Ensign: Republicans will revive ‘Drill Here, Drill Now’ push this summer.
Ensign: Republicans will revive ‘Drill Here, Drill Now’ push this summer.
Yesterday, Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey interviewed Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) and touched on Congress’s legislative agenda. Ensign warned that conservatives needed to be “on guard” against “liberalism” being put in place “incrementally” on issues like energy. When Morrissey asked about the status of drilling legislation, Ensign said that it would be a focus of the GOP in the coming months:
MORRISSEY: In 2008, when gas prices spiked to their highest levels, we saw a great deal of enthusiasm for Drill Here, Drill Now type of legislation. Now obviously, prices have collapsed since then; they’re lower than half of what they used to be. But where is the “Drill Here, Drill Now” push now in Congress? Do we have anything like that — any momentum for that still left in Congress? Or has that been pretty much squelched?
ENSIGN: Certainly Republicans are going to be pushing that this summer. We’re going to be pushing the search for more American energy supplies, coming out with — there are several Republican proposals out there right now that are really comprehensive energy bills. Because there is no single approach that is going to answer our energy problems.
Watch it:
When gas prices were at record highs last summer, congressional Republicans tried to hammer Democrats for going on recess without supporting offshore oil drilling. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was one of the driving outside forces behind the political stunt.
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Is the Republican Party small enough now to drown in an oil pit?
April 14th, 2009 at 9:52 amDrool Here, Drool Now
April 14th, 2009 at 9:55 amLet’s make absolutely sure that this Senator’s homestate gets ALL the nuclear waste that’s produced in the US dumped in its backyard.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:56 amWatching the Republicans cry “drill here, drill now” is like watching a crack addict cry for ‘just one more fix’ and then they’ll go straight.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:56 amEnsign: Republicans will revive ‘Drill Here, Drill Now’ push this summer.
– - You GOPers go ahead and do that. While you’re at it, push for resurrecting production of the IBM Selectric Typewriter too.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:56 amWith energy prices at current levels, there’s NO PROFIT in home-grown fossil fuel.
I can’t even begin to comprehend the wholesale ignorance of the Reichwing.
STAGGERING.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:57 amThis is almost funny. They consistently used failed themes and ideas to push a backwards agenda.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:59 amMaybe they should try a few other GOOPer slogans from the past too — “Whip Inflation Now”, “Dewey Defeats Truman”, “Mission Accomplished” — all of these slogans turned out really well for the Rushpublicans too, after all…
April 14th, 2009 at 10:01 amMaybe they should try a few other GOOPer slogans from the past too — “Whip Inflation Now”, “Dewey Defeats Truman”, “Mission Accomplished” — all of these slogans turned out really well for the Rushpublicans too, after all…
April 14th, 2009 at 10:01 amPlease, fuel station sales have dropped 1.6%
You want a slogan for whats a political advertising gimmick?
Lithium here! Lithium now!
April 14th, 2009 at 10:02 amTechnically we can’t drill now because it’ll take at least 10 years to get new platforms open offshore. That 10 years could be used wisely to research and develop new environmentally friendlier fuels for cars, and thus reduce any dependence on the Middle East and Venezuela.
Also his comment on liberalism, well of course you’re going to get more liberal policy and laws enacted now. We voted for a Democrat majority thus we should expect “leftist” policy, just like when we voted for a Republican majority we got conservative policy. That’s how democracy works, not that I need to explain to anyone here.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:06 amsorry for the dupe posts at #9 and 10 gang; got caught in the 503 error!
April 14th, 2009 at 10:08 amRefinery maintenance here! Refinery Maintenance Now!
I know the (R) folks have long been leg humpers of big business…business that depends on advertising with cutesy commericals, quaint three word selling points, using questionable terms to promote a product.
But the people arent buying that when it comes to government and politics.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:10 am“I have a cocaine problem. I need more cocaine.”
April 14th, 2009 at 10:11 amGood luck idiots.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:13 amMay you end up swimming in your oil spill.
I’m thinking they could go a step further and revive the slogan “Nixon’s The One!”
April 14th, 2009 at 10:14 amKrugman is right. These guys are seriously painful to watch or listen to. The oil companies haven’t drilled in even half the places they can, and why should they? They’re capitalist corporations looking to make a buck (or billions of bucks!). And like Jon Stewart said, it’s not tyranny, it’s not liberalism, it’s that they LOST. Get over it and get on with your lives!
April 14th, 2009 at 10:14 amWhy didn’t the Republicans push ‘Drill Here, Drill Now’ 8 years ago? Or 7? Or 6? Or 5? Weren’t we just as dependent on foreign oil back then?
Why didn’t the oil companies exploit the exploration leases they already had and still have–especially when they were given the tax-breaks that could have funded exploration?
Why am I asking questions I already know the answers to?
April 14th, 2009 at 10:15 amOT: Interesting thing about that 1968 Time article I linked above…
here’s the first sentence:
Lyndon Johnson was backed by so many newspapers in 1964 that many Republicans wondered whether the nation’s publishers were abandoning the party usually favored by a majority of them.
“Librul media”, huh? It was a crock then and it’s a crock now.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:16 amBecause it worked so well the first time.
http://www.pufferfishblog.com/
April 14th, 2009 at 10:17 amWell, what about teabagging?
Did anyone else catch Maddow’s difficulty in keeping a straight face while conversing about this?
Do any GOPers know the urban slang meaning of teabagging?
Teabag all you want, GOOPERS, it’s right up your …
April 14th, 2009 at 10:21 amIt’s interesting that as gas prices go down, not only do the cries of “drill here, drill now!” die out, but so does the demand for alternative energy development.
“Drill here, drill now” enriches the oil companies while not really doing anything to affect the pump price of gas, nor will it do much to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Alternative energy and development of cars and other machines that run on alternative fuel sources not only reduce dependence on foreign oil, but it will help the environment.
We must continue pressure for alternative energy no matter what the price of gas is.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:24 amralph the wonder locust Says:
I’m thinking they could go a step further and revive the slogan “Nixon’s The One!”
_________
54 40 Or Fight?
Cromwell, Cromwell… he’s the man.. if Ollie can’t do, nobody can!
Alfred of Saxon – he spakes for me… and he spakes for thee!
April 14th, 2009 at 10:25 amZimzone Says
April 14th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Well, what about teabagging?
Did anyone else catch Maddow’s difficulty in keeping a straight face while conversing about this?
___________________________________________________________
Jon Stewart has been having entirely too much fun with this, too: “Teabagging the White House? Do these guys know how BIG the White House is?”
April 14th, 2009 at 10:26 amThey are truly bereft of ideas.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:29 amDredging up failed issues of the past in the hopes that they can enjoy a favorable outcome the next time — what is the definition of insanity?
Even the stupid tea parties planned for tomorrow – are illogical, misplaced and misdirected. But it makes for a few newsreels that will take the day away from anything positive coming from the White House.
After all, their main purpose is to obstruct Obama, the Democrats and anything that improves America because their party must be paramount.
Marie Says:
After all, their main purpose is to obstruct Obama, the Democrats and anything that improves America because their party must be paramount.
__________
And the only way they slither back into power is if the other side FAILS worse than they did. After nearly a decade of Republican hegemony at the Federal level, they have barely a SINGLE meaningful accomplishment to point to.
Hence the endless negative campaigning. And now that that is losing its effectiveness too, the shrinking core of loyalist GOOPers seem obliged to ramp it up and become even more vitriolic and flat-out bat shite crazy.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:36 amI was flipping channels and ran across Glenn Beck yesterday interviewing one of Reagan’s economic guys.This guy slipped up and actually congratulated Glenn on the “tea parties” that are gonna take place!!Glenn got completely red faced embarrassed and said with a stupid grin that he was only “attending”these things.It was clearly obvious to anyone watching that Beck was being congratulated for his role in ORGANIZING these dumb ass things!! Just more evidence of fixed news so called “fair and balanced news!”
April 14th, 2009 at 10:38 amWow- fresh new ideas! how exciting. Oh, wait….
April 14th, 2009 at 10:56 amWhat does liberalism even mean with respect to energy production? I see energy policy falling into more of a progressive / conservative spectrum. Do we believe that the federal government has a role in helping to promote new energy industries and science?
The Bush era government policy seems not so much conservative as regressive. Rather than maintaining the status quo the policies seemed designed to roll back on the clock on advanced technology.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:01 am“Screw the grandchildren, Drill Now!”
April 14th, 2009 at 11:02 amSOLAR PANELS HERE!!!!
SOLAR PANELS NOW!!!!!
April 14th, 2009 at 11:20 amGood luck with that.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:20 ammerhaba arkadaslar
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April 14th, 2009 at 11:26 amsesli chat hepiniz sitemizi üyelik gerektirmeden ziyaret edebilirsiniz..
sesli sohbet
Republicans will revive ‘Drill Here, Drill Now’ push this summer.
Does that mean that Gas prices are going to go up this summer?
April 14th, 2009 at 11:57 amDon’t they realize what an embarrassment that was with ordinary voters?
Gas up to $4.50 a gallon. People suffering, worrying.
Republicans propose offshore drilling as what we need to do. We’re suffering because they won’t let us drill offshore! If we have more domestic oil production prices will go down! She’s the Governor of Alaska and the biggest energy expert on the planet! She’ll tell you!
We don’t open ANWR;we don’t set up oil rigs–and prices drop by half.
Even if you’re wretchedly informed and not paying attention, it was blindingly obvious that the high oil prices were not caused by lack of domestic oil production. The problem went away, and it’s not clear to most people how or why, except for one thing: the Republican “Drill Here, Drill Now” yawp was not an explanation or a solution: it was an excuse they used because they thought they could get away with it.
And they’re going to try it again? It’s kin of like saying”A great new cancer cure–from the folks who brought you Laetrile!”
April 14th, 2009 at 11:59 am“When the going gets tough, the Right gets going – with a lot of kinky slogans”
Whip Team
Teabag
M4M
Drill baby.
Still plenty’o repressed sexuality rattlin’ around on that side of the aisle. Some things never change.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:01 pmSerkaN Says:
merhaba arkadaslar
April 14th, 2009 at 11:26 am
_____________
Ho?geldiniz SerkaN.
Lütfen istenmeyen reklam sitemizde kirletmeden kaç?nmal?d?r. Te?ekkürler.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:23 pm***
it was going to be
“drill there, drill now”.
a new slogan for a new generation.
but you know conservatives, even if
it isn’t working it’s hard to let go.
:|
April 14th, 2009 at 12:33 pmCan someone please tell these morons that even if you tapped all present and future sources of domestic oil you still would not make a dent in demand!
April 14th, 2009 at 12:50 pm1. Didn’t the oil co’s dial back their refinery production because of surplus oil and low prices?
2. It takes 7-10 years after breaking ground before oil production happens.
3. Don’t they already lease 68 million acres that they can start drilling anytime?
April 14th, 2009 at 3:43 pmI was watching tv in a bar in Coos Bay, Oregon, in 1973 when Nixon first announced that we were going to become independent of imported oil. We were on an oil exploration vessel that had put in for fuel and water. The locals, knowing that we were in the oil business, asked us immediately about Nixon’s statement. We all laughed like hell and told them that we would be importing more oil every day as far as the eye could see. We use about 20 million barrels of oil a day. Of that, about 5 million is domestically produced and about 15 million barrels are imported. Doubling our domestic production, which is impossible, would cut our imports by only a third. Domestic oil production has been decreasing since the early 70s. We can’t drill wells fast enough to even replace the reserves that we are depleting.
April 14th, 2009 at 3:51 pmHopefully if you drill the hole deep enough we can throw all you drill here drill now fanatics into it.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:02 pmBy the way, has anyone noticed the price of gas has gone up almost 50 cents the past few weeks?
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April 18th, 2009 at 5:22 amsac ekimi