Posted on 07/29/2008 11:26:06 AM PDT by Ben Mugged
WASHINGTON – Are the Democratic leaders in Congress nervous about the growing grass-roots demand for lifting restrictions on domestic oil drilling?
Consider this: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has himself proposed a plan to open new areas for oil exploration – outraging senior members of his own caucus.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, ever aware of the way average Americans are being squeezed at the gas pump and through rising inflation due to higher energy prices, is supporting the plan.
While the proposal is drawing shrieks from those Democrats occupying safe seats in the House and Senate, it shows how vulnerable congressional Democrats might be to an uprising from voters in November.
The legislation, drafted by Reid and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., would open nearly a billion new acres off the coast of Alaska to study for drilling. It would also dramatically accelerate oil leases in the western and central Gulf of Mexico.
"I am unalterably opposed to drilling,” said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, (D-N.J., a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, who cited a massive oil spill that closed nearly 100 miles of the Mississippi River last week.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., urged Reid to be "very careful about drilling off the coast of Alaska."
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has one the opposite direction from Reid and Pelosi – sponsoring legislation to ban drilling in the North Aleutian Basin, an area that Congress has already opened to oil leasing.
Pelosi told The Hill that lawmakers should focus on the National Petroleum Reserve on Alaska's North Slope instead of offshore.
"There are tens of millions of barrels in the reserve," she said. "If you want oil in Alaska, drill there."
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
“There are tens of millions of barrels in the reserve,” she said. “If you want oil in Alaska, drill there.”
There are billions of barrels in ANWR and the offshore reserves, and trillions in the CO oil shale. Why should we settle for “tens of millions,” especially since the Dems themselves claim that such a small amount of oil will only reduce the price of gas by less than a cent?
Not sure I get the one on the left
Give them hard hats and put them to work. Slackers.
The Dems will offer only window dressing. Then they will take credit for opening up new drilling.
http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/energy/oil_gas/npra.html
It can’t be drilled for “new oil” since it is a working reservoir. What a a$$hat that woman is...
Darned right! They've been living off public support for waaaay too long as it is.
“”(and don’t give me that “F*** the caribou!!” stuff. That’ll just make more of ‘em)”
Not if it’s limited to the gay pride nuts!
BTTT
.....This plan is a non starter....
The reality is unfolding just as I described it many weeks ago. The pressure would rise to unbearable levels and th leaders would cave. The ones who need to will vote for drilling while those who don’t will keep up the front.
In my view, the votes were counted months ago and the plan that is now working was devised.
The drilling ban will be eliminated.
Possibly, Anwar will be maintained as untouched but is too close to call. My initial assesment was that Anwar would be the compromise. The coastal areas would be the drilling grounds. The pressure has risen more than I anticipated however and Anwar might just make it through and drilling will be alllowed.
In the great energy bill, nuclear will be snuck in under the radar and glare of gas prices. There will be billions used to buy off the alternate wackos.
Nancy is so smart that she can tell the oil companies exactly where they should drill to find oil.
No need for all those geophysists and all that bothersome seismic work anymore. Just ask Pelosi where to drill...
They're very tasty. Make more of them, by all means.
Check the Wall Street Journal oped page today, I believe.
They want to drill in the National Petroleum Reserve, which is spread out further, has less oil, and is further from the pipeline than ANWR.
I say they “want to”, which is probably wrong, they just want to “redirect” drilling from the spot where it SHOULD be done.
Think real hard now...
I hope the go-ahead-and-drill Democrats are brought to their senses and return to unreasoning opposition. I actually would like to see the price of gas stay where it is or continue to rise slightly until November. If McCain then jumps on it and hammers the Democrats for their opposition then the Nature of Congress will likely change for the better in this election. If the Democrats give in and the price of gas declines by $.50 then the Left Democrats will get the credit for Saving Our American Lifestyle and will increase their hold on Congress.
Just in time for the vacation season winding down. Thanks a lot for nothing! It doesn’t make a difference for us but we know a lot of families with little kiddos who are staying home this summer because they can’t afford to gas prices.
Yes, a family with four kids cuts the budget that close.
Maybe the hotel lobby got after Pelosi and Reid. That’s about the only people they’ll listen to. And the restaurant lobby.
But then, even idiots can hear the roar rising up in this country. 70%+ of the voters approving off-shore drilling is more a shout than a whisper.
ha!
It very well may happen....
“No compromise! We want an unconditional surrender. We need to drill AWNR soon and we need to drill off FL and CA and wherever.”
Yes, an unambiguous strategic defeat for the Dems.
We could compromise on the Nancy barks like a dog amendment.
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