Posted on 06/20/2008 8:37:29 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
(CNSNews.com) - President's Bush's call on Wednesday for Congress to lift its 27-year moratorium on offshore drilling is an "example of typical Bush White House politics," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) told Cybercast News Service Thursday.
Other leading Democrats on Capitol Hill also said they were surprised that Bush has not yet rescinded the executive office ban on drilling, which was established by his father, President George H.W. Bush, in 1990.
"What the president is doing is unfair to the American people to indicate, 'We will let Congress do something about it,' " Reid said. "He has the authority to do it himself."
"This is typical Bush White House politics. It's Orwellian," Reid added. "He has the power, with the signing of a pen, to release more options for offshore drilling -- he has the power to do this."
Congress imposed a moratorium on offshore drilling in 1981 and has extended it annually each year for all coastal waters, except for parts of the Gulf of Mexico and some waters off the coast of Alaska.
In 1990, the elder Bush also implemented an executive ban, which was extended by President Clinton, to last until June 2012. If the current president were to rescind that executive order, it would be a symbolic move because the congressional moratorium would still disallow further drilling.
Several other Democrats suggested the president should rescind his father's executive order before calling on Congress to remove its moratorium.
House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y) said he finds it "strange" that the president would maintain the executive order while telling Congress to lift the ban.
"It's very difficult for me to understand the thinking of the president," Rangel told Cybercast News Service.
House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), meanwhile, said the president has been back and forth on this issue, but that he should "probably" remove the executive order before directing Congress to eliminate their law.
But Sen. John Isakson (R-Ga.) told Cybercast News Service that while it would be "appropriate" for the president to rescind the executive order, the real burden is on Congress.
"He [Bush] is encouraging Congress to do it because that, in fact, vacates the current pending restriction on exploration," Isakson said. "We are sitting on a ham sandwich starving to death. There should not be a source available to us that we are not enhancing."
Not much of a trap. If the President did it and then took the public position that the RATS do not deserve to be in control of Congress since they stonewall our energy independence and let Joe Q continue to be at the mercy of foreiners, he could win on the issue.
He should hammer them every day in every way. There really is very little downside.
Nah won’t happen dittos’.
Stroke of the pen, law of the land; pretty cool!
If the GOP plays this right (and I emphasize the word IF)they could turn this into a winning issue in November.
The problem is that there isn’t one heck of a lot of space under the RATS’ current poll numbers to allow any drop!
Bush works for us, not the other way around. We can even call him "George," and maybe we should.
By sending our shuttles to capture other country's satellites for disassembly, meltdown, and "recyling"?? Suh-weeet!
The oil industry uses 20% of the world’s steel production. If the drilling and pipeline projects go ahead they would need more steel. Steel is already in a shortage situation, but it can be produced in space.
How about minus? -25%
What a great line that precisely conveys the image of what’s going on.
...and what congress is feeding us tastes and smells like crap.
Ah, finally a straight thinker. If Bush first rescinds the ban, then the Democrat-controlled Congress most likely would not lift the moratorium and nothing would be accomplished. Hopefully, in our Representative Republic we can pressure (election on a stick) our reps to lift the moratorium. At that point, drilling would be just a pen stroke away from our President.
Whatever
“Call their bluff and rescind the Executive Order. Then they won’t have any excuses.”
Um, these are Democrats we’re talking about. They ALWAYS have excuses.
When your enemy is committing suicide, let him. That is what Bush is doing. Bush has said if Congress will drop the ban, he will rescind the executive order. The Dems in Congress have made no such offer.
Bush is handling this right. If he does it on his own he, and by proxy, Republicans, will be accused of election year pandering every day from now to November.
No, now he's into "You first! No, you go first!" squabble, and provided Congress something to hide behind. He should show leadership and take the first step and repeal the Executive Order. Tthen say, "See? I've done my part. I've repealed the EO because I truly believe that drilling domestically is the best course for our country. Now, what about you?"
What the Prez is doing is very smart. Charlie Rangel is desperate to get this issue off the table, because it is poison for the Dems in November. If drilling is up to them (and it is), they have to vote against it and have most of them lose their seats to enraged gasoline buyers; or for it, and have their Stalinist, anti-American backers de-fund their campaigns.
Don't forget, Rangel is the master of proposing solutions he wouldn't actually vote for. Remember his proposal to bring back the military draft? He voted against it himself.
Notice that Obama has no room to move on this one, protesting weakly that "We can't drill our way out of trouble." If this issue won't go away, there goes the election for the Dems, from the top of the ticket to the bottom.
He should have said the following:
"It's very difficult for me to understand why additional domestic oil production would be considered as a source of energy for the country," Rangel told Cybercast News Service.
Do the dims eat stupid pills for breakfast EVERY morning?
Dems can read polls. They’re starting to panic...
True, RW. But my idea sounds like more fun, lol!
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