Environmental Activists: Obama drill plan is betrayal.."all so the oil industry can make a.. profit"

[Bluebear]

President Barack Obama on Wednesday wrapped himself in green themes and even imagery — including a fighter jet that uses a plant-based fuel — but that wasn't enough to convince any environmental groups that his plans for offshore drilling were a fair compromise on the path to a clean energy future.

While Republicans criticized the proposed new leases in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic as limited, environmental activists were as vigorously opposed — but for reasons having to do with oil spills and carbon emissions tied to climate change.

For many activists, the sense was one of betrayal.

"Today’s announcement is unfortunately all too typical of what we have seen so far from President Obama — promises of change, a year of ‘deliberation,’ and ultimately, adoption of flawed and outdated Bush policies as his own," said Brendan Cummings, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity, which has made a name for itself by filing endangered species lawsuits.

"Drilling our coasts will do nothing to lower gas prices or create energy independence," added Michael Brune, who recently took over as director of the Sierra Club. "It will only jeopardize beaches, marine life, and coastal tourist economies, all so the oil industry can make a short-term profit."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36115922/ns/us_news-environment/

[Bluebear]

1. 'a fighter jet that uses a plant-based fuel'

:eyes:

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Don't scuff

there are good valid national security reasons, and that will put a downwards pressure on prices and increase research.

That is the LONG view of that fighter.

The military, and not to make a profit mind you, is actually leading the way in energy security. Oy here I am defending them. But their research WILL go into the civilian sector sooner or later.

[Bluebear]

22. I hear you.

It's just that the first justification for anything this country does anymore concerns weaponry.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. That's where we do our advanced research anymore

and drives me into a whole view of why the empire is not sustainable, or this economic way of doing things.

But that fighter is actually good news... for the same reason the ATLAS project and the Apollo Project were good news

[tekisui]

2. knr.

[earth mom]

3. Don't say that some of us didn't warn you all during the primaries. This is why I wanted Gore '08.

:argh:

[Nikki Stone1]

4. Well, to be fair, he did change his position on this issue after the primary

Obama, June 2008 (Primary mode):

“When I’m president, I intend to keep in place the moratorium here in Florida and around the country that prevents oil companies from drilling off Florida’s coasts,” Obama told reporters in Jacksonville in late June. “That’s how we can protect our coastline and still make the investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and bring down gas prices for good.”

Even as recently as Thursday, Obama refused to cede any ground, calling McCain’s proposal “a strategy designed to get politicians through an election.”

“It's not going to provide short-term relief or medium-term relief or in fact long-term relief. It won't drop prices in this administration or in the next administration or in the administration after that,” Obama said while campaigning in Iowa.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/01/obama-shifts-on-oil-drilling/?fbid=6mxK1ILNtr4




Obama, August 2008 (Post Primary: right before the Convention)


"Barack Obama said Friday that he would be willing to compromise on his position against offshore oil drilling if it were part of a more overarching strategy to lower energy costs."

“My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama told The Palm Beach Post early into a two-day swing through Florida.

"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," Obama said.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/01/obama-shifts-on-oil-drilling/?fbid=6mxK1ILNtr4

[Baclava]

5. Kerry is on-board with it

Kerry open to Obama drilling plan

Sen. John Kerry, who is leading the effort to craft a climate bill in the Senate, said Wednesday that he would consider supporting President Barack Obama's decision to expand offshore oil and gas drilling.

Kerry's (D-Mass.) spokesperson Whitney Smith said that the move could help him attract the 60 votes necessary to move climate legislation through the Senate.

“In the difficult work of putting together a 60 vote coalition to price carbon, Senator Kerry has put aside his own long-time policy objections and been willing to explore potential energy sources off our coasts as part of a suite of alternative solutions," Smith said in a statement supplied to The Plum Line. "He and his colleagues are committed to find acceptable compromises on onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration."

Kerry has been working with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to craft a climate bill that could get enough support to overcome a GOP filibuster while not alienating liberals and environmental groups.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...-drilling-plan

----------------

the plot thickens

[NCarolinawoman]

29. Is Kerry okay with oil exploration off the coast of Massachusetts?

Just wondering....

[QC]

6. Obviously these people do not appreciate fine googledimensional intergalactic chess. n/t

[bigwillq]

7. K and R (nt)

[BlooInBloo]

8. hahahaha! What betrayal? He said he was open to this almost 2 years ago.

[flyarm]

10. not when he was in Florida campaigning and speaking..they just played his tapes on our Gulf Coast TV

he changed slightly after the convention...but never said he would allow drilling off our coasts.

He said just the opposite while in my state of Florida when he was here campaigning..They just showed all his tapes here on Tampa TV news.

Palin said drill baby drill..they showed that as well..matched up to what Obama said and campaigned for!

They just showed him here on the Gulf Coast of Fla on TV news as a total liar!


I live on the Gulf..I just can't wait to gaze out at the horizon at sunset and see a Oil drilling platform..

wow that just will do wonders for property values and tourism!!

And it SHITS on every democratic party platform and principle and value I have ever had.

[CBR]

11. Then they are being disingenuous. Par for the course for the media...

he clearly stated he was open to offshore drilling in August 2008 after reviewing a bipartisan congressional proposal, after the speech in FL. He was called out on the change in position then.

[flyarm]

14. FUCK THAT..THEY JUST SHOWED ALL THE TAPES OF WHAT HE SAID!

then followed it up with interviews of the South Coast Sierra club saying basically what a liar he was and is..and how he betrayed the environmentalists ...

now add to that the Teacher Union busting his administrators are doing..wow..a sure win for him in Florida..NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He can kiss Florida good bye!

[CBR]

17. August 4, 2008...

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/08/04/obama-shows-new-openness-to-offshore-oil-drilling.html

[flyarm]

18. He did not say that when he campaigned in Florida! But he did say this:

Obama, 2008: "This is a proposal that would only worsen our addiction to oil"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8fkbEuCQss&feature=play...

"But, what wouldn't do a thing to lower gas prices is John McCain's new proposal, a proposal adopted by George Bush as well, is top open up Florida's coastline to offshore drilling...It would have long term consequences for our coastlines, but no short term benefits, since it would take at least ten years to get any oil. Well the politics may have changed, but the facts haven't...Offshore drilling would not lower gas prices today. It would not lower gas prices tomorrow, it would not lower gas prices this year, it would not lower gas prices five years from now...

...Believe me, if I thought there was any evidence at all that drilling could save people money who are struggling to fill up their gas tanks by the summer or by this year or even the next few years, I would consider it. But it won't...

...This is a proposal that would only worsen our addiction to oil and put off needed investments in clean, renewable energy. It's not the kind of change that the American people are looking for."



This was a tape they showed on our news tonight..one of many ..and they compared it to tapes of McCain and Palin..it showed Obama Lying when he spoke in Florida!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thank you to Niki Stone for this clip!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh and to top all this off..today the South Coast Sierra club and the Dem party folks here in ST PETE protesting Newt Gingrich at the Vinoy Hotel ..Newt was here promoting off shore Oil drilling..the dems were blind sided ..and the reporters were all there and our dems and environment people were pissed off big time..this is exploding here!! And it is not pretty.

Newt and Obama on the same side..of oil drilling..who would have thought Obama would morph into Newt?????????

Well ..I warned of this..so ........

Oh and I run an democratic internet huge group in Florida..and I have gotten so many pissed off emails today..calling Obama a liar and a betrayer!

This is a huge hot button subject here in SW Florida...and dems and the environment activists do not like being lied to or sold out! Count on that!

[Bluebear]

26. +

[anigbrowl]

30. Epic fail

Your link: Dated June 20, 2008

BlooinBloo points out that by August 1 2008, Obama had changed his mind, and admitted that publicly.

3 months before the election.

He. Changed. His. Mind.

Perhaps you weren't paying attention at the time, or perhaps you were deliberately not following the campaign if you were upset with the primary results. But the FACT is that Obama has been on Record since at least 2008 as being open to offshore drilling, and anyone who paid attention knew that before the election.

Seems like you are just unable to admit it.

[Bluebear]

33. 'if you were upset with the primary results.' Yes, that's always the answer, isn't it?

[anigbrowl]

34. No, it's one possibility among several.

I don't know why the other poster is unaware that Obama changed his position during the campaign, but a number of remarks by that poster referred to unhappiness with the way the primary was conducted. So it occurred to me that that person may have turned away from political news a bit afterwards and been unaware of Obama's change of position.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Wow. You guys really never learn. Here's Candidate Obama, 8/1/08, Florida...

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/01/obama-shifts-on-oil-drilling/?fbid=0jgVlh3Seuq

""ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) – Barack Obama said Friday that he would be willing to compromise on his position against offshore oil drilling if it were part of a more overarching strategy to lower energy costs.

“My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama told The Palm Beach Post early into a two-day swing through Florida.

"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," Obama said."

[Lord Helmet]

12. dude -- you're stepping on their fauxrage with those facts

[BlooInBloo]

16. It's funner than you might think...

For short periods of time, at least.

[Bluebear]

20. Environment is "faux" outage to you? What a tool.

[Lord Helmet]

21. Tool says "Help! I'm being betrayed!" nt

[Bluebear]

23. Tell the Sierra Club they have "fauxrage". Which PS sounds really, really dumb.

[Lord Helmet]

27. Oppose the policy but stop BS'ing about being betrayed. nt

[Bluebear]

28. Grow some principles & come back when you're over your cute "fauxrage" throwaway lines. /ignore

Fool.

[Lord Helmet]

31. Oh, the drama. LOL. nt

[Bluebear]

32. ignored meant ignored. adios

:hi:

[taterguy]

9. I never heard Obama say on the campaign trail that people drive too much

So why is anyone surprised about this?

OTOH, at least he's making some changes, like having the DOT make projects for pedestrians and cyclists a priority:

http://www.masstransitmag.com/web/online/Top-Transit-News/DOT-Puts-Bike--Pedestrian-Projects-on-Par-with-Roads--Transit/3$10991

[G_j]

13. OK, environmentalists!

get under that bus!

[Bluebear]

25. Environmentalists run over by a gas-powered bus.

The humanity :)

[amborin]

35. K&R

[amborin]

36. what's the worst aspect of Obama's betrayal?

"It's hard to name the most distressing part of Obama's decision to open up off-shore drilling for gas and oil along the Atlantic coast.

Is it his willingness to bargain away the environment to placate oil companies opposed to the climate change bill?

Is it his betrayal of an oft-stated campaign stance? Or is it his diminishing the real issue, backed by real science, by equating corporate interests with environmentalists, conjuring up two petty politicos fighting "the same old battles"? "

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