And the Dems continue their policy of “capitulation at all costs”…
September 24th, 2008 4:04 pm by Kelly G.A 26-year ban on offshore oil drilling will be dropped as part of a year-end spending bill, said House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey.
Eliminating the ban will allow the measure, which funds government operations through March 6, to get through Congress and be signed into law by President George W. Bush, Obey said.
“At least temporarily, the moratorium is lifted,” Obey told reporters. “This next election will decide what our drilling policy is going to be.”
Ah, right. “Just elect Obama, and then we’ll reinstate the ban. Trust us.”
Because the Dems have been all about wish fulfillment and promises kept. I mean, look at how well y’all have served the base since your 2006 mandate!
Not to mention, Obama’s a big flip flippity flip flopper on the issue:
The bill would end a months-long fight over the drilling moratorium. The push to end the ban picked up in July as the price of oil hit a record $147.27 per barrel and the average pump price of gasoline topped out at $4.11 per gallon. Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain both altered their positions on the matter, saying they would support new offshore drilling.
Heh, yeah, right. I’ll trust Obama. About as much as I’ll trust the guy to defend my civil liberties or maintain that pesky wall separating church and state. Which is to say, not at all.
The announcement was hailed by Republicans. “House Republicans have fought for months to lift these outdated bans on American energy production, and the capitulation by Democrats today is a big victory for working families, seniors, and small businesses struggling with record gasoline prices,” said House Republican Leader John Boehner, of Ohio.
Capitulation? Totally. Victory for working families? Eh, not so much.
And now that the goal post’s been moved, I guess it’s onward to ANWR for the asses and their Republican overlords.
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Tagged: offshore oil drilling oil drilling republicans democrats environment wtf 2008 elections
September 26th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Senator Obama’s rationalization (”Compromise…”) aside, which, in my opinion, given the context of strict-Washington partisanship, is valid, several months ago Karl Rove predicted this capitulation and what tone the campaign would take as a result. His prediction was accurate, and the subtle, underlying message of Obama being “Just another politician” has now become explicit.
It troubles me to see a ready-made “flip flop” advertisement being presented to the McCain campaign; however, underlying Obama’s message is something beneficial: Obama is moving beyond party politics and putting “country first” (whatever that means?). The same could be argued in regard to his FISA vote. However, as you said, this is in fact not going to help individual citizens by way of reducing gas prices, nor was fear a valid impetus during the FISA debate. But, as Bill Marr argues, “we are too dumb to be governed,” and therefore, details don’t matter, just rhetoric and consensus.
September 29th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Heh, yeah, it sure wasn’t a positive sign when, back in August, both Obama and Pelosi expressed their willingness to compromise on the issue.
At this point, I wish the Dems would just hold off any doing anything until dubya is out of the White House. Whenever they manage to accomplish something positive, he just turns his trusty veto pen on the bill anyway.