White House: Bush to lift offshore drilling ban

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON - The White House says President Bush is planning to lift an executive ban on offshore oil drilling.

In a Rose Garden statement on Monday, the president plans to lift the ban. But by itself, the move will not lead to more drilling off America’s coastline.

Congress must still lift its own legislative ban before offshore drilling can happen.

White House press secretary Dana Perino says Bush is acting now in hopes of spurring Congress to act. So far, lawmakers have shown no interest in doing so.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25674571 /

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[TwilightGardener]

1. That's fine. It takes the issue off the table for Dems. And any actual

drilling won't take place for a long, long time, if ever. It's more symbolism than anything else right now.

On edit: I'm surprised he didn't wait until closer to November, actually.

[Pale Blue Dot]

4. Just the opposite, actually, according to the updated story.

This puts more pressure on the Dems.

[TwilightGardener]

7. I doubt it. All the Dems have to do is say, well, we don't like it, but it's

out of our hands. And then when President Obama takes office, it can be reversed.

[Pale Blue Dot]

8. "Congress must still lift its own legislative ban before offshore drilling can happen." nt

[TwilightGardener]

13. Then let them lift the ban. Nothing will happen between now and

the election, drill-wise--I think states have a right to oppose, and the process may be very slow to even begin mapping new areas. Again, takes the issue off the table, and a Dem President and Congress can reverse it. Harry Reid kept saying, "Why doesn't the president just lift the executive ban?" Well, he got his wish. Let's hope he was prepared for it.

[durablend]

14. Of course he was prepared for it

The cave-in speech was written months ago.

[TwilightGardener]

17. Probably. But honestly, I'd rather have the issue taken off the table

for now. It can be damaging for us, and if we win, the ban can be reinstituted or drilling seriously restricted in a Dem Congress. Chimpy's trying to get Iraq off the table for McNutz by sending more troops home than expected, there's no reason Dems shouldn't manipulate the issues to their electoral advantage too.

[underpants]

24. King George

there can be no doubt any more

[jimshoes]

2. So we can expect prices to drop

any minute now then?

[Ian David]

3. Yay! Gas will be $0.15 per gallon cheaper by 2020!

[liberal N proud]

10. That is $.15 per barrel in 10 years

[bdamomma]

5. * is nothing but a

defiant little prick, wasn't his father the one who put a ban on drilling in effect, again, one of those nasty daddy/son confrontations. * needs to be assessed for mental illness really.

[nam78_two]

6. President Asshole

[trusty elf]

15. The Sphincter

[nancyr]

9. Oh, goody.

Nice to start the week with more repulsive news from the little loon. One outrage after another.

[Javaman]

11. and we are surprised by this, why?

more playing to the mouthbreathers and the oil bastards.

Like someone said, he* still has roughly 6 more months to do lots more damage.

[mrs_p]

12. bush is the biggest poo ever

this almost makes me mad enough to quit grad school and join greenpeace.

would a president obama (gods willing) be able to retract any contracts sold to oil companies between now and january?

[DemoTex]

16. Another one-finger salute from the biggest polluter in the world.

The most hated man in the world shows his love of himself.

[AlbertCat]

18. See...the GOP has solutions!

That's the purpose of this announcement. It LOOKS like the GOP is trying to do something about this dreadful situation and the Dems have no solutions. It doesn't matter that the GOP got us here in the 1st place. It doesn't matter that it will make no difference whatsoever. Just so it APPEARS like some kind of (desperately needed!) solution is being enacted....and "blocked" by Congress (and others). Congress will now be obstructionists and Obama will be a "do-nothing".

Anyway, that's the plan. It might very well work when the MSM plays it up like this.

Obama will probably point out for the umteenth time that this will not yield any relief for another 10 to 20 years, if ever, and that oil companies already have many locations off shore that they are just sitting on NOW and not drilling. And of course that it's a band-aid that will not solve the real problem. If that would get reported without the usual "But....." this may backfire for the GOP. But the Media is a major factor.....and we know what they do.

[PugNot]

20. And how will Obama's plan reduce prices?

"Obama will probably point out for the umteenth time that this will not yield any relief for another 10 to 20 years"

Isnt that what Clinton said oh, about 10-12 years ago when he vetoed drilling in ANWAR?

Obama's proposal to tax the oil companies will do nothing to reduce prices short term, in fact it wil proably do just the opposite. Also his plans for alternative fuels will not yield results for many years also. What do we do in the meantime? Price controls? I dunno..

But the Repug plan to drill *now* makes more sense to those who understand the laws of supply and demand even if the results will take time. They "own" the issue as it is right now.

Probaly not what you want to hear, but I'm just calling it as I see it.

So sorry, but I think the Dems have to come up with a better plan rather than just "no".

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ChazII]

29. Good point. n/t

[Auggie]

19. Big oil wants this sooooooo badly...

Wouldn't be surprised to see BushCo do something drastic (or really stupid) to force the hand of Congress.

[krispos42]

21. Let the next Congress deal with it

This is more lame-duck legacy-building by Bush.

[ismnotwasm]

22. Ok. He CAN'T be human

He's got to be from some alien planet with silicon based life. He sure doesn't give a shit about life on this planet, in any form.

[emad]

25. If it was a Dem president making the announcement I guess a lot

of people would be less vitriolic anout it.

[KoKo]

26. Wow he "sticks it to Poppy" overturning his Ex. Order, and hopes this will

drive up the failing stock market and maybe bring commodities down....But, stupid is as stupid does.

[BreweryYardRat]

27. Gotta shove that big ol' corporate cock even further up our collective unwilling asses, eh, George?

Gotta let 'em fuck us over a little more before he leaves office!

[YvonneCa]

28. Sign Boxer's petition...

...here: http://ga6.org/campaign/drilling?rk=L12e3mSqUQtgE