Robert Samuelson writes about energy in the Washington Post today, and how neither candidate is being completely honest about it. The issue is that both candidates are pandering to some extent, rather than telling the truth and helping the country face the cold hard fact: it’s going to be rough while we dig ourselves out of this hole.
I’ve mentioned McCain’s idiotic obsession with Offshore Drilling on more than one occasion, so I might as well take another opportunity: Offshore Drilling will not lower oil prices. Samuelson is wrong on this point when he claims that
if we don’t increase drilling, import dependence will worsen as production from mature fields ebbs. Since 1990, U.S. oil production has dropped 23 percent, while imports have gone from 42 percent to 58 percent of consumption. Greater exploration is common sense, as more Americans recognize.
The issue is that the drilling with have such a small effect that it will not change prices. Yes, basic logic informs us that if we drill for more oil in the U.S. we will need less from other countries. But the tiny amount that increased drilling will provide, in addition to increasing world demand for oil, will not lower oil prices.
I do agree with one point he makes that is critical of Obama:
To lower oil prices (which were already dropping), Obama proposed releasing 10 percent of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This is an atrocious idea. The SPR was intended as insurance against a catastrophic loss of oil from wars, embargoes, terrorism or natural disasters.
Samuelson is correct here. Opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is bad policy. It might sound great to voters and win some extra votes, but as a policy it is incredibly short sighted and foolish. Considering the price of oil and the possibility of peak oil arriving any day, we need the Strategic Petroleum Reserve more than ever.
I realize Obama is in a tough spot here. McCain is happily selling out the nation in order to win extra votes, and the Obama campaign feels the need to counter his pandering. But Obama offered the truth about the Gas Tax Holiday during the primaries and won that fight. Perhaps he should heed that lesson and continue with some truth about the rest of our energy crisis.
Joseph Romm, a former Clinton energy adviser and the blogger for Climate Progress, estimates that offshore drilling would net “under 100,000 barrels a day in supply sometime after 2020 — some one-thousandth of total supply.”
And, despite its assertions, McCain’s campaign actually knows better. In June, senior McCain campaign adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin acknowledged to the LA Times that “new offshore drilling would have no immediate effect on supplies or prices.” He should have added that it will have no real long-term effect, either.
Seems like this just keep coming up doesn’t it? Let me emphasize it one more time just to make sure the point is made:
Offshore Drilling will not have an effect on oil prices.
Despite what John McCain may say, Offshore Drilling is a scam. It’s a way for Republicans to claim they are providing a solution, without really addressing the problem. It sounds good, but does nothing. Don’t believe their lies.
Yes, we are. And that’s a direct result of the Bush Administration and Republican Congress. McCain campaign vigorously for Bush in 2004 and has been a supporter of Bush’s policies in Congress. Yes, we are worse off than four years ago; it’s McCain’s fault.
Only McCain has taken on Big Tabacco, Drug Companies, fought corruption in both parties, he’ll reform Wall Street, battle Big Oil.
Well that list is full of more lies than I can count. McCain supported the Medicare “reform” that forced Medicare to not negotiate for drug prices, costing taxpayers and seniors billions of extra dollars to pay for medicine. As for corruption, John McCain sure knows about that: I’ll refer you to The Keating Five.
He’s the original maverick. One is ready to lead.
No, he’s been a party line guy who has taken a few different positions here and there to cultivate the maverick image. He’s no maverick though. He rubber-stamped Bush policies for eight years and drove this country into ruin. John McCain is not offering change. He’s offering more of the same.
We meet at a moment when this country is facing a set of challenges unlike any we’ve ever known. Right now, our brave men and women in uniform are fighting two different wars while terrorists plot their next attack. Our changing climate is putting our planet in peril and our security at risk. And our economy is in turmoil, with more and more of our families struggling with rising costs, falling incomes and lost jobs.
So we know that this election could be the most important of our lifetime. We know that the choices we make in November and over the next few years will shape the next decade, if not the century. And central to each of these challenges is the question of what we will do about our addiction to foreign oil.
Without a doubt, this addiction is one of the most urgent threats we’ve ever faced – from the gas prices that are wiping out your paychecks and straining businesses, to the jobs that are disappearing from this state; from the instability and terror bred in the Middle East, to the rising oceans, record drought and spreading famine that could engulf our planet.
I‘m watching MSNBC and David Shuster asks if Obama is just playing politics as usual because he’s attacking McCain on energy.
So, is Obama supposed to just do nothing? He’s not allowed to point out the differences between himself and McCain? Give me a break. Obama calling out John McCain for McCain’s bullshit energy solutions (offshore drilling is a good example), is not Obama playing politics as usual. It’s Obama telling the truth to voters and trying to take our country towards real energy independence.
Here are the top five reasons why I am voting for Barack Obama:
The Economy - In 2009 the United States is projected to have a deficit of more than $480 BILLION. Our national debt is quickly climbing to $10 TRILLION. Republicans have run our economy into the ground with their irresponsible fiscal policies, and our children (and their children) will pay the price. It is no easy task to pay off $10 trillion dollars in debt. As if our nation’s cash flow problems weren’t enough to be concerned about, the American people aren’t doing so great these days either. With gas at $4 a gallon, and many foods at all time high prices, many American families are struggling to get by. Jobs are being lost, and not being replaced. Paul Krugman posted a graph of employment growth for each president back to Dwight Eisenhower. Notice the clear difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. The Republican Party has proven time and time again that they are not good stewards of the economy. It’s time to go with a Democrat.
The Iraq War - The Iraq War was a mistake from day one. Saddam Hussein was a terrible human being, but he posed little threat to the United States. He had no weapons of mass destruction; he was surrounded by nations that despised him and would contain him (Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Iran - not to mention the American patrolled no fly zones). Furthermore, Saddam had no role whatsoever in the planning, funding, or execution of the 9/11 attacks. Yes, the Iraqi people are better off without Saddam Hussein. But Iraq distracted us from the war we should have been fighting. It is still distracting us from the war we should be fighting. The Iraqi government and military can step up and take control of their nation. It’s time for the United States to withdraw and refocus it’s military efforts where they are most needed. Barack Obama supports withdrawal in 16 months so that we can do just that. Which of course brings me to reason 3.
The War in Afghanistan - Obama recognizes that Afghanistan is the central front in the War on Terror. He advocates sending at least an additional two brigades to Afghanistan. We should have had these extra troops there in the first place. It is well documented that Osama bin Laden was in Tora Bora when we bombed it, but slipped out through the mountain passes. We did not have enough troops to adequately secure the area to assure his death or capture. This is a mistake that will not be made a second time if Barack Obama is president. On September 11th, 2001 Al Qaeda, on the orders of Osama bin Laden, attacked the United States and killed more than 3,000 people. in the 7 years since the Bush Administration has failed to capture or kill bin Laden. It’s clear that Republican priorities are flawed, but John McCain wants to continue those policies. Barack Obama will capture kill Osama bin Laden because his foreign policy will be focused on Afghanistan and dismantling terror networks, rather than foolish and costly preemptive wars.
Health Care - The health care system in the United States is a mess. Despite spending far more on health care than any other industrialized nation, Americans often receive worse care. American life expectancy and infant mortality rates have fallen behind other modernized nations. A major part of the problem is that the lack of quality, affordable health care means that our system focuses on curing an illness rather than preventing it in the first place. Barack Obama has a health care plan that will give access to quality, affordable health care to every single American. John McCain does not. If your health is important to you, the choice in this election is clear.
Energy - Our economy and our planet are both in peril and a major reason is our dependence on fossil fuels. Not only is this an economic and ecological problem, but it is also a national security problem. We cannot rely on foreign sources of energy and maintain our position as the worlds only superpower. John McCain’s solution is to drill offshore, drill in Alaska, and drill everywhere else we can put an oil well. But we can’t drill our way out of this problem. Barack Obama’s energy plan will guide our nation to energy independence with the use of clean, renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar.
There is no quick fix to $4.50-a-gallon gas, no way to provide instant relief to consumers we know are hurting. Yet President Bush and others continue to push the false promise of offshore oil drilling.
Just this week, the president lifted the executive order banning drilling that George H.W. Bush put in place in 1990. And he’s asked Congress to lift its own moratorium on oil exploration on the outer continental shelf — which includes coastal waters as close as three miles from shore.
This would be a terrible mistake. It would put our nation’s precious coastlines in jeopardy and wouldn’t begin to fix the underlying energy-supply problem. And it surely wouldn’t ease gas prices any time in the near future.
Correct so far. Offshore Drilling is a Republican scam. It’s a fake solution to the oil issue, designed to get easy votes. Feinstein then points out the fun fact that many people aren’t aware of:
Meantime, energy companies haven’t fully utilized their existing permits to drill on another 68 million acres of federal lands and waters. Exploiting these areas probably could double U.S. oil production and increase natural gas production by 75%.
You see, the oil companies have access to millions of acres, but they don’t want to deal with them. If they did, we’d have a substantial increase in oil production, even more than offshore drilling would provide. Why aren’t they drilling where they have access already?
Feinstein points out the fundamental truth to our situation:
We cannot drill our way out of the energy problem. Our nation doesn’t need smooth talk and rosy scenarios. We need a clear-eyed view of our energy situation….
Changing our nation’s fuel consumption pattern is an enormous endeavor. It will take years. But this is the reality we face. And there’s no time to waste.
I’m glad she’s taking the lead on this issue and pushing for some real solutions instead of feel-good measures that will only worsen our situation in the long run. Great job Senator Feinstein!
OK, maybe not everyone. But President Bush held a press conference about the economy and Barack Obama gave a speech about Iraq to follow up on his Op-Ed from yesterday.
The President said the economy really isn’t that bad and any problems we do have are the Democrats fault. Thanks for informing us George. And then he offered up this wonderful insight:
Bush acknowledged it could take years before opening the Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling would result in increased U.S. production. But, he said, at least it would put the nation on the right track toward reducing its reliance on imported oil.
Brilliant. What is it? 6 more months of this guy? Ugh….
Obama is still talking as I write this, but since the campaign releases advanced copies of the speech (and it’s basically just saying what his NYTimes Op-Ed said) we already know what it’s all about.
“This war distracts us from every threat that we face and so many opportunities we could seize. This war diminishes our security, our standing in the world, our military, our economy, and the resources that we need to confront the challenges of the 21st century….”
“By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe,” Obama will say, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks.
I’m sure the McCain campaign has an opinion on some (all?) of these issues, but who really cares, right?
