This is what President Obama said...

[babylonsister]

Thanks to DUer madmom who dug these up...

This is what he said.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/science/earth/31energy.html?hp

Mr. Obama said several times during his presidential campaign that he supported expanded offshore drilling. He noted in his State of the Union address in January that weaning the country from imported oil would require “tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development.”

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/01/obama-shifts-on-oil-drilling/?fbid=TckR0DxS2lH
Posted: August 1st, 2008 04:03 PM ET


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.

[Richardo]

1. Recommended because of facts.

:patriot:

[BlooInBloo]

2. I'm not sure why so many DUers post only his *earlier* campaign remarks...

That's a lie actually. I do know why.

[babylonsister]

14. The OP was found and posted after reading this-now you know.

First, he completely ignores that some of these positions are at odds with his campaign. He hammered McCain for suggesting some of these things. This is a pattern of his, hammer someone in the campaign for something, then include it in his "solution".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=255975&mesg_id=256100

[BlooInBloo]

15. "earlier" = "before 8/1".

[babylonsister]

19. Ha! My mind-reading skills are getting rusty!

:hi:

[BlooInBloo]

24. I could have been clearer on the first go-round. :)

:hug:

[donco6]

3. So remember everyone, if you don't agree 100% with a candidate -

I guess you can just stay home.

[ProSense]

6. Or you can vote,

but don't pretend later that it was because you supported all the candidate's position.

The fact is that a lot of people are expressing outrage at a position Obama has always held.

Want him to change, apply pressure, and don't exclude Congress. Simply screaming: "This is bullshit," "sellout" or WTF?" implies that something happened that's new and a surprise.

[Richardo]

12. +1

Excellent post :patriot:

In short: Stop acting all surprised and betrayed and offended.

[barbiegeek]

34. thank you

[donco6]

13. And remember, if you do vote, it will be thrown back in your face.

Lovely. I'm so motivated.

[ProSense]

18. Pointing out the facts is not throwing anything "back in your face." n/t

[frylock]

22. yarp..

you can't win for losing. also, don't forget that it will be our fault if the dems lose because we didn't vote for them because we listened to their campaign rhetoric and didn't like what we heard.

[donco6]

31. Exactly.

On the one hand, you *have* to vote for the guy, even though he "isn't perfect" because he's better than the walking sack of shit put up by the other side, and you can't vote for any 3rd party because that's "throwing your vote away" and it'll be your fault we lose because "that's what happened with Nader" . . . but . . .

When you DO vote for Mr. imperfect, knowing that you don't like X and Y about him, and he ends up carrying out your worst fears regarding X and Y and you complain about it, you are told "Well, you knew what you were voting for when you voted for him!"

Ugh.

[ProSense]

33. Oh please, no

one controls your vote. Do whatever you feel like doing. That doesn't change the facts.

[frylock]

37. right. but don't complain about it when i do just that..

mkay?

[progressoid]

16. Or you can volunteer and donate to his campaign, vote for him and

still criticize him and his policies. I knew his policies going in. Does that mean I should shut up about it? Should I sit on my hands and just let it go since he's doing what he promised? If so, we should have all shut up for most of the previous 8 years as well.

[ProSense]

17. " Does that mean I should shut up about it? " Wait,

who said or implied that?

[progressoid]

23. Isn't that the implication of this thread?

Basically, "Stop bitching about it because he's doing just what he said he would".

[BlooInBloo]

27. Whoa. That's all you bro.

edit: Basically, everyone here should be in agreement here:

1) We all knew this was coming, and are not shocked, surprised, or betrayed.
2) It's shitty policy.

If someone can't agree to both of these, it's *their* fail, and no-one else's.

[donco6]

32. Yes, that is the implication of this thread. n/t

[donco6]

20. +1000 n/t

[Starbucks Anarchist]

21. Of course not, but also don't act surprised if he keeps his word about something.

[frylock]

25. or doesn't keep his word about something..

robust public option blahblahblah.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

28. No, that's a case in which you should be surprised.

[frylock]

29. surpisingly, i'm not..

not anymore.

[progressoid]

26. I'm not surprised.

Some people here might be. But I think often people's outrage or disappointment or anger is confused with surprise.

[Smashcut]

38. Who's pretending that? Except for you?

The fact is, the only people who have an interest in claiming "he said it before = you can't complain about it" are people such as yourself.

[rufus dog]

4. I don't have an issue with what he said

But am concerned about what wasn't said.

Don't want to see a HCR style process on energy, hoping the admin will come out with an aggressive, comprehensive energy plan, with target dates for eliminating off shore dependence.

[HughMoran]

5. How could anybody not know this?

I clearly remember this as I disagreed with his position and made a note of it.

You can't be a Democrat and claim not to have known he was planning to do this.

[Oregone]

10. Thats how I remember it also

Same with the Afghan deal too.

Though, I give little credence to a campaign line when judging policy.

[ProSense]

11. It wasn't just Obama

Democrats have been moving toward this for a couple of years.

[Oregone]

7. Campaign promises supersede all else

Thats also why an Afghan escalation is the "right thing"

[lamp_shade]

8. 3..2..1.. for the usual pack of moaners and groaners.....

[Towlie]

9. Would this oil go exclusively to Americans at below market value or be sold at world market price?

Would this really significantly lower energy costs or would it just boost oil company profits?

[Ikonoklast]

35. Oil is a fungible commodity.

It will be sold at market price.

But, then again, when there is more of a particular commodity on the market, od demand lessens, the price falls.

[donco6]

36. And when the release of the commodity is tightly controlled -

by unscrupulous corporations or conglomerates
voila! The price moves up and down at will.

[Go2Peace]

41. This won't even make a dent. China will slurp it up.

[SoFlaJet]

30. after spending over 45 bucks this morning filling up

I was thinking about all this and when I came home I saw how he was at least (UNlike GWB) going to try and do something about lowering our gas prices.

[Go2Peace]

40. Lower gas prices. Hillarious!

Dream on, what is going to keep any oil we drill in our borders? The oil will go to China.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[jeanpalmer]

39. It was hard to keep up with his promises

In June 2008 he said "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. 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." Two months later, he was willing to drill offshore. Which was his real position? Did he have one, or more likely as we're seeing on a range of promises he has jettisoned, did he say whatever was politically expedient. Do words have any lasting meaning for him? He has singlehandedly made political campaigns completely irrelevant.

[Kind of Blue]

42. Really, that hard? You quote him in June of '08

so we know what he said. From the statement in the OP's link of Aug '08

"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."

I can understand if say you don't like this position but to say you can't keep up with this off-shore drilling position that hasn't changed since Aug '08 is bizarre.