Charlie Crist endorses McCain's oil drilling plan off Florida (He opposed it last week.)

[seafan]

This is a very good example of what ticked off so many Floridians when Crist ran against Jim Davis in 2006. Davis had his ducks in a row on the issues, but good-time Charlie just drifted in and out like a cork bobbing on the tide, propped up by the GOP money machine.


This is why we have seen NOTHING DONE about our skyrocketing property insurance and property taxes, and our dead-last in the country high school graduation rates. It makes me want to pull my hair out.


This story of Crist's groveling at McCain's feet, by selling out our state one more time to the rapacious oil industry, makes me think that good-time Charlie is NOT going to get the VP nod.


This airhead as VP? Give us a break. But if it ain't Charlie, I don't want to think about who it might be.






Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist, Mel Martinez



Crist Angles For VP Slot: Endorses McCain’s Plan For Florida Oil Drilling Despite Opposing It Last Week

Think Progress
June 17, 2008

Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) proposed lifting the federal ban on offshore oil drilling in Florida. “There are areas off our coasts that should be open to exploration and exploitation, and I hope we can take the first step by lifting the moratoria,” he said, a stark departure from his previous support of the ban.

As the Energy Information Administration noted, lifting the offshore drilling moratorium would have only a minor impact on production and prices. But some Florida conservatives are jumping on the McCain plan anyway. Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) — widely considered a possible McCain running mate — as late as last week opposed the drilling. Today, he flip-flopped and announced he supports McCain:

Crist, last week:

Q: Gov. are you dropping your opposition to drilling for oil off of Florida’s coast?
CRIST: I am not. … No. 1, I don’t like it.

Crist today:

I think that not having that blanket moratorium, and letting state’s rights be recognized, if you will, is certainly appropriate.

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) who was once “joined at the hip” with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) in opposing offshore oil drilling, also linked up with McCain today:

I think it’s about providing enough resources where the states want to do it . … The governor seems to have agreed with him (on drilling) and I kind of agree with him so maybe things are changing in that regard.

Florida politicians of both parties “have worked to keep the drilling ban in force along Florida shores for more than 25 years,” the Miami Herald observed today. Many fear “it would harm the state’s beaches that are so vital to its tourism.” Former Governor Jeb Bush (R) has also pushed hard for the ban on drilling.

MSNBC noted today, “No Republicans in Florida have gotten elected statewide without endorsing the moratorium on off-shore oil drilling…if Crist tries to rationalize the McCain decision then we’ll really find out just how much he wants on the ticket.”

Here's more of what our flip-flopping Governor Crist said last week:


Crist opposed drilling in gulf last week

Posted by Jennifer Liberto at 4:43:17 PM on June 17, 2008

At the media availability before Cabinet last week, Gov. Charlie Crist was holding strong against drilling in the gulf. Gov. are you dropping your opposition to drilling for oil off of Florida's coast?

"I am not," he replied.

See below for more about Crist's thoughts on energy and drilling from last Tuesday.

Question: There's also talk of drilling off Florida's coast.

Crist: Who's talking about that?

Question: What do you think about it?

Crist: "No. 1, I don't like it. But nor do I like the price of gas. I don't think the people of Florida are enjoying it, I know they don't. I know they're very frustrated. And I think that...Several thoughts. no. 1 We have a short-term (drought?), I hope, as it relates to the price of fuel. And it's a challenge for our economy. and it ripples through the entire economy. It relates to the price of food, and trucking and other transportation issues and the airline issues. The reality is that we need to find ways to be more energy independent..... It's one of the reasons I think (ethanol) production is so important..." (starts talking about trade mission to Brazil and developing alternative fuels.....)"

"I think the more we move forward, the more clear it is that North America is a place where there's a lot of oil. Whether it's in Montana, or North Dakota or Alaska, or other places, I think people need more help in order to reduce the costs. That's step one. No. 2, I think the development of alternative fuels is going to be increasingly important. It's a finite commodity. I know there's a lot of it. But ultimately being diversified in our energy resources only makes our country stronger."

Republicans are criminally insane.

[Colobo]

1. At first I liked Crist, but it seems like the guy lacks a spine.

[iamjoy]

2. OK - This Makes Me Pissed

:mad:

Besides, in a recently released report on America's Top 10 Beaches, Florida had three on the list (1,3,9). Curiously, Texas had none. Do you think that's a coincidence?

Way to screw the people of Florida, Charlie.

[Olney Blue]

3. To drill or not to drill- that is the flip flop.

[thewiseguy]

4. Good news for us

[Kermitt Gribble]

5. How is this good news for anyone? n/t

[jefferson_dem]

6. I really shouldn't say this and I apologize if I offend anyone but...

In the pic, Charlie-boy looks to be enjoying that "middle position" just a wee bit too much.

Is he...married?

[ram2008]

9. no he's not

I was thinking the same thing but didn't want to say anything hehe.

[Youphemism]

7. He's already made it clear he'll say anything to be VP...

I was more disgusted by him playing the concerned American, deliberately trying to whip the democrats into a frenzy over the Florida Primary issue.

I don't often get the urge to just slap someone across the face, but when he was pleading on behalf of Florida voters, I was thinking of how satisfying that would be -- right in mid-sentence, to cut him off. "Shut up!" <whap!>

Yeah. That would have been nice.

If he *does* get the VP nod, McCain will never have to worry about having a dirty sphincter.

[Shakespeare]

8. Cool. We're watching him commit political suicide.

Because even the republicans in Florida flip out when you start talking about allowing drilling. I used to live in Pensacola--it's the only time in my life I've seen that particularly vicious breed of panhandle republican take the same position I had.

[seafan]

10. Bush, today: "Now that the Democrats' opposition helped drive gas prices to record levels, ...."

"I know the Democratic leaders have opposed some of these policies in the past. Now that their opposition has helped drive gas prices to record levels, I ask them to reconsider their positions."---George W. Bush, June 18, 2008

Florida and the wrong reasons for drilling

By Howard Troxler
June 18, 2008

.....

My column will argue that our short-term anger over retail gasoline prices, and the political promise of "independence," are not good reasons by themselves for Florida to drop its opposition. Mostly, they are short-term political justifications. Specifically:

* It would take many years for production to come on-line, so we're not talking about any short-term relief in the global forces that are driving prices (scant reserve production capacity, high worldwide demand, and market factors). A change in U.S. policy might have some indirect or psychological shorter-term effect on markets, but it will be a long time before actual production had an effect -- if it did then.

* "Independence" is mostly a political slogan not much connected to reality. Even the oil industry prefers to use the term "interdependence," arguing that there would be incremental benefits to increased domestic production. It would make our energy supply more stable. It would improve the balance of trade. It would help the U.S. economy, and presumably the Florida economy as well, through royalty payments and direct employment.

But it would not make us "independent," and simply squandering what we've got because we want cheap gas is a long-term losing strategy. To put this "independence" rhetoric in perspective:

Today, the U.S. uses roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day, and imports about 60 percent of it that.

The estimated U.S. offshore reserves are 86 billion barrels. Do the math, and assume every single best case (we cut the red tape, we find all of it, we pump all of it, everything works perfectly) and this is enough to run the U.S. for about 11 years of "independence" at the current pace.

Now, if during the time we were sucking ourselves dry, we also were magically inventing true solar power and cars that ran on water, giving up our 4,000 square-foot homes and changing the nature of American life dramatically, this would be a useful breathing space. More likely we would just keeping burning it up until we ran out, exhausting and surrendering our strategic position forever, and ending up more at the mercy of the world market than ever.

.....

Howard says he will have a major column tomorrow.




Bush is lying again, trying to blame Democrats for his criminal failures and he still walks free.


This is sheer madness, how this charlatan and his buddies have abused our country and and continue to hold all of us hostage to their ravenous greed.


McCain is a worthless distraction. Charlie Crist just threw in his lot with McCain. So did Mel Martinez.


Demons. Every last one of them.




Floridians are FURIOUS.

[last1standing]

11. Vice-presidential nominee Charlie Christ.

You heard it here first, or second, or whatever....but at least I said it.

It makes sense that McCain supports a policy that is bound to cost him Florida if he then chooses the popular governor from that state who can make those votes back up. This way he comes out with a boost in FL while pandering to all the people in other states who want cheaper gas. Not a bad move, really, since FL is the only offshore drilling state that could be in play this election. California is going Dem while Texas will vote repub, regardless so this works in McCain's advantage.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

12. David Lee Roth is your governor?

[Hieronymus]

13. Sounds like Crist is brown nosing to be VP.