Obama says he may back offshore oil drilling...

[rch35]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080801/ap_on_el_pr/obama;_ylt=Au4qxcXPvabVPgD07za4Tjis0NUE

fuck

[iamthebandfanman]

1. im so sick of

politics.

[chimpymustgo]

41. But, but, but this is CHANGE you can BELIEVE in.

We've been had.

[iamthebandfanman]

60. we were 'had'

by januarary of this year...
whether Obama was the nominee or not..
the feeling should be nothing new to us progressives/liberals

[GCP]

2. Damn

[truthisfreedom]

3. Good, if that's what it takes. Shows that he's flexible and not partisan.

[iamthebandfanman]

4. yeah, fuck the earth

good on you man.

[Xipe Totec]

9. The sooner it's gone, the faster we can pick up the pieces

Like a band-aid on a hairy arm; just pull it and get it over with.

[iamthebandfanman]

13. the interesting thing about the earth is

once its gone, theres nobody to bring it back.

[Xipe Totec]

15. Don't overestimate yourself

the earth can go on without us.

[WinkyDink]

24. Exactly! People often erroneously equate "species survival" to "planetary existence".

[Xipe Totec]

33. We are stardust contemplating its navel nt

[Bjorn Against]

35. Exactly! Who cares if humans and other species go extinct, at least some cockroaches might survive!

[iamthebandfanman]

61. one would hope the goal

would be to preserve us both..

yes?
no?

since you are both expert earth scientists...

how can you be so sure that the earth will return to its previous state after ruin and our extinction? whos to stay we dont provoke a never ending cycle of heat and lack of water? the balance is fragile and anything could mean permanent destruction of any ecosystem that would sustain ANY life as we know it.

[ForeignSpectator]

49. This brought great peace to my mind...

...the Earth is perfectly fine, no matter what we do. It's been here billions of years and went through a lot worse. A couple of millions of years and it will probably regenerate.

It's just that WE are screwed. And if the human race goes extinct because it can't survive under the conditions on this planet it caused itself, then I am perfectly fine with that. That's evolution for me.

[grantcart]

20. I think that after several days of explaining the issue and seeing that people

can't handle more than 2 ideas at a time he simply is trying to give them an answer they can digest.

In an earlier speech he debunked it thoroughly and proved that if they passed legislation today it wouldn't have any impact.

The reality is that there aren't any rigs to use - massive discoveries off of Brazil have tied up the next 5 years of oil rig production.

[truthisfreedom]

25. I'm sorry you can't see the big picture or look at the facts. No drilling will take place for years.

This gives us a chance to start moving with alternative energy too.

[Coexist]

5. that would suck, but he seems to walk carefully around the circumstances in which that might happen,

if the 'bipartisan' solution does not give, and GIVE BIG to alternative energy, I will be pissed.

"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."

[Union Thug]

FISA, Faith Based Initiatives...Obama, just when I start to feel the

magic, you strip it all away again. My support is rapidly becoming reduced to a pragmatic vote. "Thrill is gone... thrill is gone.."

[ecstatic]

10. Why do you think the news rushed to put out this headline?

To demoralize his base. Considering something doesn't mean you're going to do it.

[Union Thug]

14. Point taken. But I'm not into the word games.

He considered FISA, too.

[DebbieCDC]

30. Yes, that FISA vote of his still has me burned up

Now this offshore drilling business.....

[enough already]

17. The sad thing is this statement won't work

The right and their lemmings in the media will now start calling him a flip-flopper, and the brain dead will believe them. You can't win by caving to these right wing assholes. You have stand up to them, fight them, and call them the dumb fucks that they are. This really pisses me off.

[TwilightGardener]

21. McCain flip-flopped on this about one or two months ago--pretty hard to call Obama

a flip-flopper too, when you reversed yourself only weeks before.

[enough already]

23. You assume the wingnuts and the media are going to play fair

I'm under no such delusions. This is a serious miscalculation.

[TwilightGardener]

28. We'll see. They've already accused Obama of being a flip-flopper and

his poll numbers didn't go down. I don't think people care that much this time around. I think Obama just knocked McCain's only advantage off the table. The man's got nothing now.

[depakid]

37. This one's not the Obama campaign's doing

The DINO's in the "gang of 10" backstabbed him- and the party "leadership" refused to proceed with Democratic legislation to regulate speculation in the oil futures market.

With friens like these....

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Well, DAMN...

That's not what I wanted to hear from him...

:grr:

[ecstatic]

7. He will consider it but ultimately, he will reject that plan

We have to elect him first.

[TwilightGardener]

8. Sounds good to me. Do what you have to, Obama. I'm with ya.

[greguganus]

27. me too.n/t

[monmouth]

11. His caveats were good, it's politics...n/t

[FrenchieCat]

12. Let the states decide.

If Florida wants to drill off of its shores, who I am I to stand in their way?
My governor already has said no, so it is not an issue here in California.

[Bjorn Against]

36. The oceans off the shores of a state are not part of that state.

The state lines end at the coasts, I don't care if they want to drill the oceans do not belong to them.

[27inCali]

40. ditto

100%

[Thrill]

16. THats not what he's saying. AP at it again. Read the full quote.

[katandmoon]

26. His statement doesn't make any sense -- it's not just doublespeak it's

triplespeak and quadruplespeak of the sort that is simply headspinning.

He was against it before he was for it but now he's sort of for it maybe if Republicans will back off on him? Fuck that shit.

It's so obvious Obama's principles are quite flexible and that he is not a leader, he is only a follower of the safest road. He not going to get elected that way.

A real leader, an inspiring leader, would not keep caving toward the center like this. He is not going to win any votes by being a weathervane.

So very disappointed in Obama.

[GarbagemanLB]

32. If only we had Hillary!

:rofl:

[katandmoon]

34. Hillary wasn't built up, or build herself up, as the candidate of C*H*A*N*G*E

Hillary is not the Democratic candidate is, Obama is -- and so far, he sure as hell has not lived up to his hype. Instead, he has proved to be just another weasely politician. Add flipflopping on offshore drilling to all his other flipflops toward the Republican position, and the only change Obama is the candidate of, is that of changing his tune.

I think it's too bad, actually -- because I'm really NOT looking forward to President McCain. But I honestly do not believe Obama is capable of winning this election.

I only wish I did. But I don't.

[FlaDem83]

57. Actually

his statement makes perfect sense, key in point - that last sentence: He doesn't want to be so rigid so as to not get something done. I think that speaks perfectly to the bipartisanship that's been part of his political career for such a long time - flexibility and compromise is different than flip flopping or selling out. As a Floridian I am a little dismayed at this BUT, my larger goal is to get Obama elected and I realize that ground will need to be ceded at times. I think his statement and position is appropriate and defensible, though I'm sure it won't be construed that way in the msm.

[Median Democrat]

18. OP Title Overstates Obama's Support

It just says that Obama is not ruling it out at best.

[Overseas]

62. I agree. He said he would consider it .

Backing it would mean supporting it. He only said he would consider it. And that he would be inclined to let the states decide.

And the states may just decide the oil companies can use the hundreds of leases they already have before adding more to ocean pollution.

[TwilightGardener]

19. BTW, don't think Obama's internal polls didn't point him in this direction--

I'll bet they did. He can still explain that it is not THE answer, but will allow it only with the environmental caveats he outlined. Gotta be flexible. And McManiac no longer has an issue to trumpet--he's got nuthin' now.

[depakid]

39. "he's got nuthin' now."

Wrong. The perception will be that Obama caved- and don't think Rove's proteges won't trumpet that.

[rzemanfl]

22. Well, I will probably be dead before the beaches get fucked up.

There is a lot of wiggle room in his statement.

[Runcible Spoon]

29. color me surprised.

There is such a thing as too much political expediency :eyes:

[MyNameGoesHere]

31. Big deal. Offshore drilling, FISA

He is what he is, a damn politician after all.Nothing will "change" and the "hope" was just that.

[27inCali]

38. if by compromising on this

we can kick start the technological changes that are needed to make oil obsolete than so be it.

you accept a little BS in the short run to get what you really want in the long run.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

42. I discussed the matter of offshore drilling with my husband

Like you, I was initially against it and discussed it with my husband. He said, "Good!"

I said, "Why is off-shore drilling good? We need to find other means of energy!"

"That's the point of offshore drilling, drill and do research for alternative means at the same time. To keep prices low and then gradually wean people off over time. You can't just stop using oil."

I hate to say it, but he has a point. We really do have a dependency on oil. If Obama backs this, I hope he also backs research towards alternative energy.

[Solon]

43. Offshore drilling isn't going to lower oil one damn cent...

I really wish people would think this through, first off, we don't even know if oil is there in the first place, in other words, a lot of expensive rigs are going to be drilling a lot of "dry" holes, with NO oil in them. This means someone's money is going to get wasted, and I don't want it to be the government's. Second off, even if oil was found, there is no way in hell it would offset rising demand a decade from now, much less tomorrow, and a decade is what it would take. Even if, as Republicans say, that Bill Clinton approved this over 10 years ago, we wouldn't be seeing that much of a savings now, a matter of maybe half a cent a gallon of gas, if that, and gas prices would still be rising.

[vaberella]

52. Off shore drilling is one of the most unsafe forms of drilling ....

which could cause long term detrimental environmental effects. It's such a danger that there's now way I would even fathom the idea. Again off-shore drilling won't benefit people until 10 years from now, and won't be on the world market until 20 years from now. Oil prices are effecting us currently. Solar power, wind power, and water power have already been in effect for years if not decades the prices were just hard to maintain. However, they are things we can utilise now to bring down prices---off shore drilling proves to create endless cons, possibilty of ruination of the planet even more, leading to ruined eco systems, extinction of sea life, destruction of coastlines that depend on tourism and sea creatures. It's detrimental point blank. There are no positives here. Obama even said how bad it is on many fronts yet, he's moving more nad more into supporting them. I can't abide that.

[cboy4]

44. Whatever is politically advantageous, Obama will

consider.

It doesn't make him particularly trustworthy (see Donnie McClurkin incident).

Oh, I'll be voting for Obama in November for sure.

However, it's kinda amusing witnessing the reactions of some people who beat me up during the primaries while arguing that Obama can do no wrong, and would never flip flop. lol

[Baclava]

54. Just a lil' drilling...a smidge even.

Bah

I am so tired of this "political expediency" crap.

[YankeyMCC]

45. He's not backing it

he's accepting that to allow some limited drilling will make it possible to get other initiatives, that he supports and that many environmentalists support, though.

He isn't all powerful, and unfortunately the dems in congress aren't effective enough with the power they have to make more palatable compromises.

As someone who considers himself an environmentalists and works hard at doing and supporting with is right for the ecology locally and globally I'm not happy about the drilling but I understand what Obama is doing and why. I recognized right from the moment I decided to support him that he was not perfect on the environment but he's a lot better than the alternative and in general pretty good besides.

[krawhitham]

46. Pelosi gave him the freedom to agree to it

when she promised it would never even be voted on

This will help him with dumb shits that think offshore drilling will bring down gas prices immediately

[uponit7771]

48. After FISA I don't trust Pelosi...why did whe let that bill get brought up in the first place...

[NorthCarolina]

58. Link please

or is this just your assumption?

[uponit7771]

47. THE OP TITLE IS DECEPTIVE WITHOUT OBAMA'S CAVEATS !!

The balls-less dems in congress CONTINUALLY let kkkons filibuster bills etc for alternative energy so he's saying to get those bills passed let them do some LIMITED drilling off shore. He's not taking an alternative position on the matter but is being pragmatic to get the alternative energy initiatives passed.

I don't know what he means by 'limited' yet but we'll see in near future

[Baclava]

50. Holy shit! This is the last thing I ever thought he'd say

Purty soon he'll be sittin' in a rocking chair in alabamie, sippin' whiskey and spittin' tobaccky talkin' bout goin' out and lynchin' him some hippie tree huggers...

ayep


Fold under pressure much?


I know it's just a single issue, but nobody fucks with my beaches.

[vaberella]

51. There's nothing for me to say to this. I don't support it. It's a ridiculous idea.

I'm surprised Obama is even considering this, since even the American people are not keen on this idea. He even said himself on many occasions and just last week while in Missouri that he doesn't support Off-shore Oil drilling and listed his reasons why. He went as far as to say that if he thought it would benefit us in the short run, sure, however it's proving to only benefit in the long run and actually the people who will benefit are the Big time Oil Corps like Exxon mobile.

I'm not happy with this bull shit and I really think that some thing needs to be done. First Dems were completely against oil drilling, now it's one dem after another after another who are caving in to Repub maddness. I wish the independent party was strong enough to make their own moves because at this point I'm becoming more and more weary of either party. My mum always said that Dems were repubs in sheeps clothing and with the caving in of so many Dems on so many issues that hurt or could hurt the American people I'm worried.

[AngryAmish]

53. At least he is consistent

[Sancho]

55. I think it will cost Obama Florida if he supports drilling...

there are enough green party people to swing a close election. I'm very disappointed...

:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

[nc4bo]

56. I'm totally confused with the offshore drilling issue. help.

Someone help me get a handle on this. I've got questions and can't sort out the answers.

Where has Obama said he was against all offshore drilling?

Isn't he against new leases for offshore drilling? He supports development on existing leases (http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy /) or expanding development on previous leases. He also said he was opposed to offshore drilling because it all it does is focus on increasing oil supplies rather than reducing demand.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE0DB143FF930A15754C0A9609C8B63

Just throwing this in there for those intelligent enough to decipher (I'm not gifted that way lol)

http://www.mms.gov/offshore/


He is not against offshore drilling. He wants the oil companies to drill on the 68 million leased acres they already possess, some of these are are located offshore (unless of course he doesn't know about this already).

Why grant Big Oil any new offshore leases when they haven't developed the ones they have? Why allow Big Oil to gobble up all potential oil fields without the government first doing all it can to reduce our consumption of oil by making our country more efficient (is our government actually doing anything about this at all) and raising gas efficiency for automobiles (which our government has neglected to do) and without developing those previous leases?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/26/AR2006072601820.html

(HR 6251: Oil Production Leases (The Rahill Bill) - by the way, the bill died.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-6251
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:hr6251:

http://www.governing.com/news/0807cqoil.htm (has some info on how our Blue Dog Dems feel about the issue).

Like I said, I think I'm missing something and the M$M and Rethugs (even the Dems) are making it harder for me to understand the finer nuances of the truth vs. the lie.

[Baclava]

63. The eastern Gulf of Mexico sites are pretty much all natural gas - no oil is even there

they have no business drilling there - at all.

[Ed76638]

59. Washington puts aside partisanship.......

To fuck us over yet again. Yea congress...

[SOS]

64. Overlooked in this debate

is that the OCS drilling ban was an executive order issued by George H.W. Bush in 1990.
The response should be simple:

"I fully support President Bush's ban on OCS drilling."