Major Obama shift on offshore drilling; some might be O.K.

Another sudden switch and another major slide toward the center by Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.

He told a Florida newspaper today he is NOT against ALL offshore drilling for new oil resources. Switching from his previous blanket oppostion to expanded offshore drilling, Obama tells the Palm Beach Post he could get behind a compromise with Republicans and oil companies to avoid a gridlock over energy policy.

"The Republicans and the oil companies have been really beating the drums on drilling," Obama said in the Post interview. "And so we don't want gridlock. We want to get something done."

The freshman Illinois senator and presidential nominee-to-be added: "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."

The public struggle between the two parties and their candidates has been going on for weeks. And recent polls have indicated a shift by voters toward approval of careful offshore drilling as a way to increase petroleum supplies and reduce stiff gas prices.

Republican nominee-to-be John McCain was asked for a response to Obama's latest shift. The Arizona senator said: "We need oil drilling and we need it now offshore. He has consistently opposed it. He has opposed nuclear power. He has opposed reprocessing. He has opposed storage."

As political momentum appears to build for some new offshore drilling ast least along the Eastern coast, including Florida, President Bush recently rescinded one of two bans on the operations. Congress imposed one ban in 1981 and another was signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 and renewed in 1998 by President Clinton.

The current President Bush lifted the executive ban last month. But Congress, which left Washington today for yet another recess, the one a full five weeks, has not moved to change its prohibition.

Imagine that, progress through public debate.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[joe kiloz]

WOW ! OK, I've lived with "political nuances" most recently the Kerry effort, however, Obama's recent statements regarding his approval to drill offshore under certain conditions strikes me as nothing less than a sellout on his part. It leaves me nimble to think that Mr. Obama had taken a number of stands of which I stood side by side with him, like ending war, nowadays that has shifted into "more brigades for Afghanistan." Then it was Hillary and Bill Clinton are welcomed to help me, to the current condition (stay away and as far as you can from me). I don't know about you, but I can certainly define these as not "nuances" but a complete abandonment of what he wanted us to believe were his deep convictions.

[Clyde Nugget]

Another "change" for Obama, now offshore drilling. What a hypocrite. How can anyone believe a word this liar spits out of his mouth? He just cannot be trusted in the office of president and commander in chief. He looked at the polls, say that the majority of Americans are for offshore drilling, now he changes his position. The usual stuff with this arrogant self serving person.

[D Chew]

After the fiasco in Congress today and Obama's comments on inflating tires, I do not believe Obama or most Democrats in general understand the problems of their voting constituency. As Pelosi flies to California to reside in her plush mansion, I guess the rest of America can just suck up gas prices. No, things look much clearer to me today. Do what you want, but I'll clarify my position at the voting booth in 90 days. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice...

[Sam Cook]

What is he doing? This is a useless issue and how can he be for it!!! The man is stomping out all the fire under his campaign with each statement of stupidity.

[Pocho Saurus Mex]

Well, to all of the Obama-Fans out there, tell me how this isn't McCain scoring one against Obama? Yesterday Obama was against offshore oil drilling - today he is kind of for it? I wonder what his position will be on Monday?

[Sage]

Good for him. This takes yet another issue away from old McCain. It's great that Obama wants to do it along with higher fuel efficiency and more investment in renewables. And if it turns out that offshore drilling is too dangerous to the environment, Obama can call for a change after the election.

Overall, brilliant move and good politics!

[victor knopp]

thank god for us flatlanders this bad joke is almost over,the next thing we know obama will be claiming he thought of it first,this guy is unelectable,hillary better force a floor vote in denver, all fads end quickly,if the dems dont stop this electionjack there lame party will just continue to become nothing but hot air

[coolrepublica]

Of course as we all know, Barack did not flip-flop on the offshore drilling issue. It was his position all along.

I guess that 70% of Americans support offshore drilling was the number that made him come out of the offshore drilling closet.

Politicians are a species all their own and Obama is vying to be outdo them all.

[David]

lol. when i saw the title of this article i said "oh no"

after reading his statements, i admire this move. look, rigidness and the inablilty to work across the aisle is exactly what Bush and McCain offer as politicians. i have come to realize that compromise is what is important. can you imagine a president who can compromise intelligently and listen to both sides of the argument?

i really hope he is elected president. we simply cannot afford rigidness in the white house. republican or democrat, right now we need compromise because it is the only way anything can be done about this economic crisis.

now, i dont hate McCain...i am a little taken aback by his slander campaign lately...but i do realize this is a bid for the presidency, and no matter what promise a politician makes to run a campaign of decency, this is hard-nosed and while i find it wrong and dirty, i cant say i blame him. how else will Obama's seemingly cakewalk be tarnished? hes gotta throw a little mud at him. I like McCain as a person, not his past ordeals with adultery or the Keating 5, but him as an American. I do, however, know many great Americans who have fought in the war but are not fit to be President. i do wish well to all, however. we are all Americans, and the bitter partisanship must end.

Obama '08

[tom]

A little vague, for a news story. A Florida newspaper? Doesn't have a name or a link?

McCain seems to be left in a lurch, but what else is new?

(You need to read a little better, Tom.)

[milez]

i wonder how obama's sensible action will be spun. ugh hearing the word(s) flip flop is tiring! presidential candidates don't just sit around all day; as senators they're a part of a living breathing legislative organism.. an environment that flip flops by its very design! in a strange way that's what makes our democracy great. tho i have noticed lately that mccain's campaign really knows how to spin something that's not very bad into something that's really bad! >_<

[Rico]

I know this will be seen by many as another (in an increasingly growing) list of Obama "flip flops", but I, for one, am glad to see him reconsidering blanket opposition in the face of extraordinary energy challenges in the US. Alternative energy must be our top priority, of course, but the US should do everything it can to mitigate our dependency on foreign oil. Even though the benefits of drilling are almost a decade away (2017 by most estimates) and relatively minor (maybe a nickel amelioration, if that), any oil supply we can shift away from the middle east stems the flow of wealth from here to there.

As for the flip-flopping, it fits a pattern Obama established with "facts on the ground" rhetoric regarding Iraq. A president should be ready to do the right thing, even if it contradicts an early policy position. That is what any politican has to do if he/she wants to put the country first.

Now, if Obama can just admit that the surge worked, I'll *really* be impressed. Come on, O, you can do it.

[Ed Smith]

Again, it's just another ploy by Obama and his liberal news followers to promote his agenda of governing from the extreme left wing once "elected." He has flip-flopped on several issues to win the confidence of the advocates of that issue. It's all a plot by the Obamination to gain political power and rule the people with a liberal iron-fist.

[Ron Orf]

OK, I happen to agree with him. I believe that some drilling can be done safely. that being said, he is perfectly correct in stating that it will make no difference in gas prices as we will charge what the arabs charge. the american people will get squat out of this and their beaches and fisheries will be hurt, but the oil companies MUST be rewarded for jacking up prices and destroying the economies of the world.

[David]

Let's not forget that John McCain opposed drilling too. He changed just a month or so ago.

[BJ]

First Obama says there is no way drilling will help oil prices come down...

Obama will say and do anything to get himself elected! When are you zombies going to wake up to this fact?

Bring Hillary back!

[Eric]

Is this a "sudden switch and another major slide toward the center"? It is someone being reasonable and open to an opposing viewpoint. He is saying that rather than get nothing done he would work with those that favor an opposing strategy. Too often is our political discourse made into a oversimplified cartoon of the issues. Only an unreasonable person will refuse to consider another's point of view and work with them to create a solution. Obama has always said he would reach across party lines to achieve solutions that work for everybody. Please start serving your duty as journalists and stop trying to make a fight to sell papers. We can see through you.

[Jim Stoddard]

1. We don't drill on the land already available.
2. The bulk of the oil reserve it too far off-shore to produce any significant impact.
3. Exxon, in multiple stories on their incredible profit as recent as yesterday, as well as the industry as a whole, confirm that there is both an equipment and employee shortage within the industry.

The "new" off-shore drilling line is another quick-fix, feel good illusion. Of course oil companies would love it, any available employees/equipment could then be used to drill where it makes more economic sense to drill off the coasts (not where there's the most oil) vs. the remote areas (ie. costly) areas available today.

[Clyde Nugget]

I only say what voters want,
You can be sure I do,
We now for oil should hunt,
Me, lie? that's not new.
I'm Obama, I make no mistakes,
I know I'm such a fake.

[JackMB]

This is what makes Obama the ideal candidate for an ever changing world in the 21st Century. He sees offshore drilling NOW as a possible deal maker in a new energy policy that would also encompass new, higher CAFE standards for autos, newer technologies to be on the road sooner and huge fines for all oil companies and auto makers who can't put out a non-oil burning product in the next couple of years. Obama - promises to be bipartisan and means it. He's not a flip flopper...he listens...and wants to meet the needs of the people the fastest. Circumstances change..policies should too.

[Ervin]

I think it's brilliant on two sides 1) takes the fight out of the dog, and we will see who right about how it will lower gas prices. 2) show if you want to get thing done you must compromise.

[Scott]

Being utterly opposed to it and declaring that there's no way in hell that it will have any effect on the situation and then to agree to go ahead and agree to it is just stupid.

Did he mean what he originally fought for or not? If it's a bad idea then why reach across the aisle? A person needs to show CONVICTION to be President!

[RBI]

Obama is a liar and a an entiled elitist phoney.End of story.

[Obama makes sense]

You know, Obama can't re-educate everyone on energy and environmental policy. He has to work with what's at hand. If making a limited and calculated compromise can provide a means to stronger environmental protections and a comprehensive energy policy, I'm 100 percent for that.

We have to remember that America does not end at La Cienega Boulevard.

[Kathy]

Flip flopped again. Typical Chicago politician.