He's a pragmatist. He always was.

That's too bad. We go from right-wing extremists to "pragmatists." What a country.

He is a pig. I can see his lipstick from Portland.

Drill, Baby, DRILL!

Thats the CHANGE all of you voted for.... Don't worry he will only be a one termer ala Jimmy Carter.....

We can drill for more oil, buy it from Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, or just go by streetcar.

Its one gift after another to the corporations.

The republican party uses fear to appeal to their base, the democratic party uses hope... that's the only difference between the parties.

Once elected they both read from the same script.. and every 4 years we get to award the best actor with the presidency. The political version of the academy awards.

Lie, lie, lie, baby.

Lets see, we can keep not drilling while allowing other countries to slant drill our offshore reserves. Most these countries don't use techniques that are safer for the environment. Or, we can drill it ourselves using all the latest and greatest techniques that protect the environment.

One way or another those reserves are going to be tapped. We might as well get the jobs and money from that oil while doing better then anyone protecting the environment. Most of you do know that there wasn't an environmental disaster from oil rigs during Katrina don't you? That's safe practices at work.

I voted for Obama and I'm glad he's drilling off shores.

I think it's completely hypocritical of Americans to use up one-third of the world's oil supply, but refuse to drill in our own country.

We depend on the middle east for our oil, and in the process prop up terrorist regimes and countries who oppress woman.

If we drill in our own backyard, then maybe this country will look a little more favorably on biking to work and increasing the tax on gas.

Hey, we don't need to drill off-shore; let's wait until the Chinese drill in the Gulf. Then we can sell them more bonds and use the cash to buy their oil. Another lose-lose! Go by bicycle!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574346610120524166.html

giving our energy dollars to poor countries: good

keeping our energy dollars at home: bad

it's all about money redistribution

Color me totally not surprised. The only thing that irritates me is that some many of his supporters didnt see this coming.

Its like Obamacare. Democrats are shocked at discovering all the bad things in it AFTER it is signed into law.

mk -
You (and the rest of the liberals) should not be surprised by Obamacare. After all, your girl (Nancy P) said that they needed to pass the bill so we could see what was in the bill. The majority of Americans elected Obama so they could see what a inexperienced mess he is.

Its like Obamacare. Democrats are shocked at discovering all the bad things in it AFTER it is signed into law.

Because nobody read the damn thing. Congress just voted blindly the way their party told them to.

Morons, all of them.

Hmmmm. This and Obama's cautious approval of more nuclear power seem like they could be some horse-trading to get some Republican votes and/or energy-industry support for a cap-and-trade regime or a carbon tax.

But even if not , promoting our country's energy independence is a good thing, especially if it keeps money out of the hands of petro-dictators that suppress dissent, build fundamentalist madrassahs, subjugate women, etc., etc.

This and Obama's cautious approval of more nuclear power seem like they could be some horse-trading to get some Republican votes

He's going to need a lot of Republican votes because he is losing Democrats and independents by the millions.

"what we all thought we were getting" -- nobody thought nothin' 'bout nothin' but getting AWAY.

"nobody saw this coming" -- not unlikely, when all eyes watch what's receding in the rearview.

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Being mindful that one billion barrels of oil (1 Gb) is consumed worldwide every 12 rotations of our planet, (80 Mb/day), or is consumed in the US alone in less than two months, (20 Mb/day), current research shows the 'fuel gauge' for Earth ... or, that is, humankind lifestyle as it is going on Earth; (the former flatlines on 'Empty' before the latter does).

Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf, incl. 2009 update and descriptions.
.

.

UK Telegraph Reports, "Oil Reserves 'Exaggerated by One Third'"--An Analysis, Posted by Gail the Actuary on March 25, 2010

Earlier this week, the UK Telegraph reported:

Oil reserves 'exaggerated by one third'

"The world's oil reserves have been exaggerated by up to a third, according to Sir David King, the Government's former chief scientist, who has warned of shortages and price spikes within years."

The article goes on to say,

"Sir David said he was "very concerned" that Western governments were not taking the concept of "peak oil" – where demand outstrips production – seriously enough, while China is throwing all its efforts into grabbing as many energy resources as possible."

There's more… (1034 words)

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... and if there's a mind to open eyes shut tight, (e.g., Darrin's), here's some data about Gulf Coast oil losses, and oil slicks, in the wake of Katrina.

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/111705_center_stage.shtml

© Copyright 2005, From The Wilderness Publications

November 17, 2005 1400 PST (FTW), DENVER —

MATT SIMMONS AND PAST-DUE HURRICANE BILLS

Energy investment banker Matthew Simmons, author of the hot-selling and controversial Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, offered FTW some telling insights into why the price of oil continues to fall in spite of widespread unrepaired damage from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Of particular concern was a lack of reports on damage done to pipelines from rig to shore in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Short term markets are driven by sentiment. And when you go from there being 50,000 oil contracts long and 10,000 short the price might be slightly lower. But if oil prices are going up, the analysts say that it’s speculation instead of supply. On the other hand, if prices are coming down, it’s because of milder weather, [and] reduced demand in the off-driving season, and a five-minute trend becomes projected as the future.” Simmons acknowledged that imports of refined gasoline, soon-to-end subsidies from IEA countries, and a healthy drain on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve weren’t even being considered in the markets as they should be.

When I asked Simmons how badly we were setting ourselves up for a major crisis this winter he didn’t hesitate. “Terribly! Because we needed to keep prices high to send out some signals that we needed to watch how we use energy. These signals are only encouraging people to use more.”

Then I asked the single most important question I had brought to the conference. “We know about the hurricane damage to refineries, to the terminals, and that we have lost 108 rigs in the Gulf. But what about the pipelines from rig to shore? If those are down, nothing else matters.”

As usual, Simmons showed no hesitation. “You know why you haven’t heard anything? Because they don’t have any idea. It’s hard to make a report when you don’t know anything. Unfortunately, there are some reports that say that the pipelines aren’t leaking. But so what? They’re not on. Nobody’s turned them on because they don’t know how extensive the damage is and they don’t know whether they’re going to start pumping oil and gas directly into the water.”

If Simmons is correct then that means that all US oil and natural gas production from the Gulf (except for the small portion transported by tanker) is still shut in and whether rigs are standing and refineries are working, as touted in the press, is irrelevant if there’s no way to get the product ashore.

Upon hearing what Simmons had told me, a retired production manager from the Gulf who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “He’s right but I can tell you that the pipeline damage is catastrophic and it’s going to take years to fix.”

- -

... but let me not repeat the link here, for the fourth time, to Wayne Madsen's report that Obama at Occidental College (1981-83) was on CIA retainer thru Business Intl. Co (BIC), (same as Valerie Plame was 'retained' at Brewster Jennings & Assoc.); CIA/BIC paid off his college loans after graduation; he traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan in '81-83 on intelligence-gathering assignments which he reported back then ... and has been CIA-vetted and -handled ever since, into office, and the present day. In view of such reported facts is the simplest understanding coherent and consistent with observed (non?)performance as POTUS -- global Supreme-Imperialist in Democratic-robed disguise.

AND in another view of the same 'disguise' tactic, linked today on Wayne Madsen Report (.COM), again, front-paging regular ol' published news clippings you never heard of:

U.S. NEWS

* No surprise here: Hutaree militia included undercover FBI agent. Hal Turner, Hutaree informant, etc. -- how many of these "terrorists," domestic and otherwise, are working for the U.S. government?

* More "change" from Obama. White House to open Gulf of Mexico to more oil drilling. Barack O'Palin: "drill, baby, drill!"

- -

"... but let me not repeat the link here, for the fourth time, to Wayne Madsen's report that Obama at Occidental College (1981-83) was on CIA retainer thru Business Intl. Co (BIC), (same as Valerie Plame was 'retained' at Brewster Jennings & Assoc.); CIA/BIC paid off his college loans after graduation; he traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan in '81-83 on intelligence-gathering assignments which he reported back then ... and has been CIA-vetted and -handled ever since, into office, and the present day. In view of such reported facts is the simplest understanding coherent and consistent with observed (non?)performance as POTUS -- global Supreme-Imperialist in Democratic-robed disguise."
===

I knew there was something fishy about his Occidental College dayz. Everybody was distracted by Columbia and Harvard, but nobody knows anything about the OC dayz.

Keep digging, Tenskwatawa. And then move on to Hawaii and the undocumented status of the POTUS.

Didn't he say he supported offshore drilling during his campaign? So...what did you think you were voting for if not a guy who stated that he supported offshore drilling?

Fools, all. Barack is bored, now that health care is done. He seeks to entertain himself by watching the Republicans oppose off-shore drilling now that he's proposed it.

I wouldn't be surprised if Obama didn't switch party affiliations after the 2010 midterm elections.

I'm not a fan of offshore oil drilling, but let's not pretend that this is a surprise. He did talk about this during the campaign.

We've backed ourselves into a corner with our insatiable appetite for oil and now that China has surpassed us in the purchase of passenger cars and oil for other purposes it's only going to get worse. A little drilling to capture the more easily extracted oil reserves within our boundaries will hardly put a dent in our oil jones. Other oil extration processes are cost-prohibitive.

It's almost as though we need a full scale disaster such as an oil eating fungus that will force research and bright minds to come up with an alternative. It can be done but the expense and lack of incentive explains why nobody pays any significant attention to exploring creative alternatives.

"... come up with an alternative. It can be done ...." NO, it canNOT be done.

Know that many bright minds and plenty Big Bucks have worked EPIC on it. The problem is NOT that bright minds aren't thinking with all their might.

The problem IS that ordinary minds can't grasp the simple idea that finite natural resouces -- LIKE OIL -- go to EMPTY!

i believe Obama is doing things that need to be done. We are a long way from energy independence, wars about oil are killing us, and we must drill, gas, split atoms, build windmills and get really serious about solar just to get from here to wherever energy paradise is. Times do change. Drilling isn't as bad as it used to be, and if the French can make nuclear work safely, we probably should ask them for technical guidance.

News flash! President Nixon launched Project Independence, declaring, "Let this be our national goal: At the end of this decade, in the year 1980, the United States will not be dependent on any other country for the energy we need to provide our jobs, to heat our homes, and to keep our transportation moving."

Even before the oil embargo, in 1970, Nixon proclaimed in an environmental message to Congress: "I am inaugurating a program to marshal both government and private research with the goal of producing an unconventionally powered virtually pollution free automobile within five years."

Let the political games continue.

I think Obama is just playing politics here. Smart politics.

We're probably only going to see more exploration offshore, but no actual drilling. It would take years to actually do any new drilling. It's a bluff by Obama.

In the meantime he can go after a cap and trade bill, having stripped Republicans of their main talking point (drill baby drill).