Political Punch

Dont fall for Pelosi scam on "limited" offshore drilling. Just let the ban expire and then talk about ANWAR if she wants to negotiate a complete energy plan!!

... since any solution that doesn't conform to an environmental extremist idea seems to be resisted without logical arguments"

Cyros, Were you alluding to me as an environmental extremist? My,my,that wasn't too nice if you were. I was just responding to your question about swapping leases which neither you nor I have. I'm totally lost with your last argument, but that's okay. You needn't explain again.

"Cant wait to see the pork she puts in the bill and the restrictions!!

This is a cover for her!!

Posted by: spock"

Yep spock totally agreed. She has already indicated ONE of the necessary provisions would be emptying the SPR. I posted below how disastrous and short sighted I believe that idea is and have yet to see someone on any thread come up with a rational based justification for emptying the SPR.

Cant wait to see the pork she puts in the bill and the restrictions!!

This is a cover for her!!

"Rodney. What is wrong with drilling for an insurance policy? OK, Use your ALTERNATIVES, but give us the oil, NOW!!

Posted by: Manitu"

This post is straight to the point of the situtation I think. No one is saying drilling for oil replaces any alternatives. We are saying affordable energy requires short term, transitional and long term solutions if we really want to solve the problem.

Alternative energy simply is not viable in the short term and things like the SPR, domestic drilling, nuclear, etc are good ideas strictly from the idea of having a backup plan. PC and environmentalism try to seperate their ideals from the consequences of those ideals but in reality they are tightly coupled.

"what you dont understand is that in our blindness we are putting pressure on the people rthat represent us to do things that they know are wrong---if 80% of the public want offshore drilling then that is what you will get-----BUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WILL BE GAINED AND THE 70 % WE IMPORT MAKES US OWNED BY OPEC---DONT BELIEVE ME---JUST LET THEM TURN THE OIL OFF--AND GET A LESSON IN KAOS"

So how will depending on more and more of OPECs oil make us any less dependant on them? Wouldn't having our own oil fields at least ready to produce help us prevent some of the intense crisis in this scenario since we could increase our domestic production to hopefully cover at least some basic needs?

Do you support the liberal positions such as Pelosi's on this issue? If so I have another question

As you pointed out if OPEC shut off the oil we would be in chaos. Don't you think this makes Nancy Pelosi's propsal of emptying our Strategy Petroleum Reserve scary?

We only have a 35 day supply (we used 20 million barrels a day and have 700 currently in the SPR) and to me that is the only buffer we have to prevent OPEC or world events such as nuclear war from causing huge problems in the US within a couple days and completely immobilizing our military.

"What do you think of my proposal to swap leases for the new land for the old land that is not explored.

Cyros- I assume the "new land" you're referring to is the protected off shore areas. Before leasing can occur with these areas, legislation needs to lift the ban. So it's hypothetical at this juncture if there would be leases available for the protected areas. So no, I would not swap non-explored leases for hypothetical leases in federally protected areas, or trade something for nothing. I do respectfully disagree, though this has truly been a Lewis Carol exercise in logic.

Posted by: kat "

Since most of the energy proposal is hypothetical I don't understand how you can consider this argument valid unless you want to extend it to the entire energy issue since any theory or planning is hypothetical until it takes place. So should we not support any energy plan since they are all hypothetical? This appears to be a cop out to not answer the question.

It costs hundreds of millions of dollars to explore different areas. Americans want cheap gas. Wouldn't the best and most efficient way to provide cheap gas and to quell speculation be to drill in areas of known oil reserves rather than spend a lot of money and time surveying areas that likely won't have any? Bush lifting the presidential moratorium lowered oil prices by $10 a barrel. Mike D's comments regarding OPEC and their gouging tie into what I am describing perfectly so I won't rehash the same idea and take up space.

The "unused leases" argument is mostly used as an excuse not to drill. It seems that the normal logical rules of solving a problem are not followed with energy and oil since any solution that doesn't conform to environmental extremist ideal seems to be resisted without logical arguments.

Once again if people think that drilling is bad that is fine everyone has the right to an opinion, but please be honest and fess up that the reality of the environmental ideals require expensive energy including gas and that we need to sacrifice the health of our economy to meet the ideals. That is the reality.

Hillary is right the press chose the candidates

Oh Nancy, just admit it already that you do not want Hillary Clinton to be POTUS. You never have and you never will.

Earth to Nancy: Hillary will be POTUS! If not this election, in 2012, and you will once again be on the outside looking in!

Nancy Pelosi-Worst Speaker ever!

nancy Pelosi is the epitome of a do-nothing Speaker!

Time for a history lesson people. Does anyone remember the gaslines of the 70's? Does anyone know how we got out of that? I do. Reagan decided we were going to make ourselves energy independent and started moving forward with plans. OPEC decided they couldn't lose the money they make off the U.S. so they lowered oil prices and increased production. The price eventually got so low that it was no longer cost effective for the U.S. to continue with their plans. We stopped and bought cheap oil from OPEC. Slowly the price started to rise and rise and rise. Fast forward to 2008 and the cost of a barrel of oil hits $140.00. America gets serious about drilling and, (GASP!!) the cost per barrel starts to drop. Why do you think that is? Strange coincidence huh?

You hear all the talk about the economy and futures and trouble in the middle-east. To my knowledge those things are still going on but the price of oil keeps dropping....hmmm...

Anyone ever hear "Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it"?

What do you think of my proposal to swap leases for the new land for the old land that is not explored.

Cyros- I assume the "new land" you're referring to is the protected off shore areas. Before leasing can occur with these areas, legislation needs to lift the ban. So it's hypothetical at this juncture if there would be leases available for the protected areas. So no, I would not swap non-explored leases for hypothetical leases in federally protected areas, or trade something for nothing. I do respectfully disagree, though this has truly been a Lewis Carol exercise in logic.

Rodney. What is wrong with drilling for an insurance policy? OK, Use your ALTERNATIVES, but give us the oil, NOW!!

Edwards lying cost Hillary Iowa. Pelosi is a fool!!

Yes, Pelosi, John Edwards, Dean, Reed, Kennedy, MSM and you, cost H.R. Clinton the elections and as they say in the movies, the voters are going to take you down!!!

You will see the results of your arrogance come the General Elections, if not before.

Watching Pelosi, Obama, and the lot is like watching goldfish flip floping around on the floor after their bowl has been knocked over!

Talk about flip-flops - just like her Leader! She was against the drilling, until she was for the drilling until she was against the drilling... Stay tuned!

It looks like people have stopped commenting on this thread. I would appreciate a debate on the many questions I have asked from opposing viewpoints if anyone reads them. Thanks.

Before someone asks no I am not "paid by Big Oil." I just believe that reality, common sense and reason should trump ideals that do not have reality, common sense or reason behind them.

If people think "drilling is bad" that is fine you have the right to your opinion but I prefer more rational arguments if you want to enact policies that will further weaken america in the global economy.

"Increased drilling will just add to ExxonMobil's record profits while doing nothing to ease gas prices.

How about auctioning the rights to drill in these protected areas and rebating the revenue back to the taxpayer? Now THATS something I think a lot of hard-hit democrats could get behind."

Maybe I'm interpreting this incorrectly but this sounds like a greed based "me" solution. Give "me" the money. FYI this money goes to the government which equals the taxpayer so it already happens.

Also to give a scale of size internationally Exxon is the 17th largest oil company in the world.

FYI Exxon's profit margins are around 10% normal for similar industries so their "record profits" are so big because they employ a lot of americans. So are companies that provide a lot of american jobs now a bad thing too?

"You think this oil is for America only. This is just another ruse by the Republicans and big American oil to fill their bankrolls even more. Once they get the go ahead to drill, do you think in 10 years that they will just sell it to the US? No, they will sell it on the world market for the highest price possible."

OPEC and other oil producing countries know they can put the screws to us politically and financially if we are not producing our own oil as we have no choice but to but it from them. As payment for producing oil the oil companies provide America with a percentage of all oil so regardless we do get some of it. Also if environmental concerns are an issue the biggest risk with petroleum from spills is in transportation so we are better off environmentally producing it domestically.

FYI the coffers you're talking about are largely our retirement funds.

Speaking of special interests do you think that massive contributions from extremist environmental groups to democrats to not drill, provide, nuclear, refinery capacity, etc do not influence their decisions?