Bush 43 urges offshore drilling that Bush 41 banned

President Bush today called on Congress to clear the way for offshore drilling by the states, saying that it could match current production for 10 years and that new methods allow drilling that protects habitats against oil spills.

With Democrats in Congress opposed to drilling, Bush said their opposition is "outdated and counterproductive" and that it "helped drive gas prices to their current level." Saying that $4-a-gallon gas prices should be "enough incentive" for Democrats to act, Bush asked, "How high do gas prices have to rise before the Democratic Congress will do something about it?"

Bush also called for exploration of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a new push for refineries (he blamed "lawsuits and red tape" for the fact that no new refineries have been built in 30 years) and mining of shale rock for oil.

The president made no mention of his father, President George H.W. Bush, who banned coastal oil exploration in 1990, or his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who long opposed it. Except to say that much of U.S. energy now "comes from abroad, that's what's changed in the last few decades," putting "our economy and our security at risk."

The White House statement came one day after Republican John McCain called for lifting the ban on off-shore drilling.

White House press secretary Dana Perino, asked about whether the son will lift the ban put in place by the father, told Fox News today, "We  need to make a change...so that we can have more control over our own destiny."

Most Democrats were immediately skeptical.

"To hear George Bush and John McCain say it, you’d think gasoline is going to run straight out of the ground and right into your car,'' said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). "This is not a relief plan for American families, it’s a relief plan for oil companies.”

But Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Lousiana faulted the White House for taking so long. In a letter headlined, "Welcome to the off-shore energy fight, Mr. President...we've been waiting for you," she argued that Bush should have taken the position seven years ago. "When we urged lifting the nation’s ban on such production while there was a real possibility to act, this administration’s courage could not be found."

-- Johanna Neuman and Richard Simon

Photo credit:  Spencer Weiner/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Piotr Orloff]

Wow, I've been counting down the days since June of 2007 on my blog. Ever since Gonzalez walked away from his post in shame. Shame on him, shame on Bush, shame on Dick Cheney. No blood for oil, and no offshore drilling either. Stay away from ANWR, too. We may need that oil someday.

[anonymous]

Is he trying to do as much damage as possible in his final days? He approved Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste, too.

Can someone please ask Bush to read "Altered Oceans" published by none other than the LA Times? It won a Pulitzer for a reason.

Our oceans can't take any more abuse. We, as a country, need to wake up and curb our dependency on oil. Feeding corporate oil profits at the expense of our oceans is criminal!

[P J Evans]

I see they aren't honest enough to tell people how long it take to get any of that oil to the local market - assuming there's any left to find.

I see they also think that 'if you drill, it will come'. Or maybe 'oil follows the drill'.
That's the oil promoter at work, collecting money from his /m/a/r/k/s/ investors.

[Jim H]

What an obvious political ploy this campaign is, and reporters should be very careful not to play along with this Gingrich-inspired PR slogan. There is no "ban" on offshore drilling, except within 3 miles of shore, where the states have jurisdiction. There's tons of oil in the Gulf and off California, and in the Naval Reserve that Clinton leased to the companies. There are capped wells sitting and waiting to be pumped. What's the pressure now? To blame the gas price on the Democrats, and to allow their buddies in the oil industry to add more leases where they will drill when the prices go up more. And we all know, long-term, that we must find new sources of oil. Time to turf the oil men out of the White House.

[Mary M. Thonsen]

I guess Bush is getting frantic since he doesn't have much more time to ruin the country more than he already has -

[Steve - Long Beach]

The oil industry already has access to 63M acres of undeveloped potential sites. The ANWR was "set aside" PRECISELY to protect it from exactly this kind of corporate rape. Exploit the existing fields, concentrate on newer technologies, commit to an "Americanization" of resources and let's talk -- but until then giving away natural resources in the hope that multinational corporations will act differently from the way they do currently is a fool's errand.

What's the old quote? "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results."

Sounds like the Bush Energy "Policy" in every respect.

[Frank]

How has this clown not been impeached yet?

This is just a temporary solution to a bigger problem, and counterproductive for the American economy. We need to get off of oil and $4/gal gas right now will help us do it. How? Because it makes investing a developing alternative and renewable energies now more practical. Sure, it places a short-term burden on Americans, which is debatable because I really don't see anyone modifying they're driving habits, but it could be a huge benefit to our own economy. The Internet and the widespread use of computers have helped drive our last 2 economic booms, green energy could definitely drive the next one... or if we don't, it will drive a foreign economy... Not to mention better for the environment.

[Richard W]

Drilling for more oil is like fighting for peace. The issue has always been our DEPENDANCY on oil! We can put a rover on mars and clone a sheep but we are sill using the same fuel source as our fathers father??

[B. Viers]

GAS PRICES-Think about this theory.
1. When Bush went into office gas was at $1.47 a gallon.
2. Gas started creeping up a little and Bush decided he would start a little war with Iraq that he figured would last maybe 30 days and he could get his hands on the Iraqi oil. Instead that little war has lasted and lasted and lasted to the point it is costing the American people the loss of many U.S. military lives, the maiming of many U.S. military and running up a cost of over a trillion dollars and the Iraqis are saying to Bush, "Keep your damned hands off our oil."
3. Gas continues to rise, so a big push is made to open up oil drilling in senisitive areas of Alaska, with only a small supply of oil in the ground that will take years to get into the pipe lines to refineries. That got shot down.
4. Gas continues to rise, and once again Bush makes an effort to get oil drilling off the coast of California. Arnold Schwartznager shot that idea down (as if that was the end of the issue).
5. Gas continues to rise, and Bush tries to get oil drilling off the coast of Florida. Well that ends up a maybe.
6. Gas continues to rise up to $3.97 and $4.25 and $4.50 in some areas. Now McCain is running for office so Bush decides to ally with McCain and push for drilling off all the coastlines in the continental United States. The weakness of this attempt lies in the fact that none of that drilling will result in oil running to the refineries until eight or ten years from now, if not more (maybe by that time inventors will come up with a different method to create less expensive propulsion of our autos-then all the drilling will only result in destroying our coastlines and fisheries).
Go back over the history of every move Bush has made. The Americans were paying a nice comfortable $1.47 a gallon eight years ago. Then as Bush began to serve in office gas prices started going up. With each panic gas rise, Bush has made some kind of attempt to either get a war started or open up drilling somewhere we shouldn't be going with oil drilling. Is there some kind of message in this? Has gas risen because the Bush administration has actually caused it to rise in order to get their mits on new oil fields or other countries' oil fields (Iraq, Iran, etc.)? Maybe congress shouldn't be investingating just the oil companies for price gouging, maybe they should dig deeper and see if all these boosts in gas prices are not a Bush consipiracy-a pay back to the oil companies-a way of lining his and his buddies pockets. Think maybe so? It's a theory. We small average Americans will probably never know the truth until historians in the next hundred years dig in to the files you and I and evidently Congress can't look at because Bush says they are privileged.

Commentary? Theory? Fact? Speculation? Who knows? What's next?

[Jay K.]

What is better - Putting $150 a barrel into the hands of some crazy Arabs or into the US Treasury and the pockets of a US oil company ? Even if its "just" a million barrels a day, thats $150 million into the US economy A DAY.

[A drop in the bucket]

More genius from the Shrub. Even if each and every US Citizen had an oil well in their backyard, we would still run out in about 10 years. We need to be drilling for new energy ideas, not our poor battered coastlines or wildlife reserves

[Angry High School Students]

We believe that Bush's request for drilling is a destructive and irresponsible act. It would destroy something that the world needs more of-protected environments. We should spend more money on alternative fuels. As students, we feel that Bush is not doing this for the good of the U.S. He is only proposing this at the end of his presidency to avoid receiving negative attention from the press and the public.

[SteveG]

Bush owned Congress for six years and never suggested lifting the ban previously..like the summer of 2006 when gas prices spiked! Also why doesn't he lift the ban Pres Bush I placed on offshore drilling!!? Also why don't the oil companies drill in the 68 million acres that they have already been given permission to drill on?! All the same oil company butt kissing we've heard from these guys for years. And McCain is truly showing that he is the McSame!!

[Tony Arnold]

hey jack holes, you forgot to mention Bill Clinton's ban of drilling in AMWR. What a bunch of idiots.

[Dr. Jesse Kally-Williams]

This is man is simply a disaster not only for America but for the whole world, and not only for the present generation but for future ones as well. The name "bush" describes the very essence of the man and his leadership. And if we follow his goals for the world, the planet in particular, they will leterally eat us up.

[M G Davis]

Amazing ignorance - if the methods are safer, why not? It is not like we will have an alternative to gas/diesel in the next few years. Get real. Yes, it will take 5 years before we have usable fuel from new drilling, but isn't that better than never?

As things stand, right now China has offshore rigs in the gulf of Mexico, right outside our national waters. Why should we let them, with poorer technology, exploit our resources while we pay foreign nations a ransom for gas?

Grow up!

[Kay J]

Jay K. why don't you leave the thinking to those of us with intelligent thoughts to add.

Refining is half the issue with gas prices, not oil. and the oil/gas companies are trying to cut back on refining capacity, not increase it.

you're the perfect example of a sucker. the day americans start using their brains and not getting sucked into foolish xenophobic rhetoric is the day we might actually make some real progress.

[Rick Redfield]

When you think about the proposal it makes since. Do you pay the ARABS for oil or get it internally. I would rather get it internally. There is a limit to the amount of oil a refinery can process. If they get it cheaper here instead of hauling it across the ocean. To me that would reduce the chance for Oil Damage to the oceans.
Technology has improved to reduce the chance of an Oil Leak/Spill from an off shore derick.
I for one support the offshore drilling. As well as Pushing the EPA to cerify more Kits to convert Big Gas Guzzelers from Gasoline or Deisel to Natural Gas which is produced completely within the US.

We Need a short term relief as well as long term planning.
Just talking about it is not going to fix the issue. Someone has got to act and so far I hear NO ONE is acting... They are just talking allot.

[Aaron H.]

The democrats don't want more nuclear power and they don't want more oil production. How is America supposed to be competitive in the world economy if we refuse to produce our own energy? Exxon-mobil, aka a big nasty evil oil free-enterprise company with way to much profit, is having to sell its own stores because its losing money every day. We blame everything on oil companies, but just look at their profit MARGINS. They arent as high as tobacco's, beer's, or drug manufacturer's. There is enough oil in ANWR to last America for 200 years. The American people are more important than some elk. I don't like bush, but he is finally doing something right.

What is better - Putting $150 a barrel into the hands of some crazy Arabs or into the US Treasury and the pockets of a US oil company ? Even if its "just" a million barrels a day, thats $150 million into the US economy A DAY.

Posted by: Jay K. | June 18, 2008 at 11:56 AM

Which is about 1/2 of what were spending on the war in Iraq EVERY day (not counting long term costs) for oh about the last 1,900+ days!

[Merlin]

The sheep speak.
I agree. The money is better in our hands then in foreign lands.
Get the oil but also need to work on other means for fuel.

But the oil companies keep tight reigns on that cause it would affect them to great. Cost for them to revert to a different fuel would kill them.

Sorry but most likely wont happen in our lifetimes. Maybe our GRandchildrens but probably not.

[Rick Redfield]

When you think about the proposal it makes since. Do you pay the ARABS for oil or get it internally. I would rather get it internally. There is a limit to the amount of oil a refinery can process. If they get it cheaper here instead of hauling it across the ocean. To me that would reduce the chance for Oil Damage to the oceans.
Technology has improved to reduce the chance of an Oil Leak/Spill from an off shore derick.
I for one support the offshore drilling. As well as Pushing the EPA to cerify more Kits to convert Big Gas Guzzelers from Gasoline or Deisel to Natural Gas which is produced completely within the US.

We Need a short term relief as well as long term planning.
Just talking about it is not going to fix the issue. Someone has got to act and so far I hear NO ONE is acting... They are just talking allot.

[ted in pdx]

It's not just a flip-flop. It basically recognizes the complete hypocrisy of just about every insider in Washington (Democrats included) on the issue of climate change. We called all the world's scientists together, and they all concluded that we are in the process of creating a climate disaster, and that we need to get off fossil-fuels, the United States being the prime offender. So now all the politicians say they're for finding alternative fuels (one of these days), but in the meantime, we're going to dramatically increase our dependence upon oil, provide tax breaks so our major oil companies can continue to focus on expanding their inventory of fossil-fuel, while doing nothing at all to provide an authentic competitive marketplace for consumers. The failure of the recent attempt to set more stringent gas mileage requirements made the same point, across party lines.

If NASA were to report that they'd found a huge asteroid headed straight for us in the next 10 years, you can bet that George W. Bush and McCain would be leading the charge to create a multi-trillion-dollar Manhattan Project for asteroid defenses, starting yesterday. But presented with the abstract statistical probability that continuing to release tons of CO2 into the atmosphere may have dire consequences sometime in 2020 or 2030, they can't be bothered. And in fairness to McCain, why should he? He won't be around by then.

It's a reminder to watch what people do, not what they say. It's also a sad commentary on our leadership, and on an electorate always willing to pass off the difficult problems to the next generation.

[Jeff Terzo]

I think the added capacity would work if the federal government adds the mandatory stipulation that the oil produced can *only* be applied to meet the needs of domestic U.S. consumption. This is kind of what our national strategy would be if the Middle East suddenly ran out of oil or sharply decreased production. The whole strategy has been from the beginning to allow the rest of the world to exhaust its reserves before the U.S. determined it necessary to tap its own. I think its fair to start tapping the U.S. reserves for U.S. consumption purposes. WIth China and India now absorbing so much of the global supply, we will arrive at this strategy soon enough as it is.

[J.Nichols]

Another aspect of the energy problem is the economic illiteracy of much of the American public.

When you have people who seriously propose that high oil and gas prices can simply be explained away by a conspiracy, when you have people who just assume without a second thought that it's all due to greed, then you will have pandering politicians who cater to them and who will exacerbate the problem.

The level of ignorance of some of these posts is pretty discouraging.

[Jeff Saeli]

It took America four years to produce an Atomic bomb, and nine years from the time Kennedy declared the man on the moon project If we can accomplish these momentous tasks, it won't take us long to find the oil and to come up with alternative fuels. We have to do both. Those of you who want to wait for alternative fuels need to get a good bike and good pair of walking shoes. Or, you can move to Brazil. That county had leaders smart enough to look for oil, which they found, and develop a viable ethanol industry using sugar cane. Today they are energy independent. Just remember, when you are walking, Reid, Pelosi and Obama will still be riding in their air conditioned limos, courtesy of all you saps that want to vote or continue to vote for these illustrious leaders.

[Diver]

When is this Republican "leadership" going to understand that it's time to move on. If they had put half as much effort into seeking alternative fuel source research and development as they have trying to talk the Saudis down in price, we wouldn't even be discussing drilling off our shores. I saw the damage done in Santa Barbara in 1969. This cannot be allowed to happen again. In his feeble attempt to leave some kind of positive legacy, our esteemed President has seen fit to blame the Democrats for high gas prices and is attempting to solve the problem in his last 5 months in office. (Oil was $34 a barrel when he took over) Loser. I don't know about the rest of the country, but I can't handle another 4 years of this crap. Good riddance, cowboy.

[David Moll]

It took nearly 8 years, but Bush's true colors as a Texas oil man came out in full force today.

The cold reality of the situation is that if open up our shores to drilling, we are running away from the conservation that will keep us alive. We'd be charging full steam ahead to the day when there is no more oil to drill.

I'm not one to blatantly mooch traffic, but I'd be much obliged if you read the rest of my two cents here:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/3melfy

Cheers.

[Gailstrial]

I have to quote Steve from Long Beach:

"The oil industry already has access to 63M acres of undeveloped potential sites. The ANWR was "set aside" PRECISELY to protect it from exactly this kind of corporate rape. Exploit the existing fields, concentrate on newer technologies, commit to an "Americanization" of resources and let's talk -- but until then giving away natural resources in the hope that multinational corporations will act differently from the way they do currently is a fool's errand.

What's the old quote? "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results.""

[Edabel]

The oil companies indicated at congressional hearings that there is enough gas supply right now in the U.S. to meet demand. The Bush administration has done nothing to put pressure on the oil companies to build more refineries, pressure the commodities exchanges to increase oil futures purchase margins, reduce tariffs on cheaper ethanol imports, or apply pressure on Saudi Arabia. The oil companies all meet at the Bush administrations energy task force to discuss energy policy and then kept those meetings private. Ken Lay at Enron also attended those meetings and we know how Enron created an artificial energy crisis under the Bush administration. The oil companies executives are trying to make as much money as they can while Bush is still in office, they along with Bush’s people know higher gas prices will now pressure Americans to support allowing them to get what they always wanted which is more drilling off the U.S. coast and Alaska. The oil company executives and lobbyist’s know they will only get drilling rights under while Bush is in office and they know high prices will influence additional support for drilling. If we grant U.S. gas companies permission to get new drilling rights. Will they refine it and cause prices go down, since they could pump their own oil cheaper than oil on the world market? or will they just sell it to the world market, then buy it back at inflated global market prices to maximize profits. Remember we have enough oil right now; we are not waiting in line at the pumps because of shortages. We are paying high prices because of market manipulation both by gas companies and oil commodity speculators. The Gas companies know their time of reckoning will expire when Bush and Cheney leave. Unfortunately, the gas companies as well as other corporations like Haliburton who are friends of Bush and Chaney will continue to rape the American taxpayer for as long as they can.

[James Hagan]

George Bush has been trying for 7 years to allow drilling in Anwar. If he had his way American drivers would soon have additional oil according to estimates from various news sources. Of course the Republican party has wanted nuclear energy development for decades. Nuclear subs have been in existance for 40 years with NO ACCIDENTS. The problem seems to be that the democrats and Obama socialists don't seem to understand the problem. Must we wait another 40 years until their comprehension catches up?

[Kenny]

Why am I not surprised?

The Devil (George W. Bush) and his Demon-Worshipping Disciples (the Republican Party) would naturally want to destroy the oceans after dismantling most environmental policies set to protect the air, water, and soil in the continental USA and the rest of the planet.

It will be Bush's and his Hell Hound's (Chenney) crowning achievment of their scorched Earth policy.

[C Marshall]

I can't believe that Bush jr's run is almost over, and it can't come fast enough as far as many of us are concerned. Open up protected areas for the oil companies to drill? What, did he realize that there was more of his "legacy" that he could improve upon?!?! Who is he trying to kid? Oh...probably all of us, who fell for that "Iraq war as a necessity thing" some time ago. Was that as good for you as it was for me? Because it sure was horrible for over 4000 of our young men, and many corporations have profited from that war, which was part of the plan all along. Just ask Cheney if his buddies at Halliburton are making any money in Iraq. You bet they are. Is any of that money "trickling down" into our pockets? Of course it isn't. Who ever said that it was supposed to? Oh yeah, they did.

Has the average American benefited financially from the war in Iraq, like so many companies have done, and will the average American benefit from further drilling in our protected lands and waters? No and no. When will we learn?

Bush jr was a failure at business, and wouldn't have gotten anywhere in life without his father and his name. He's run this country like one of his early, failed, business ventures, and he's run this country into the ground just like he did them. It was only a matter of time. Now, the only thing left for us is to be handed off to be helmed by another, worth much less now. Bush and Cheney and friends have made sure that they made a bunch of money, and are set to make even more in the decades to come. Two terms was just enough to ruin us, no doubt.

As a 43 year-old father of 2 preschoolers, I can only hope and pray that The People will elect the Democrat in the next Presidential election, and perhaps even replace more of the Senate with Democrats as well. It's going to take a long time to recover from the financial damage that's been done to this country by Bush jr, and I want my kids to have a chance at a decent future, even though my present and future is already in the trash can.

Yeah, drilling in protected areas.....I'd like to know what the Secretary of the Interior has to say about that, and why HE hasn't spoken up about this great idea for America before now.

This country and the majority of it's people have been dragged across the coals and raped for long enough. Good riddance, Bush jr. After you're long gone, your "legacy" will tell the ghastly truth of all that you've done to hurt this great land and most of it's citizenry, and when it does, your legacy won't be worth the paper its wiped on.

[Am]

How dare that country called "United States of America" NOT let us drill oil from their shores? Let's bomb them and bring "democracy" to the rescue of oppressed Americans!

[geo magn]

We nees a citizen oil Company which drills the federal and state land. Ration this oil to americans and cut big oil out of our free gift oil. This could ensure a good supply of low priced domestic oil for the americans who own the oil in the first place. Don't let a corrupt congress & president sell our oil to exon etc for fractions of a penny per gallon and charge us world market prices.

[Bonaficio de Brentwood]

Why don't we just blow up China?

They're the ones sucking all the oil.

We really can't expect our economy to slow down or our environment to be harmed. So I say - Blame China!

Not to mention that most other nations highly subsidize gas prices for their citizenry, especially China & India.

So lets stop attacking each other and look across the Pacific for the root of our problems.

[gerrrg]

Push back against the GOP: Insist the Federal Government spend money on increasing R&D towards clean technology for the extraction of oil from sands and shale. With potentially over a trillion barrels of oil between the Athabasca sands and American shale, this is our REAL chance for energy independence from OPEC and the Middle-East. Drilling ANWR and offshore is a stop-gap measure with no long-term effect on our dependency issues of foreign-based energy.

[RP]

President Bush is doing his best to get the Democratic congress to allow drilling for oil off the coast, what are we waiting for, isn't gas expensive enough already. It's apalling the negative comments here against drilling for the oil we already, have and won't be dependent on imported oil. Something like this will keep our economy from collapse, we need to have our own source of oil, and there's plenty off the coast and in Alaska.

[Howard]

New Situation Wanted: Two Oilmen with vertical management skills seeking new employment in late January. Skillful in regime modification; handling large sums of cash; taking care of business; and dancing. Very good friends with Karl Rove and can get him on the phone every once in a while. Select references available. Am on kneeling terms with Saudi King. If interested, please reply to next Iraqi RFP and we'll talk. Salary negotiable; 10 weeks vacation. GWB

[Intelligent Lady]

C A L I F O R N I A.......W A K E U P A N D S M E L L T H E T R U T H

Cuba wants to drill for oil 50 miles off the coast of the United States, which is international water, in the Gulf of Mexico, so they will get the oil that the United States should have and need. Offshore drilling is happening and has happened for years off the coast of Texas & Louisiana and this drilling has ben very successful and clean. We get very little junk on our beaches, most from trash from ships going into the Port of Houston.

What next: Will China drilling 50 miles off the coast of California for oil? WAKE UP AND DO NOT BE SO DUMB

[Tophe]

Bush wasn't even aware of $4 per gallon gas until he was asked about it at a press conference a couple months ago ( http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004250068_bush29.html ) and now he's using those prices as a partisan attack on Congress? Tell me Mr. Bush, what have you done to reduce our dependence on oil? What have you done to foster a stable and peaceful Middle East which would help lower global oil prices? Why is your energy policy secret?

[bruce becker]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said in a written statement that the president's plan ``sounds like another page from the administration's energy policy that was literally written by the oil industry: Give away more public resources to the very same oil companies that are sitting on 68 million acres of federal lands they've already leased.''

The oil companies could produce more oil if they wanted to. They have to keep supply below demand.

The way to deal with $4 gas is to stop making 440 HP Dodge Rams.
Stop letting people register cars that get less than 20 MPG.
Adolescents rule the USA. Let them do anything they want, it is a free country. Well, apparently not. We are all in this together.
We can have $6 gas if we all drive 440 HP Dodge Rams.
We can have $2 gas if we all drive 42 MPG Toyota Echo's.
Oops. They dont make Echo's anymore, Toyota wanted to drive up demand for Prius's. But you get the idea. Or do you?

[bruce becker]

Bush promised to spend $7 billion on ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESEARCH.
He forgot that promise in the war excitement. We won you know. Victory in Iraq, the banner said. We were supposed to be reimbursed for the war with Iraq oil profits. Not. We were supposed to get oil at $20 a barrel. NOT.

He is not repeating that $7 billion ALTERNATIVE ENERY research idea now, because McCain voted against the ALTERNATIVE ENERGY RESEARCH bill.

[Nathan Lewis]

Wow, this is the greatest news I've heard in a while. If Clinton would have not vetoed domestic oil drilling in the 90’s we would have already been producing an extra 1,000,000/day barrels of oil or better. Even though it will take years to get this oil to the market we will still see gas prices decrease now. We will see this because investors buying oil today counting on prices being higher tomorrow (so they can sell it and make money) will quit buying; decreasing demand/decreasing price. Also, the countries we buy gas from now will definitely consider dropping their prices (by increasing their supply) hoping we will change our mind about drilling for ourselves.

[Brent]

Finally, after 7 years this president gets 1 thing right. Sure, this will take years to develop and deliver but at least its a start.

[Wake Up]

We are still stuck in 5th grade science, which I think G Bush got a C in. Why doesn't our leadership step up and make college level decisions about smart alternative energy usage (solar, wind, hydro, magnetic)? If the answer is they are bought/influenced by oil company special interests, then stop electing them in office. The rise in gas cost is the best thing to happen, because it will force a change. The only people that are gonna make a change are ourselves. So let's step up to the plate.

[Shawn]

I totally know how long it would take to get new oil to market. And I also know how long it would take to get alternative energy to market. You do hope to still be around in 10 years, right? So if you can't have it right now, you're not interested?

The Chinese and everyone else is drilling for oil out there. Why do we have to buy from them...?

[mogogoo]

Why should we believe ANYTHING shrub has to say with regards to oil? He lied about the war, he lied about oil prices going down. He's lied and been the MOST damaging president this country has ever seen. Why should we believe that off-shore drilling will do anything but harm the environment and provide more windfall profits for the oil companies?

Drilling is not a solution, it is a cop out. It is a stupid cop out that will only create more problems than is supposedly will fix.

He's a cocain head, a C student, a LIAR, and a complete dumb Azz. Legacy? Legacy. That's all he's concerned about.

[sell all]

freaking hippies!!!

[KYJurisDoctor]

This oil drill nonsense is pure political pandering!

[john galt]

Wow. If more oil is available, the barrel price will drop. No, if we start drilling off shore today, we won't have more oil tomorrow. But it will be soon. If we don't start drilling, we will never recover that oil. Those of you who think this is a satanic conspiracy are living in lala land. Most of the posters here don't understand economics or energy policy at all. Drill it, refine it and get it to market.

[Alt Energy]

Hmmmm. Mr. Big Oil himself wanting to drill off shores and uses high gas cost as a reason why... Here's a thought...

HOW BOUT INVESTING IN CLEAN ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES - LIKE HYDROGEN INSTEAD?!!

F*** 'em.

Why should we keep feeding the oil industry???

These high prices are the push we need to GO GREEN not succumb to oil companies and their quest to keep old oil the number 1 source of fuel.

[Chuck Conover]

Yet another example of "Facts don't matter." That's a quote by Bush, by the way. Bush went to the Saudis to ask them to increase production and they told him there is plenty of supply. Bush wants oil companies to build more refineries and ExxonMobile tells him they don't need or want more refineries - and have been closing refineries over the last 30 years. Are there signs on gas stations saying "No gas"? No, not one. There is plenty of supply. We don't need more. We need smaller cars and to regulate the oil monopoly. I'd love to find an electric car that could do 65 mph also.

[Rodney Lamprey, jr.]

Bush has been proven wrong some many times, why does any respectable news outlet even post his comments?

Why doesn't President Bush acknowledge that the Republicans led by himself inacted energy trading deregulation in 2000 at the behest of his then good friend and contributor Enron's Kenny-boy Lay. Obviously oil demand has not doubled in the last year, but trade oil prices have. The current oil price situation is remarkably similar to the electricity and gas price scams that occurred in the western states after deregulation. Oil traders are bidding up the prices of oil future contracts and create a false shortage because they can make money off the increasing oil prices.

In true Bush fashion, he is using the oil price crisis that he helped create as leverage to pay off his other contributors, the US oil companies. The US oil companies want more US public areas to drill because their bad practices in the past have got them thrown out of many other countries in the world. it has nothing to do with the actual cost of oil.

Looking at the comments makes me disappointed in the American people. We have more oil under American soil than all the middle-east put together, yet are help hostage by enviro and liberal scare tactics. We need to do something now or our lives as we know it will change forever. This oil thing effects everything, food production, heating, transport. We better wake up or the great depression will look like rosey times.

[Patrick]

Maybe we would be in better shape if Bush senior hadn't overturned the law requiring Alaskan oil to be sold only in the US. In 95 the law was changed prohibiting overseas sales so that half of Alaskan oil now is sent to the Far East. Yes, we export our own oil overseas. So do we really want to open up the Alaskan Wilderness to drill and export oil to Japan and China?

[Tom]

The US produces 70% of our country's needs. The two biggest exporters are Canada and Mexico. Very small amount is imported to US from the middle east.
When are we going to be told the truth?.

[Patrick]

Maybe we would be in better shape if Bush senior hadn't overturned the law requiring Alaskan oil to be sold only in the US. In 95 the law was changed prohibiting overseas sales so that half of Alaskan oil now is sent to the Far East. Yes, we export our own oil overseas. So do we really want to open up the Alaskan Wilderness to drill and export oil to Japan and China?

[Richard]

Seems everyone says Bush this and Bush that about the price of gas but the real jump in oil and gas prices coincide when our majority Democratic Congress took over in 2006.

[Norm]

Hmm...

International waters mean just that, international. Not the property of the US.

Want to lose weight, eat less, order smaller portions, exercise more.

Want to be less dependent on foreign oil, use less, use more efficient transportation, improve efficiency on what you do use.

One thing Bush has right, energy could well lead to the downfall of the US. (Unthinkable?) But working to do anything to exploit traditional sources to keep it cheap is the wrong approach.

A pro-active approach would be to accept high costs of traditional energy supplies (since we already know the environmental costs are too high and largely unaccounted for), and invest heavily into new energy sources and efficiencies.

This is what Europe and Asia is doing. Guess where the highest efficiency products come from.

The good news. The US may be finally waking up about alternative energy. Too bad its leadership is still sleeping.

[I hate your politics]

Everyone shouting politics takes their free will right out of the picture.
Unable to decide for themselves, they clamor at bad science, naive feelings and prophets of disaster. These people are ripe for the picking by con men on both sides of the poles.

Fact: US gas prices are at all time high.
Fact: US dollar is low vs. foreign currencies
Fact: Asian economies are growing exponentially using petroleum to fuel growth.
Fact: Asian economies are exploring every piece of land they own and lots they don't own for fuel.
Fact: America is getting left behind and confused by politics.
Fact: The same people railing that we need new enery choices rail against nuclear power.
Fact: The vocal America is full of problem seekers not problem solvers.

Thanks baby boomers, you can't get anything right, dopeheads.

Yours Truly,

Generation X

[Rodney Lamprey, jr.]

I saw several posts refer to Chinese oil companies having built oil rigs off the coast of Florida. These posts are either by the Republican disinformation operatives, or by viewers of Faux News. It is a lie repeated by GOP operatives and Cheney over the last few months. Look it up from authentic sources. There are no Chinese oil rigs off Florida, Cuba, or in the Gulf of Mexico.

[LP]

If you want short term relief then you will have no long term relief. If America didn't learn from the 70's oil embargo, why would they learn now. Practically every type of good and services can be had more freely now than back in the 70's. Yet we have not changed for the better. In fact we are more pollutant than ever. Look at our houses and our cars. They consume a lot of energy. be it the builders that make our homes out of cardboard or our need to have the largest and most cheaply made homes. We are to blame for our current circumstances.

The bottom line is that we are a wasteful society. We need instant gratification. It's easy for many to blame the Arabs, Opec, China, India, Bush etc. These seeds were sown during the Regan years. When the embargo took place, Brazil had the foresight to reduce the dependence on foreign oil. About the only good thing Carter did was create a real energy plan. Regan whacked it. Bush followed Regan. teh great Bill and Al did nothing to set that back in motions. And now, our fearless leader thinks out of Cheney's rear end. Be it democrat or republican, the politicians have convinced us for years that our gluttonous consumption was good for the economy. We like lemmings are headed over to the cliffs now and no one to blame but ourselves.

If you want relief, makes changes in your life. It's much easier to change your habits than an entire nation of plundering morons. I would really like to know how many people have started taking public transportation, adjusting the thermostats, buying hybrids, recycling etc. I'll bet you not many. We may have all though about it, but not many of us have taken any meaningful measures towards reducing our dependence on oil. You see, we all want things for dirt cheap and we want it now. So long as we are not willing to bite the bullet, nothing will change. We will cry and moan but nothing will change. As soon as oild heads back to $2.50, SUV sales will rise. This is America, home of the brave and arrogant.

I wish for oil to hit $8 a gallon. Maybe then, just maybe, we may feel the need to stop talking oil and think wind and solar.

[JimD]

This administration amazes me. Never is there ever even the hint of compromise. This is obviously the perfect time for the government to change the rules on drilling for our own oil in places we currently can't. Fine, I say let's start putting together a sensible plan to go after those resources. However, it's also the perfect time to really start piling on the incentives for solar/wind and other renewables (not just ethanol) not to mention finally revising the CAFE standards to actually have some teeth (50 and 60 mpg cars aren't impossible). Maybe it's time to start looking at more and better-planned public transportation as well. And on top of that, why can't we discuss a "coastal premium" - an additional tax on any oil taken out of the ground near a coastline, sans loopholes? If we did those kind of things, maybe by the time that oil comes on line in 8 to 10 years, each barrel will go a lot farther. But nope, we can't have any of those discussions - we can only drill. That's how it's always been with this administration (them drilling us whether we like it or not). Thank God it's an election year.

[Robt]

Let's cut the political rhetoric for a second and do something scary to liberals - let's look at the facts.

A typical car payment is say $400/mo.
Insurance $125/mo.
Maint (tires, oil repairs, etc) $75/mo.
Lets say your car gets 20 miles/gal.
You drive 15K/ yr
Depreciation (the largest expense of car ownership for cars less than 3 years old) is at least $600/mo for a car requiring a $400/mo payment

@ $4/gal that's $250/ mo.
@ $3/gal that's $187.50.

If the difference between $1450/mo and $1387.50/mo means you go without food, water, shelter, your lap top, rims, flat screen, your new gold grill, or your $150 Nikes, then I strongly suggest you either get a better education to get a real job or alternatively; buy a less expensive car.

An increase in gas prices isn’t the issue, your inability to put priorities in your life into proper perspective is the issue.

[Richard H.]

For all of the doomsayers regarding offshore drilling, Louisiana been doing it forever and guess where the best fishing always is; oil platforms. They are fish magnets. We even scuba dive on them because of the abudance of sea life. Oh and we also produce tons of shrimp, oysters, and crabs in the same waters these so called polluting monsters are.

California refuses to allow offshore drilling but they seem to be number 1 on every list regarding number of cars and traffic. Maybe you all can produce oil with hydroponics or meditation.

[Marty Dougherty]

You people are all loosing your mind- it has to be your Bush hate syndrome. The liberals have prevented any type of energy policy that would allow us to produce our own gas and oil for years and years. They refuse to allow the oil companies any slack- afraid that oil men from Texas will make a profit. I guess its better to send the money to the middle east- men who hate us and degrade women apperently rank higher then american oil companies. That being said, everyone knows we need to get off oil and we have been making progress but it will not happen fast enough to prevent people from starving to death in the 3rd world with americans using food for fuel-while you liberals drive around in your ethenol cars feeling good about yourself. And I have big news for you hollywood 'role models"- they dont make jet fuel out of ethenol- you still need oil for that. What are you going to do then? Purchase some more offsets?

This is a national discrace that we have to beg for oil- we have it in the USA and we need to get it in play now- WHILE we kick the habit. THe plan cannot be to sit back and wait for the alternatives while people starve to death.

The liberal answer to 4$ gas is basically "to bad, you should have kicked the habit long ago, now you will have to suffer while we all kick the habit together"... should not take more then 15-20 years. Good luck." or is it:

"to bad, you should have kicked the habit long ago, now you will have to suffer while we all kick the habit together"... If you run out and buy a new car like us you wont have to suffer as much pain- and you can feel good about driving around with our food as fuel. (if you cannot afford a fancy new alternative fuel car go back to answer#1)

At what price/how many people starve/ before we can use some of our own oil?

Bush will be gone in January- Then who will you all blame?

[Non-Driver]

It doesn't matter where they drill for oil. There isn't any shortage. The oil companies will still gouge us no matter how much more oil is unearthed. This is the fault of the oil companies, and the only way to teach them a lesson is to curb our dependence on oil--however we can--solar, wind, lighter aircraft, more efficient cars--whatever.

[madmax]

you guys are nuts i say to hell with all this oil, economy crap. lets move to another planet and start the process all over again. after all humans are like locusts they destroy everything in there environment anyway with nothing to spear.

[re Robt]

Robt you are correct. However you missed the integrated costs in food and all other shipped goods. This is affecting not only those who mismanage resources but also those in the bottom tier of the economy.

The sad sacks that look to the government to solve every problem will always complain. The problems will never be solved by government. Point to me one problem government has solved (it may take you awhile) and I can give a thousand that it fails to solve (very quickly indeed), but not for lack of tax collecting efforts.

[A]

A

[Annie]

The energy reserves underlying Florida and off the Florida coast are mainly natural gas. And so Floridians need to focus on bait and switch. Natural gas can be fairly easily tapped; oil not so easily and certainly not too plentifully.

A Harken-esque bait and switch would be a horrible thing.

[cbns]

I am more than a little disappointed to see how many people chirp one note here, whether it is for or against drilling. Moreover, for those of the "instant gratification" generation who complain 10 years is too long, I would remind them that there is no quick solution on your XBox that will fix this.

Make no mistake, oil will not last forever, and even if oil were endless it would still become scarcer as the producers realize we will keep paying and paying more and more to get it. We must show them that there are alternatives to paying their ransom. The fact is, this is a new kind of war we are in, an energy war. No matter that it will take time, we need to drill in order to keep the wolves at bay long enough to develop a permanent solution to oil as our primary energy source. But this is not just about "bad guys" controlling oil, it is also about human beings being smart enough to realize that oil is not a renewable resource and that suplementing it with juice squeezed from crops grown on dwindling farmlands is like jumping from the pan to the fire. We must also stimulate real advances in alternative energy sources that have a more permanent viability.

Big oil has a right to profits, yes, but we need to pull tax credits from them unless they are willing to push a significant portion of their record profits into new energy technologies; and not just token investments in windmills, but into viable replacements for oil such as hydrogen technologies,etc.. We also need to find ways to seed new companies that will dedicate themselves to this task, in case big oil is too shortsighted to realize that if they do not move towards new energy solutions they will eventually die under the boot of foreign producers. This search for a truly viable energy source that replaces oil must be given the kind of importance that we gave to the Manhattan Project. We must view this as defending our country from foreign acts of war. A war to be fought with resolve, with research and with innovation, rather than weapons of destruction.

Yes, we will do a certain amount of damage if we drill, but at least we still have the opportunity to do so with a purpose and perhaps a mindset of controlled extraction while we develop new energy solutions that will allow us eventually to close the new, if not all, wells. However, if we close our eyes to this energy war and do nothing. If we sit on our hands because, "oh gosh, it will take too long to be meaningful". If we do nothing, then one day we will open our eyes to a desperate need, and find that we must rely on desperate measures that will surely do far more damage to the world and to our heirs than will accessing our untapped resources to stave off the wolves of today.

[Roger]

What drill for more oil to lower prices? What a joke. How many times do you hear the argument that it's the responsibility of a business to maximize shareholder profits? If this is the case why would you believe the oil companies would want to reduce the price of gas and profits? The oil companies will sell the oil to global consumers willing to pay the highest price even if it screws the Americans. Oh and while the oil companies are at it, why don't they stop selling the domestic oil (millions of barrels per day) that they are currently harvesting to foreign countries. What? And give up maximizing profits!!!

What about new refineries? Didn't they tell you that they let the number of refineries drop from over 300 to approximately 150 after the US government dropped its subsidies? And just like many other businesses, I'm sure it would be cheaper to build refineries in foreign countries with cheap labor. You don't hear consumers whine about not having any new textile, LCD, or television plants built in the U.S.? Why isn't there a shortage of these products? Why aren't these items skyrocketing in price? It's because new factories were built overseas with cheap labor. If the oil companies really wanted new refineries there are plenty of countries were they can be built. So why not build a few in Mexico? What happened to NAFTA? A shortage of refineries in the U.S. is just another excuse to gouge the consumer.

[anonymous]

Right on Robt and re Robt.

We (not our government) need to curb our dependency on oil. It doesn't just go into your gas tank folks. Look at all the PLASTIC it produces and there's a whole 'nuther can of worms. Find ways to reduce the energy you use. Even if it is a small amount, if a lot of poeple would just try it could have a huge impact.

We (not government) absolutely do need to step up to the plate.

[cbns]

Hello Rodney,
Bold statement. I don't agree or disagree with you at this point. But, it is difficult to support you without knowing your source. Please name the "authentic sources" you refer to so all of us can decide for ourselves.

[Edabel]

Why can Mexico pump, refine and sell gas in Mexico for $2.37 a gallon, but in the U.S. a country that produces 70% of our oil supply, not keep gas under $3.00 a gallon. Because greed of the oil companies and their influence in Washington. Why don't we remove tariffs on ethanol from Brazil, they run their whole country on ethanol and have extra to export. Our government has kept ethanol tariffs in place. Why? to protect big oil. If big oil starts drilling along our coast they will simply sell the new found oil at the highest price on the world market. Do we really think they will drill and refine the new oil to lower gas prices in the U.S.? like Mexico does today. No, but take a drive across the border to Mexico, you will find the gas is much cheaper.

[Gail Black]

The price of oil or its availability is not the core of our problem. It's just one more cog in the wheel of our country that's been wobbling out of control for decades!

I'm one of those stupid 'baby boomers' that bought into everything that was told to me without questioning who they were or what was said. I'm 65, I know better now; I'm educating myself and questioning the source and what is said. I'm staying at home as much as possible really trying to limit the resources I use. I'm better...we can all do better!

Sharing our knowledge freely is a good thing. Linking together and acknowledging each other, is a great thing! As we link and speak of our passion, we discover we are not alone in our thoughts for a sustainable world. We are strong in numbers and will live in harmony with nature and people. No species will die out. There will be no genocide here. Our food, air and water will be made pure. We are a free and equal people; bound by this belief!

We Need Audacious Leaders!

We need audacious leaders to carry out our demands! Our evolution is at stake. We are playing with Big Boys and they do not wish us to see the details of their frolic. We need not look far to see how our planet and people have been and are severely oppressed. These are very big Boys and they are not playing; they keep a keen eye on the bottom line. They would have you believe the poisoning of the environment and the people are a natural occurrence or an accident!

“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the government since the days of Andrew Jackson.” “In politics nothing happens by accident; if it happens, you can be sure we planned it that way.”

-President Franklin Roosevelt

I hope gas goes up to $8 a gallon also...maybe then people will be forced to make the changes that will shape a new world order!

[SF]

Ahh yes...proliferation of the Idiocracy

A trillion dollars for a war in Iraq could have funded an initiative to completely remove our dependence on unstable regimes for transport fuels...as a start. Talk about a national security initiative! Brazil, a country with many problems consistent with that of a third-world nation, has been able to do it with Biodiesel. Unfortunately our leaders are less concerned about our welfare and safety than they are about further expanding the bankrolls of the elite.

As fuel prices continue to rise due to *speculation* on the *future* demand posed by the ever-increasing energy consumption of India and China, so will the prices of *all* energy commodities in the markets...alternative fuels are *already* a cog in this rotten machine. In fact, U.S. Inflation affects *all* commodities in *all* markets. There are riots around the world due to food costs being driven up by the same inflation we see in our market which is dangerously reliant on access to cheap energy. Those days are *over*! We live in a country that has been operating on a rapidly failing system of *corporate socialism* carried under the guise of capitalism. If we are going to do socialism, why not do it for the people!?

Schwarzenegger in concert with someone like Bill Gates (specifically his money) could beat these corrupt capitalists at their own game by introducing *domestic* competition into the market by using the Salton Sea in California to grow blue-green algae to make Biodiesel, then promptly turn the ownership over to the people of California. This idea would take a significant shot at the catch 22 of transport-to-market fuel costs which are causing inflation and could prove to be the greatest philanthropic feat of our so-called modern time. Yea...I know it will never happen, but that does not mean that there are not solutions for the problems we face. Perhaps Bill should consider it because the American dollar lost 18% last year and, as prices continue to rise, his *billions of dollars* are continuing to be worth less in the markets...unless he's invested it all in European markets and gold! Possible...he ain't dumb!

http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html

The key to our success lies in the same place that has gotten us as far as we have...the breadbasket. We need to *produce* the things we buy, and when we buy, we buy locally...actual products grown/manufactured here in America by Americans. This concept becomes more viable each time the price of oil goes up. A locally produced loaf of bread can get to market for half the cost since there is less distance of transport involved. We beat this corrupt corporate socialism by introducing competition at the local level. Until then...keep sucking, suckers. We can complain all we want but currently we are bent over the knee of corruption with no alternatives, waiting for the next round of spankings. We need to wake up out of our apathetic, ignorant slumber and take action to progress our economic strategy to work in *our* favor...the elite will drop this economy like an ugly prom date, no doubt, it is already happening.

[Gailstrial]

“I am a most unhappy man, I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world. No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominate men”

Who said that? What did He Mean?

President Woodrow Wilson said this after he signed the Federal Reserve Act on December 23rd 1913.

Like I said before; oil is only one cog in our wobbling countries wheel!

[wpo]

O.K. so its all too clear that most folks who have reponded are against this initiative, but you know, we are a large and diverse nation, we come from all of the bits and pieces of the whole world, but, yes, we have sorted out a common way forward, and its mixed up with our 'porkiness' , so we dont want to be restricted by those who wpould like to cut us down to size, well it turns out that we need petroleum at this time, and it happens that we have this stuff, now tell me again why we dont just use the stuff ?.

[captbilly]

We should all be very thankful that we have gotten away with using oil as our major energy source for so long. The last thing we need to do in the midst of this latest oil crisis is to go looking for more oil so we can bring the price down for a couple of years. We need to take the opportunity to develope long term energy solutions. The energy content of all oil and coal came from the sun, we need to use that same solar energy to directly power our heaters. It is absurd the way we waste our precious oil and coal by burning it to generate heat. It is also probably nearly as wasteful to use oil and gas to power stationary power plants. The US is blessed with an abundance of unused land with nearly 365 days per year of sunshine, lets use it to make our electricty. In addition we can save hundreds of billions of dollars of oil and gas by heating our homes, hot water, pools and industrial processes with solar energy.

Save the oil and gas for those applications where we really don't have good alternatives like: airplane fuel, raw material for plastics and other organic compounds, and maybe some special vehicles that can't use other fuels.

[Gail Black]

“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the government since the days of Andrew Jackson.” “In politics nothing happens by accident; if it happens, you can be sure we planned it that way.”

-President Franklin Roosevelt

[Fred]

Of all this uninformed crap I laughed out loud to hear that wind and solar energy is the answer. Hilarious

[anonymous]

Right on captbilly.

Senator Reid from Nevada has some salient points:

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/global/story.asp?s=8513662

We should be funding power lines from unused desert and build solar farms. We need a voice to tell the FERC to keep their wind and wave farms out of our coasts. Leave the oceans in crisis alone!!!!

I know there will be sacrifice to desert habitats, but they are NOTHING compared to the irreperable damage to the oceans and the food chain. We do not and have never grown any major food in the desert. Most of the Colorado river water is not reclaimable - it goes to CA agriculture. We eat fish, thank you. We do not eat tortoises and scorpions.

[Sheila]

It makes no sense to open our waters to offshore drilling. It would take 5-10 years to get any of this oil to the pumps, and it's very unlikely that there's more than a few years' worth of oil reserves beneath our continental shelves. Oil companies have to do seismic testing to find favorable drilling sites. The seismic blasts are deafening to whales and dolphins. Autopsies of whales beached as a result of sonar and seismic blasts set off by oil companies and the navy have shown that these animals die of brain hemorrhaging. Last week over 100 whales beached off of Madagascar, where Exxon was doing seismic testing. The meager benefits of offshore drilling just aren't worth the oil spills, the dead dolphins and whales, and the damage to the coral reefs.

[Mike]

What matters to you most. Paying 4-5 dollars a gallon or 1-3 dollars a gallon?
Look im 14 years old and i think its unbelievable fuel is this much. I would like to drive a car without using all my work money on it. Hell, not saying i dont care about sea life but seriously. what do you care about most. Our lifes or their lifes. Huhh? Let us drill for oil. I dont understand. All the freakin Democrats are going "Oh its gonna take 3-10 years to get oil out of the new ones. Dude its better starting NOW THEN LATERr and also the OPEC is gonna go "Oh hell their serious and frickin gas prices will drop overnight. Can you Democrats not see what is going on. America is heading the way to another GREAT DEPRESSION because of gas prices theses days. LET US DRILL!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!

[Rodney Lamprey, jr.]

For the comment that wanted more information about the often repeated GOP lie that China has oil rigs off the coast of Florida:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/40776.html
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-cheney-oil-drilling,0,1671056.story

I know that it may be shocking to some to learn that VP Cheney might lie about something to further his objectives. If Cheney didn't check his facts about Chinese oil drilling, then it makes you wonder if his statements that "we know where the WMD's are hidden" in Iraq and "the insurgency is it's last throes" might also have been false.

[Gailstrial]

To Sheila, the 14 year old...so great thay you are involved in this on line ranting. glad to know there are young women out there who care.

however, you may want to take time to read the entire post by all the above.

peace

[JAC]

Bush should have demanded oil companies reopen some of the 350 refineries companies have closed since 1981.
He should have pledged that not one drop of American oil will be shipped out of the country.
USA is IMPORTING 10% of the gasoline used in the USA because there is no more refining capacity.
Bush should have demanded refineries operate at 100% capacity instead of ENRON capacity of 81%

[Susan]

What strikes me about politics today is that if a candidate changes their mind they are a flip-flopper even if conditions greatly alter when the original decision was made. If they refuse to change their mind they are stubborn and out of touch.

The environmental extremists have had their way for almost my entire life. Everybody pandered to that group because at that time the price of gas was not what it is today. So the average person on the street ignored all the doom and gloom from the left and went about their business. Now they can't go about their business and so now they are changing their minds just like any politician would change theirs when voters tell them they want to see a change in plans. Almost 60 percent of the voting population wants the drill anywhere possible to get us off the ME oil. Of course it is only one part of the solution. We still need several other options for energy that are feasible today to step up to the plate. Voters are changing and therefore Washington will be expected to change as well. The alternative is to be held as a hostage by these environmentalists that frankly act exactly like those nasty lobbyists that Barack is always talking about and to be held as a hostage by the ME. The oil is there to use and drilling is the only way to get it out at this point.

[Jay]

Oil alternatives will be neccesary in time but what do you suppose the country should do now people. Do you realise that everything you have is tied to oil in one way or another. Most poeple don't know just how important the trucking industry is to get raw materials and finished goods from factories to stores. What happens when these companies just can't affort fuel anymore. How about the construction companies building and maintaining our infrastructure.If drilling will help, then do it. As far as alternatives go, people in many countries have been searching for years. Some alternatives have been found or created but nothing good enough to displace our dependance on oil. Please poeple before you wish for our country to go in recession because of your environment or political beliefs think about your fellow neighbor who might be strugging with his small business or just what it might mean for low income poeple trying to buy food after prices skyrocket due to escalating fuel costs

[Ian P.]

Offshore drilling techniques has been improved enough that they don't pose a giant risk to the environment. Dems need to quit being scared and realize that if nature has lived this long (over 4 billion years) a little drilling in wildlife refuges won't hurt anything significantly.