Offshore drilling next....Democrats signal capitulation.

[madfloridian]

Now is the time for those of us who oppose doing more offshore drilling to get on our battle armor. I had hoped the party would stand up and say enough is enough...we really can't depend on drilling anymore.

Doesn't look that way. Coming on the heels of the FISA bill..kind of painful. I guess we will again be open to labels of "purists" and "idealists" who don't live in the real world.

Democrats signal they could be open to compromise on offshore drilling

Democratic leaders showed varying degrees of interest Wednesday in opening up new areas for oil production, as public opinion veers in favor of drilling. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters that expanded offshore drilling, which the Republicans have long supported, is not off the table. He said he opposes giving the states the right to choose whether to drill off their coasts, but also said Democrats are “taking a look at that.”

I’m not knee-jerk-opposed to anything,” Reid said. “We’re willing to work; we haven’t shut our minds to anything.”

Yes, Harry Reid, we realize you are very careful about those knee-jerk oppositions.

His Republican counterpart, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), said Wednesday that there was an “increasing possibility that we may be able to accomplish something.” He signaled a willingness to consider ways to boost energy production from renewable sources, such as wind, solar and biomass. But he warned that adding too much into one bill could make a compromise measure unwieldy. “Small mouthfuls have a better chance around here,” McConnell said.

In the House, Democratic leaders have shown no interest in opening up coastal waters or the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. That was reiterated at a meeting of leaders and committee chairmen Wednesday afternoon, and “there was no dissension,” an aide said. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is considering encouraging production in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to the Democrats’ array of energy proposals.

The NPR-A, as it is called, is on the North Slope of Alaska, west of ANWR. It is already open to leasing for oil exploration. Democrats are considering ways to speed up the permitting process in order to “sweeten the pot,” an aide said.

Dick Durbin is open to opening up new areas as well. He said on "Wednesday that he wants to “limit offshore drilling if there is any environmental impact.” He added that there are more than 30 million acres leased by oil companies that they should use to explore. “They ought to lose their leases if they aren’t going to use it."...However, he also stated, “Beyond that, if there is a suggestion of some new area to go into, I’ll look at it.”

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. I suggest that anyone interested in this topic read my signature line

and the short article it links to.

[madfloridian]

2. Offshore drilling may be in U.S. energy bill

Offshore drilling may be in U.S. energy bill

Corker said whatever legislation comes out of the bipartisan group, it will likely include language expanding offshore oil drilling, developing onshore oil shale, promoting plug-in hybrid vehicles and giving the Commodity Futures Trading Commission the tools it needs to better monitor energy futures markets.

But boosting oil production is what Republicans want the most.

"You know, clearly, any bill to have any credibility would have to deal, at least in part, with the supply issue," said McConnell. McConnell acknowledged that Democrats and Republicans have had a "tough time" agreeing to expanding domestic oil production.

"But I think the American people are now demanding it," he said.

Over Congress' Independence Day holiday recess, lawmakers heard from their constituents how fed up they are with record gasoline prices and the impact both soaring fuel and food costs are having on family budgets. As a result, McConnell said more Democrats are now willing to support expanding domestic drilling.

This is another issue we can choose to cave in on, or we can choose to try and educate those who are ill-informed and believe more drilling will lower the cost of fuel.

Looks like we made our choice.

[World Citizen]

3. "30 million acres leased by oil companies"

Why did they lease this land and then not bother with it?

Is it possible that this is insignificant? OR Is it at the heart of a further scandal?

[alfredo]

13. They're waiting for the price of a barrel oil to go even higher. They export

much of that oil anyway.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/25518912

As Oil Firms Seek Drilling Access, Exports Set Record
TOPICS:Politics & Government | Environment | Alternative Energy | Energy | Commodities
By Reuters | 03 Jul 2008 | 03:23 PM ET
While the U.S. oil industry wants access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, U.S.-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries.
A record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007. Shipments this February topped 1.8 million barrels a day for the first time during any month, according to final numbers from the Energy Department.
The surge in exports appears to contradict the pleas from the U.S. oil industry and the Bush administration for Congress to open more offshore waters and Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.
"We can help alleviate shortages by drilling for oil and gas in our own country," President Bush told reporters this week. "We have got the opportunity to find more crude oil here at home."

[That Is Quite Enough]

4. Fuck that shit.

I'm gonna save the rest of my obscenities aimed at the "DHDNPL" crowd and Congress because they don't serve much of a purpose.

[madfloridian]

5. What is...

DHDNPL? Fraid to ask.

:hi:

[dysfunctional press]

6. same here...what is dhdnpl..?

[madfloridian]

8. I did a search...Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less...I betcha.

http://www.groupnewsblog.net/2008/06/drill-here-drill-now-pay-less-more.html

[That Is Quite Enough]

15. Madfloridian got it right - "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

Sorry for the confusion.

[alfredo]

7. Send this CNBC article to your representatives and tell them we know

the truth.


http://www.cnbc.com/id/25518912

[madfloridian]

16. Interesting indeed

"While the U.S. oil industry wants access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, U.S.-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries."

But they will get their offshore drilling because our party will not speak out against it.

[alfredo]

19. Put pressure on them. Write letters to the editor.

[nam78_two]

9. That would suck mightily -hope it doesn't happen.nt

[file83]

10. Nanci PeLOUSY is a piece of shit.

What a fine leader she's turning out to be.

[Historic NY]

11. Once again the Dems are made to look hopeless by the Repukes.

[Muttocracy]

12. is there one of them leading this? I've seen many different quotes

these, and one from Hoyer earlier today on DU.

Compared to those, I preferred Biden's take on it, which he made against Lindsey Graham on MTP a few weeks ago - basically, the whining about needing new sites is nonsense because they're not using what they already have leases for anyway. New drilling anywhere is not going to help gas prices any time soon, if at all. And the most important thing is reducing oil demand.

But I'm wondering if his press release along those lines came out today along with all these others in a plan to have many Dem statements in the press at once? :shrug:

http://biden.senate.gov/press/press_releases/release/?id=e20b32d9-d252-4e61-ba4a-bad79f2a76fe

[LVjinx]

14. They couldn't even protect the Constitution, but we expect them to protect the shoreline?

I don't see it happening.

[blues90]

17. This is something that is insane , these freaks have wanted this

for many years now , they have been talking about drilling holes all over the US and have been stopped so far . Now they seem to have gotten their way.

To me it all sounds like part of a long term plan they have always had.

People seem to think that drilling will somehow save their ass but it won't. All this does is open the door for more disaster such as the last oil spill in the bay area one that seems to have vanished from the radar.

It has been many years since they sued Exon for their spill and now they are offered half and wht does this fix . You can't put the ruined environment back the way it was.

It is against all the hopes of slowing let alone stopping global warming and the environment just so they can lie and tell people some sort of help is on the way.

Anyone who is for this let it be on your head when you can't breath anymore or your town has multiple rigs boring into the earth and one of their pipes bursts or tankers sink while you drive at the sacrific of everything else.

When it comes to hope and oil there are no limits to the insanity.

[depakid]

18. As far as I can tell, there isn't a single issue the so called "leadership" won't sell out

to the far right. Not one.

[madfloridian]

23. It is getting worrisome.

.

[bdamomma]

20. oh crap, these thugs want to destroy the oceans now.

[PVnRT]

21. At what point does this become an "opposition" party?

The "opposition" is in short supply these days.

[madfloridian]

22. I wonder that also.

:shrug: