Obama's Brave Decison to Drill Offshore

[NJmaverick]

In an act of vision and courage, given the hostage the nation has become to the oil industry, oil interests, and the likes of OPEC, the Obama administration is proposing opening vast expanses along the Atlantic coastline, the Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling.

This is a momentous moment and brings to mind the leadership of another time and another president. In the depth of the depression, President Roosevelt, with courage and imagination, sought different solutions to confront the crippling economic conditions that had descended on the nation. He petitioned Congress to mandate the creation of "a corporation clothed with the power of government but possessed of the flexibility and initiative of private enterprise". In May 1933 Congress passed the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) Act to revitalize the economically stricken Tennessee Valley in areas of power generation, river navigation, flood control, reforestation and erosion control. It became outstandingly successful in each category.

During the war years the TVA set upon perhaps the largest hydroelectric construction program ever undertaken in the United States, building 12 major hydroelectric plants to provide power to critical war industries. To this day the TVA has an aggressive clean air program and in this and many other areas as well, has set a standard for public responsibility against which private companies can be measured.

Given the massive rise in oil prices over the last decade and the distortions we have experienced in the oil markets, we as a nation have lost virtually all vestige of trust in the oil industry to develop our resources on federal lands or at sea in a way that benefits all Americans. As presently constituted, the oil-concession system is an abomination that has benefited virtually no one but the oil companies at great expense to the nation as a whole.

MORE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raymond-j-learsy/obamas-brave-deciison-to_b_519836.html

[marshall]

1. Drill, baby, drill?

Where have I heard that?

[NJmaverick]

2. A complex problem and solution boiled down to just 3 small words

now how could that possibly fail?

[CakeGrrl]

7. Obama = Palin now, don'tcha know?

I guess little snappy catchphrases are easier to deal with for some.

He couldn't POSSIBLY have put any more thought into this decision than Sweet Sarah, right?

:eyes:

[madinmaryland]

3. I don't know if I would define it as a brave decision.

One maybe based on the reality of the situation. What I think he did is make a decision to take a certain issue away from the republicans. As such, there will probably be nothing happening in regards to oil exploration in his first term. If they begin exploration as early as 2012/3, we will be lucky to see any oil from this until 2020.

[NJmaverick]

5. It takes courage to do what you believe to be right

even if it means weather attacks from one's own base. Like you said MIM he did what he needed to do based on the situation. I think that many people fail to appreciate that not every American believes in climate change or loves the environment as much as they do. However energy independence (which is a happy by product of fighting pollution and climate change) is something every American supports. However if you block any and all drilling you can't sell the plan's energy independence aspect. I know, I have debated many a right winger over these issues and the first thing they point to is the lack of drilling.

To go back to the chess analogy you sometimes have to give up a pawn to get the king. In this case he gives up some drilling to get comprehensive climate change measures and pollution reduction in place.

[kjackson227]

4. Who better than President Obama to oversee offshore drilling...

I believe he will do it responsibly/safely, and will constantly and closely monitor the situation to help avoid problems. Personally, I don't like our heavy dependence on Middle East oil. Our dependence puts way too much power in the Middle Easterners hands. Hopefully, something can be done about these speculators also.

[NJmaverick]

6. He will certainly watch them closer than the two oilmen that were in the White House before him

[TheKentuckian]

8. What courage?

Rolling over for the morons and the oil barons?

He isn't going to nationalize the oil and if he did OPEC would hammer us into oblivion and no one other than morons and oil men are making any case at all that opening up more leases will gain us in real measure of energy independence or reduce cost at the pump...ever. As long as we rely on oil we will be buying foreign oil and we will always be paying more for it.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. clueless: it was done to buy votes for other good legislation.

Another trade off by the Obama admin to get things done. I am learning from them how to be effective in an adversarial situation.

[TheKentuckian]

10. What votes? Does he have Republiscum co-signers?

He is accomplishing by capitulation. You can always "get stuff done" when you elect to lube up and plant a white flag up your ass.

[Warren Stupidity]

11. It ain't just the TeaPugnicants, it is our own party as well.

he has to buy our party's votes too. Remember? It was just two weeks ago. Think.

[TheKentuckian]

12. He does not. He could label them as obstructionist, throw em under the bus, and

call for the people to send him better material just like FDR did but instead he is capitulating to conservatives (and therefore Republicans), regardless of party.

[Cleobulus]

13. The only problem with this guy's argument is even if we drilled everywhere offshore possible...

it wouldn't make a dent in our supplies of oil that we consume everyday.

This should be viewed as a political move to garner votes for environmental and renewable energy legislation, NOT as a practical way to attain energy independence.

The best estimates on the effect of offshore oil drilling on the price of gas in this country is that it may drop the price of gas, in 2020 and beyond, by maybe 5 cents.