter the 200 miles limit, being the caribbean nations poor, and incapable of drilling by themselves, but they find now that a joint venture China-Cuba can do two things the politicos find unthinkable now: drill in the territorial waters of these poor countries, and enrich Cuba, because they will keep at least a percentage of the bussiness, and most probably, supplies from China.

    Prepare for Bay of Pigs II (or I for Dana).


  42. dbadass says:

    jabberjaw Says:

    The real question is: What do we do about it if China does start drilling in the Gulf, utilizing slant drilling methods?


    We do nothing. Let market forces play themselves out. Isn’t that what you guys are into? If the Chinese want to do their thing and the Cubans ar into it and they get there first. Why interfer with the private enterprise of two sovereign nations?


  43. nanlichi says:

    ralph, the language they use even when they are not flat out lying is intended to manipulate their base.

    We don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud. Who can argue with that statement? Absolutely true. And absolutely irrelevant, but it worked.

    We have no plans on the table to invade Iraq. Well, ok, we put a big piece of cardboard down first so technically, these refined war plans are not “on” the table.

    We did not reveal classified documents. Because the Petulant President unclassified them. Maybe after the fact, but we had the declassification pre-dated.

    Pat Tillman died in an accidental friendly fire incident. Just going to have to trust us on this one, we burned all the evidence, shut up the men who were with him, and claim Executive Privelege over all the evidence.

    The astounding part for me is that there are still 25% of Americans who are ok with this behavior, even support it. Are they so afraid of the world that they need a leader at any cost? I really have no respect for the Bush supporters. None.


  44. Evil Spaniard says:

    Territorial sea
    A state’s territorial sea extends up to 12 nautical miles (22 km) from its baseline. If this would overlap with another state’s territorial sea, the border is taken as the median point between the states’ baselines, unless the states in question agree otherwise. A state can also choose to claim a smaller territorial sea.

    Conflicts still occur whenever a coastal nation claims an entire gulf as its territorial waters while other nations only recognize the more restrictive definitions of the UN convention. Two recent conflicts occurred in the Gulf of Sidra where Libya has claimed the entire gulf as its territorial waters and the U.S. has twice violently enforced freedom of navigation rights (Gulf of Sidra incident (1981), Gulf of Sidra incident (1989)).

    Exclusive economic zone
    An exclusive economic zone extends for 200 nautical miles (370 km) beyond the baselines of the territorial sea, thus it includes the territorial sea and its contiguous zone.[3] A coastal nation has control of all economic resources within its exclusive economic zone, including fishing, mining, oil exploration, and any pollution of those resources. However, it cannot regulate or prohibit passage or loitering above, on, or under the surface of the sea, whether innocent or belligerent, within that portion of its exclusive economic zone beyond its territorial sea. Before 1982, coastal nations arbitrarily extended their territorial waters in an effort to control activities which are now regulated by the exclusive economic zone, such as offshore oil exploration or fishing rights (see Cod War). Indeed, the exclusive economic zone is still popularly, though erroneously, called a coastal nation’s territorial waters.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_waters

    So, basically, and IMHO, if the drilling point is nearer of Cuba than of the USA, they have all the rights to drill. And, in case they’ve not drilled yet, they have even more right to do prospections to know if they wish to drill.


  45. Bilbo Hussein Baggins says:

    Cuba is going to allow China to drill for oil within 80 miles of Florida. And Florida had a 300-mile limit. So in essence, we have China drilling for American oil.

    Ok, using Guiliani’s logic, that would also mean that Cuba belongs to the United States because Cuba is only 90 miles from Florida.

    Or, is Guiliani saying that Cuba has no claim to the ocean around them because the US has claims to 300 mile limit of ocean from our shores?

    Any way you look at it it all comes back to the fact that US oil companies have drilling rights on 80,000 acres of US land. Until such time as that oil is drilled, we need to leave the ocean and endangered areas in this country (like ANWAR) the hell alone.


  46. Evil Spaniard says:

    Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:

    Ok, using Guiliani’s logic, that would also mean that Cuba belongs to the United States because Cuba is only 90 miles from Florida.

    That theory would include also part of Siberia, Panama, Canada, the North Pole and probably all the islands in the Caribbean Sea. Nice bussiness.


  47. hussein toasterhead says:

    Luis M Says:

    Query: if Florida (and the US) can claim a 300-mile limit, can Cuba also claim the same limit?

    July 3rd, 2008 at 12:15 pm

    As a ratifying party to the UN Convention, yes – Cuba can claim a 200-mile exclusive economic zone as its territorial waters. However, when two states have overlapping EEZs, it is up to the states themselves to delineate their maritime border by treaty, which the U.S. and Cuba did in 1977.


  48. hussein toasterhead says:

    Evil Spaniard Says:

    That theory would include also part of Siberia, Panama, Canada, the North Pole and probably all the islands in the Caribbean Sea. Nice bussiness.

    July 3rd, 2008 at 1:14 pm
    _______

    And a pretty big chunk of the Pacific Rim, what with the Alaskan and Hawaiian archipeligos and our territories in Micronesia.

    Though we don’t have as much of the Caribbean as you might think. Just a little bit south of Puerto Rico.


  49. Max-1 says:

    .

    Talking points… doesn’t mean they are true.

    .


  50. Leftside Annie says:

    That’s all right – not to worry, China already owns Florida.


  51. tarazan says:

    Politicians of today are accustomed to lie and get by with it because todays journalists don’t question politicians’ statements seriously ,and even if they wanted to they could not bcause todays journalists lack the knowledge on most issues and they do not do their homework well.
    The second thing is politicians of today they like and they choose to speak in a friendly environment,they are rarely seen speaking in an unfriendly one…
    So politicans got used to lies and even sometimes they are cheered for such lies by their friendly audience.
    So Giuliani’s repeating of a lies is nothing new to him.


  52. lee41 says:

    China is drilling on-shore in Cuba. Brazil and Norway have plans to drill off-shore in the Gulf of Mexico.

    The Republican ‘Drill Now’ campaign has been a success. More and more people want to drill in the OCS. Of course, they are also buying the Republican sales job that this drilling will actually lower prices tomorrow.

    According to the DoI’s MMS, of over 30 million acres were available for leasing recently, only 4 million or so were leased. In Alaska, there was a court battle recently over Point Thomson, where Exxon and other companies have held leases for over 30 years and produced zero oil or natural gas. Bush 43 extended the moratorium on the Eastern Gulf area in 2002 to help Jeb get re-elected.

    In the GoM, there is at least one new rig that went on line last month which, at peak production, is capable of 250,000 bpd.


  53. the brown acid says:

    All the more reason to lift the outdated, pointless embargo.


  54. MapleStreet says:

    I’m always amazed on how the wingnuts will say something stupid and pretend it is a fact. Even after the lie is revealed, they keep saying it. And the sheep are dumb enough to believe it.

    Like in another recent brou-haha. If I tell you 3 times it must be true.


  55. Jess Wonderin says:

    If Cuba can claim the 200 mile limit too, can they let the Chineses drill in the Everglades without an EPA permit?????



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