Drill, Barack, drill: Obama to open up US East Coast for oil exploration

[IndianaGreen]

Drill, Barack, drill: Obama to open up US East Coast for oil exploration

Environmentalists outraged, but White House hopes decision will help get climate change bill through Senate

By David Usborne, US Editor

Thursday, 1 April 2010

Barack Obama earned the instant anger of environmentalists and many of his core liberal supporters yesterday by declaring his intention to open vast areas of off-shore waters for future drilling for oil and gas, reversing decades-old policies of leaving the waves to fish, gulls and holidaymakers.

The highly controversial plan, unveiled at Andrews Air Force Base, could, over time, give multinational energy companies access to the seabed along much of the eastern seaboard from Delaware all the way south to Florida, in eastern areas of the Gulf of Mexico and off the North Slope of Alaska.

While the President often derided Republicans during the 2008 campaign, including Sarah Palin, for holding out offshore drilling as an answer to escalating petrol prices with their rallying cry "Drill, baby, drill", he has been dropping hints for months of his intention to shift position.

The White House is hoping it may help garner Republican support in the push to get a climate change bill through the US Senate. His aides pitched the change as just one part of a wider effort to reduce US dependence on foreign oil. "This is about giving energy security the American people," press secretary Robert Gibbs said, pointing out that the US is currently about 60 per cent dependent on foreign oil. Mr Obama, he was swift to add, is equally supporting solar and wind options and the construction of new nuclear electricity plants.

The impact would be seen first in a swathe of ocean territory off the coast of Virginia where leases will be put up for sale to energy companies within two years. No new drilling has been permitted in US Atlantic waters for two decades. Meanwhile, government geologists will begin assessing the viability of exploration in other areas along the eastern seaboard.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/drill-barack-drill-obama-to-open-up-us-east-coast-for-oil-exploration-1932758.html

As he did with HCR, Obama is appeasing the industry in order to get the mythical 60 votes in the Senate. Can we all say BOHICA?

[BrklynLiberal]

1. WHY??? He won't get the votes anyway....and on Rachel tonight

Chris Hayes said this could have been done thru reconciliation since it has a lot of budget points in it.

The point of negotiating is to get something in return for what you give. I see no gains for us. Nothing was even asked for.

[ShortnFiery]

3. Why? Obscene corporate profits by speculating and increased Oil Prices through 2020,

Follow the BIG Money and you will, most often, get to the heart of each legislative matter.

[Duer 157099]

5. When Chris was talking, I kept hoping he'd bring up

the notion that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Excellent point...

[MindandSoul]

2. Did you notice where he proposes to authorize off-shore drilling???

Did you look at the map of the proposed "authorized drilling sites???"

Did you notice something interesting???

The "proposed authorized areas for drilling are ALL ALONG RED STATES!"
The blue states (California, North Eastern States, West of Alaska) have NO authorized drilling sites!

This is another amazingly intelligent and fair move from our President!

The mostly "Red States" have a majority of voters who support the "drill, baby, drill" propaganda of Palin and Co (all Republicans).

The "Blue States" have a majority of voters who are fiercely against drilling. . .and they won't have to!

So, although Obama, as usual, will suffer an assault of criticism on both sides. . .he actually RESPECTED the majority of people in both sides of this arguments!

California and the West Coast will NOT see oil drilling (not even Western Alaska!)
The North East will NOT see oil drilling!

But. . .the LOWER EAST COAST and the GULF COAST, and the SOUTH. . .whose State government has been ASKING for oil drilling will get it!!!. . .I'm sure they'll still complain. . .but really, what do they have to complain about???

And even Alaska. . .the "touristic part" (Western Alaska coast) where all the crew ships travel. . .will not have oil drilling. . .but the North East part. . .where "real Alaskan" who supported Palin and who vote Republicans live and work. . .they'll get their wish of oil drilling fulfilled!

Now. . .I don't like oil drilling. . .BUT. . .I don't think King Salomon could have done it any better!!!

[sam sarrha]

4. will take 10 years to get started

[ShortnFiery]

6. My Virginia and North Carolina voted for President Obama - they're PURPLE,

:(

[IndianaGreen]

7. Only an idiot would crap on the environment as this plan does!

Didn't we get our fill of triangulation during Big Dog's 8 years in the White House?

The last thing our planet needed was more carbon based pollution!

[Titanothere]

8. but the Blue States won't have any issue in using said oil ...

they just get to pay for it instead of being paid for it.

[flyarm]

9. ahhh wait a minute..Obama won Florida...he now just lost it !! count on that..

this has pissed off Florida dems like I have never seen..

my inbox today has been filled with over 200 emails today from dems mad as hell!

[MindandSoul]

14. Did you look at the map??? Did you notice that MOST of Florida coast is still

off limit???

In fact, it almost looks proportional to the Democratic/Republican votes in that State!

But, obviously, if you prefer to vote for a Republican who will be more than happy to open ALL of the coast to Oil drilling. . .
Go for it! Not a very mature reaction though!

[Dr.Phool]

15. Fuck you. I live two miles from the gulf. Fly lives on it.

We should suffer from a democratic president because we have republicans? The spills 100 miles off the coast still wash up on our beaches. They kill our manatees and waterfowl.

On edit: I hope Jim DeMints whole family takes over your state. Gladly, I'm moving my father out of that shithole in a couple of weeks.

[MindandSoul]

16. Nice language! You would fit just fine with the teabaggers!

And I congratulate you to be moving your father out of South Carolina! If I could. . .I would certainly be out of here!

But. . .not to Florida!
Maybe, if you want to stay in Florida, you should think of moving to the gulf coast????

Any way. . .I'm sure that you will not be the only one upset about oil drilling. . .I don't like it either!
But then again. . .I bet we both drive a car!. . .and I bet your car's gas mileage is not as good as mine!!!

I hope this explosion has relieve some of your stress??? LOL!

[MindandSoul]

17. Just went to your journal. . .very interesting. . . .

For what I read in your archives. . .If you are a true democrat. . .I am a martien!

[rpannier]

20. What's a Martien???

[flyarm]

18. I saw the map on my TV tonight 5 pm news and 11pm news and that map included a shit load of Florida

both the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic ocean in the north part of east coast Florida...to mid east coast Fla..on the local Fla news...it looked like it sandwiched my state in 3/4 of the state!

Yes i looked at a Map that all the Florida news was showing!!

I am not reading your map..and i have checked on the maps dems are passing around Fla all day on the internet..I know damn well that it encompasses a great deal of my state.

And since i look out my windows at the Gulf of mexico..I know fucking well what has been propsed by the republicans..and Obama just gave my state away to those fuckers!

I have wor,med with the Environment people for a decade here in Fla ..i don't need you telling me anything..

Maybe you ought to worry about the very huge protest tonight in ST Pete Fla that started out the day protesting Newt Gingrich here promoting Off zshore Drilling that turned very angry tonight and grew very large tonight... now protesting OBAMA by democrats and enviornment activists, progressives and liberals and even Board members of the Tourism board...and the heads of the Sierra club national and the South Coast Sierra club. The protestors tonight came from all over the state to protest Obama!

[Dr.Phool]

10. He carried Florida. And he just lost me and a lot of other votes.

I'll never vote for another Democrat again, because I'm tired of voting for Republican policies.

Small wonder. He has Rahm Emmanuel, Clinton's former political adviser, for his COS. He's trying to pull off the same triangulation bullshit...badly.

[dgibby]

13. He sure as hell lost me.

He's letting them blow the tops off the mountains in the western part of Va and now he's going to create another ecological disaster on the coast. Wonder what diabolical punishment he has planned for the center of the state. Thank gawd Va. voted for him. No telling what he'd do to us if we hadn't.:grr:

[BrklynLiberal]

12. you are right. here is the map

[rpannier]

19. Ummm...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray:

[Johnny Noshoes]

24. Oil does NOT recognize borders.

If one of those wells off the coast of a "Red State" blows - and odds are one most certainly will - the oil that comes gushing from it will not stay off the coast of said "Red State" but travel most likely north and foul and kill everything in its path. If we continue down this road "Soylent Green" will become a documentary.

[IndianaGreen]

25. Amazing what a month of an out-of-control oil gusher can do to people's opinions!

When I first posted this story in DU, there was little concern or outrage about Obama's reckless energy plan of new offshore drilling, new nuclear plants, and "clean" coal.

Amazing what a month of an out-of-control oil gusher can do to people's opinions!

[shotten99]

21. While I whole heartedly disagree with the move, it's shrewd.

He's effectively disarmed most of the GOP attacks in the upcoming campaign.

At least there will be appropriate oversight if done now. Not much of a consolation, though.

[MinM]

22. Those were the good old days.

:sarcasm:

[northernlights]

23. hey, that's what those fish and dolphins and birds get for living in red territory.

:sarcasm: