McCain: ‘We Have to Drill Here and Drill Now’

Democrats and OBAMA want America go into a depression to win an election.
Just like Democrats tried to sabotage the IRAQ war to win elections.
Republicans should just kick the opportunist Democrats out the door and take over congress.

Get behind John McCain and Please someone tell Mr. Obama that the strategic oil reserves are for national security, not to be used as an election strategy. A crisis like Hurricane Katrina is an emergency; there is no crisis right now, the only emergency is a slide in the polls for Mr. Obama. American’s are toughing it out on higher gas prices so tell the Democrats who are now on a 5 week summer vacation that you do not like them going on vacation without a vote on drilling, and lets use our experts to start rolling out other energy alternatives. We’ve made the Middle East rich enough, bring the money home to the US.

Ok Drill it out as fast as you can
but you may find by the time it gets to
market the world price of oil will
be 400 us dollars a barrel for Oil…
or it may be only 300 a barrel..
The point is this you are still going to
pay so much more you will not even notice
the offset from what we will pump in the
USA.. in ten years. time..
what others are saying is we MUST change
to other sources for energy and Now
is the time because its is going to get
to the point of wars over oil every year…We were warned years ago this
was coming and we did almost nothing
and so if you like were we are now
you all are just going to Love it in ten years time….

Yesterday, Nancy Pfotenhauer, Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) senior policy adviser, claimed that she had been “misinformed” when she falsely stated that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita “did not spill a drop of oil.” Today, McCain made another “misinformed” argument, claiming that oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico “have survived, very successfully, the impacts of hurricanes”:
Q: I’ve been listening to your comments around renewable resources – solar, tide, and wind – you’ve talked a lot about that, but you keep peppering your comments with offshore drilling. But I’m not sure what you think the impact on our environment is based on that.
A: Keep the microphone. I’m aware that off the coast of Louisiana and Texas there are oil rigs, as we well know, and those rigs have survived, very successfully, the impacts of hurricanes – hurricane Katrina as far as Louisiana is concerned.
McCain is wrong. According to press reports, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita “tore through the Gulf of Mexico’s offshore oil and gas fields, toppling production platforms, setting rigs adrift and rupturing pipelines.” The U.S. Minerals Management Service reported that the hurricanes totally destroyed 113 offshore oil platforms.
The hurricanes cost Transocean, the largest offshore driller about $135 million in repairs downtime and equipment upgrades” alone, and damage to offshore producers accounted for 77 percent of the oil industry’s storm costs. One offshore rig, the Ocean Warwick, drifted 66 nautical miles before running aground.
See the huge oil spill, the one that was so big it was visible from space???
10 miles wide and 80 miles long!
So, that’s OK with you conservatives? It’s alright to openly and obviously and blatantly lie to the American People? It’s what Conservatives do, brazenly lie and then call the media biased when the lie is exposed.
http://skytruth.mediatools.org/node/19981

Back during the Second World War we did all kinds of “crazy” things like tuneup our cars and properly inflate our tires to help the war effort… heck we kept chickens and planted tomatoes in the front yard… and you know what? It worked.
There is no single magic answer for energy, but there are a few big things (like nuclear power) and lots of little things (like increasing efficiency) which will help. Proper tire inflation alone can save 10%! Now that’s a lot of money and a lot of gas. There is nothing silly about that. And your car runs better to boot.
I think the best example of a “small” step, is the recent introduction of energy saver monitors… one day someone sat down with a pad of paper and figured out that we were wasting an entire city’s worth of electricity leaving our monitors running. One small step–the energy saver toggle in windows–saved untold millions and didn’t cost the taxpayers or consumers a dime. It’s precisely this sort of thinking that McCain is ridiculing… it’s a shame. Since when did the GOP become so detached from science and math?

CMSgt Preston – it doesn’t matter what McCain believes. After his string of gaffes, he’s been very tightly scripted.
Remember, he doesn’t necessarily speak for the campaign.

Hey Obama can flap his ears to make wind energy.
Posted by: President McCan | Aug 4, 2008
—-
Or air more polluted winds.

he has no energy plan? can’t read?
Obama’s Plan for a Clean Energy Future
New Energy for America (Learn More)
At a Glance
* Reduce the Burden of Rising Gas Prices on Working Families
* Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
* Invest in a Clean Energy Future
* Support Next Generation Biofuels
* Set America on Path to Oil Independence
* Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030
* Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change
Foreign Oil: America’s 20-million-barrel-a-day oil habit costs our economy $1.4 billion a day, and $500 billion in 2006 alone. Every single hour, we spend $41 million on foreign oil.
Climate Change: As a result of climate change, glaciers are melting faster; the polar ice caps are shrinking; trees are blooming earlier; more people are dying in heat waves; species are migrating, and eventually many will become extinct.
Barack Obama’s Plan
Reduce the Burden of Rising Gas Prices on Working Families
Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Barack Obama has called on the President to enact a second round of economic stimulus to immediately put tax rebates in the pockets of American families to pay for rising energy prices. As president, Obama will enact a tax fairness agenda that provides 150 million workers a “Making Work Pay” tax credit of $500 per person or $1,000 per working family.
Crack Down on Excessive Energy Speculation
* Fully Close the “Enron Loophole”. One of the reasons our energy market is particularly vulnerable to excessive speculation is the so-called “Enron Loophole” which prevents the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from fully overseeing the oil futures market. As president, Barack Obama will fully close the Enron loophole by requiring that U.S. energy futures trade on regulated exchange to crack down on any excessive speculation in the energy market.
* Ensure That U.S. Energy Futures Cannot be Traded on Unregulated Offshore Exchanges. Barack Obama will limit the price impacts of excessive speculation by preventing traders of U.S. crude oil from routing their transactions through off-shore markets in order to evade speculation limits and also impose reporting requirements.
* Work with Other Countries to Coordinate Regulation of Oil Futures Markets. Barack Obama believes we must work with our other countries to establish uniform approaches to avoiding excessive speculation in commodities futures markets. This effort will help ensure that as the U.S. strengthens oversight and transparency in U.S. exchanges, these efforts are not undermined by overseas trading subject to lax regulations.
* Call on the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice to Vigorously Investigate Market Manipulation in Oil Futures. Barack Obama does not believe we cannot afford to wait weeks and months more to vigorously investigate whether energy traders and oil companies manipulating the market at the expense of consumers. He is calling on the FTC to immediately expedite its investigation into market manipulation, including in the oil futures markets.
Enact a Windfall Profits Tax on the Top Grossing Oil Companies and Ease the Burden on American Families: The oil industry has profited greatly—over $150 billion in 2007—due to global instability fueled by conflict in Iraq, failing domestic fiscal policies that have weakened the U.S. dollar and skyrocketing global demand resulting from a lack of investment in alternatives. Barack Obama supports imposing a windfall profits penalty on oil selling at or over $80 per barrel. Revenue from the proposal will be invested in a number of measures to reduce the burden of rising prices on families.
Require Oil Companies to Use Existing Drilling Leases: The 68 million acres of stockpiled leases have the potential to produce an additional 4.8 million barrels of oil each day. This would nearly double total U.S. oil production. The Obama plan would force oil and gas companies to either produce or pay a fee on unused federal onshore and offshore leases they are stockpiling.
End Oil and Gas Industry Tax Breaks: Obama has called for repealing the oil and gas industry tax breaks that President Bush himself has said himself are unnecessary given today’s strong market incentive for expanding exploration and production.
Cooperate with Oil Importing Nations to Reduce Demand: As new large oil importing nations come on the market, the United States is at the mercy of an ever more volatile oil market. Obama believes we should use existing organizations, like NATO, to make energy security a shared global goal. We should take steps to engage the largest new consumers, China and India, including by inviting them to join the International Energy Agency.
Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
* Cap and Trade: Obama supports implementation of a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the amount scientists say is necessary: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Obama’s cap-and-trade system will require all pollution credits to be auctioned. A 100 percent auction ensures that all polluters pay for every ton of emissions they release, rather than giving these emission rights away to coal and oil companies. Some of the revenue generated by auctioning allowances will be used to support the development of clean energy, to invest in energy efficiency improvements, and to address transition costs, including helping American workers affected by this economic transition.
* Confront Deforestation and Promote Carbon Sequestration: Obama will develop domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers, and ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands, or undertake farming practices that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Invest in a Clean Energy Future
* Invest $150 Billion over 10 Years in Clean Energy: Obama will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid. A principal focus of this fund will be devoted to ensuring that technologies that are developed in the U.S. are rapidly commercialized in the U.S. and deployed around the globe.
* Double Energy Research and Development Funding: Obama will double science and research funding for clean energy projects including those that make use of our biomass, solar and wind resources.
* Invest in a Skilled Clean Technologies Workforce: Obama will use proceeds from the cap-and-trade auction program to invest in job training and transition programs to help workers and industries adapt to clean technology development and production. Obama will also create an energy-focused Green Jobs Corps to connect disconnected and disadvantaged youth with job skills for a high-growth industry.
* Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders: Obama will establish a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize and Americans learn the new skills they need to produce green products.
* Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund: Obama will create a Clean Technologies Venture Capital Fund to fill a critical gap in U.S. technology development. Obama will invest $10 billion per year into this fund for five years. The fund will partner with existing investment funds and our National Laboratories to ensure that promising technologies move beyond the lab and are commercialized in the U.S
* Require 25 Percent of Renewable Electricity by 2025: Obama will establish a 25 percent federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to require that 25 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by 2025.
* Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology: Obama will significantly increase the resources devoted to the commercialization and deployment of low-carbon coal technologies. Obama will consider whatever policy tools are necessary, including standards that ban new traditional coal facilities, to ensure that we move quickly to commercialize and deploy low carbon coal technology.
Support Next Generation Biofuels
* Deploy Cellulosic Ethanol: Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes and government contracts into developing the most promising technologies with the goal of getting the first two billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013.
* Expand Locally-Owned Biofuel Refineries: Less than 10 percent of new ethanol production today is from farmer-owned refineries. New ethanol refineries help jumpstart rural economies. Obama will create a number of incentives for local communities to invest in their biofuels refineries.
* Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Barack Obama will establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard to speed the introduction of low-carbon non-petroleum fuels. The standard requires fuels suppliers to reduce the carbon their fuel emits by ten percent by 2020.
* Increase Renewable Fuel Standard: Obama will require 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be included in the fuel supply by 2022 and will increase that to at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030.
Set America on Path to Oil Independence
Obama’s plan will reduce oil consumption by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels per day, by 2030. This will more than offset the equivalent of the oil we would import from OPEC nations in 2030.
* Increase Fuel Economy Standards: Obama will double fuel economy standards within 18 years. His plan will provide retooling tax credits and loan guarantees for domestic auto plants and parts manufacturers, so that they can build new fuel-efficient cars rather than overseas companies. Obama will also invest in advanced vehicle technology such as advanced lightweight materials and new engines.
Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030
* Set National Building Efficiency Goals: Barack Obama will establish a goal of making all new buildings carbon neutral, or produce zero emissions, by 2030. He’ll also establish a national goal of improving new building efficiency by 50 percent and existing building efficiency by 25 percent over the next decade to help us meet the 2030 goal.
* Establish a Grant Program for Early Adopters: Obama will create a competitive grant program to award those states and localities that take the first steps to implement new building codes that prioritize energy efficiency.
* Invest in a Digital Smart Grid: Obama will pursue a major investment in our utility grid to enable a tremendous increase in renewable generation and accommodate modern energy requirements, such as reliability, smart metering, and distributed storage
Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change
* Create New Forum of Largest Greenhouse Gas Emitters: Obama will create a Global Energy Forum — that includes all G-8 members plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa –the largest energy consuming nations from both the developed and developing world. The forum would focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues.
* Re-Engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change: The UNFCCC process is the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem and an Obama administration will work constructively within it.
Barack Obama’s Record
* Renewable Fuels: Obama has worked on numerous efforts in the Senate to increase access to and use of renewable fuels. Obama passed legislation with Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend. Obama also sponsored an amendment that became law providing $40 million for commercialization of a combined flexible fuel vehicle/hybrid car within five years.
* CAFE: Obama introduced a bold new plan that brought Republicans and Democrats, CAFE supporters and long-time opponents together in support of legislation that will gradually increase fuel economy standards and offer what the New York Times editorial page called “real as opposed to hypothetical results.”

McCain and his handlers know full well that this is a complete shuck since there will be no effect on oil prices for at least ten years and even then it will be minimal. This is a gut issue and until the mass media make a serious effort to educate the public about the actual effects of off-shore drilling this will remain a hot-button for the McCain-Rove-Bush team as they continue to exploit the ignorance of the voters and smear Obama. Business as usual.

McCain is right again. We need to drill off-shore and tap into our resources, while seeking renewable energy solutions with wind, water, and solar power. The clean power should be the highest priority for the long-term.

McCain continues to prey on the ignorance of the average American voter….god, this is sad. Again and again I keep hearing that “drilling here and now” will solve our oil problem…the problem is that line is a big lump of crap. We would not see ANY effects (other than environmental) for about a DECADE. Add to that the cost of building those rigs and the cost of drilling/speculation, and the price difference reflected will be a few cents on the dollar..and who knows how much a gallon will cost by then.
Keep going, and you’ll hear about oil shoal, which is more expensive to refine, and produces a lower grade oil. FURTHERMORE, all of this oil in Alaska they talk about was last earmarked for sale to China….tell me again how that helps us break our dependency on foreign oil. The way I see it, we’ll be MORE dependent, as we’re apparently looking to sell OUR oil to f***ing China.

I would love to have one of those now-famous tire pressure gauges. Inflating my tires really would increase my gas mileage.

RealDemocrat,
“Obamas energy plan is socialist.”
Asking the citizens to help out during energy “crisis” is socialist? Asking the citizen to support the troops fighting for US is socialist? I dont think so. And its just a request, as of now he has no power to regulate it. Obama, in fact is spreading an important idea that Americans should be following everyday. Its all by choice and no one would force it on you…no one would be able to pass a “inflate your tires now” bill. But why not do it? Its for your good and good of the whole. In the long run every little bit will count and this inflating tires’ little bit by the math above is way more than the off shore drilling’s little bit.

Josh J.,
Ask around and see how many people actually keep there tires at the right pressure at all times. Majority doesnt.

RealDemocrat-
Explain how there will be an immediate price drop….are we going to just will the oil out of the ground, where it will be magically refined by a bunch of imps wearing McCain masks?
Do the research, genius, we won’t see a drop for about a decade.
Perhaps, if we actually funded research for true alternative energy (NOT ETHANOL), we might be able to come up with a decent solution some time in the next f***ing century.
Or, if you wish, we could all join you in burying our heads in the oil shoal. But yeah….keep pushing your crap while offering nothing to back it up….good on you.

Henderson: If you knew your history you would KNOW that OPEC does not want us to become energy capable. They destroyed the US Oil industry in the late 70′s and 80′s by providing more supply and driving the prices down to a level where it became cost prohibitive for the US to drill here anymore.
We start the drilling here and now, OPEC will increase supply to a level that will make us forget about drilling here and now. Cause and effect.
You have to think strategy.
We continue to drill here and now and in 7 years we get off of the OPEC Mamary gland and quit supporting our enemies.

Obamaites: please stop letting Obama think for you.. Think for yourself. Use a little common sense and use logic over emotion. Cause and effect.

OK so we drill now and in 10 years the pumps will say $8.00 / gallon.
This makes us independant, how?
McCain need to understand, the last time we listened to a Bush, people wandered aimlessly for 40 years!

DAVID NH-
Good luck, man…get ready for a bunch of talking points and/or conspiracy-laced history lessons *rolls eyes*.

I say open up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; we’ve done it in the past – twice – so why not now. Gas prices are too high and John McCain’s idea is too OLD.

haha RD, McCain added, “Let’s start working for the American people and not for ourselves.”
Exactly…sell the gas guzzler, buy a hybrid, keep the tires inflated. Do not think for yourself, think for the American people(everyone else)!
Indirectly, McCain believes in Obama’s energy plan.

David: I do not believe it will take 10 years if congress will clear the existing hurdles. All the permits and the filed lawsuits from Eco groups.
This is a National Emergency. If you think we are on the Gold Standard you would be wrong. We are on the Oil Standard. We need to get off of Oil. Our eyes have been opened. In the meantime we have to keep this economy from completely tanking. We have to drill in the short term to help us make it to the long term.

“So you are saying we can afford to wait? If Obama wins and you start seeing wall street tank and we go to a greater depression and you have to pay more taxes to support the poor in Africa.”
Are YOU insane? Do you think I am going to take an irrational if statement seriously? Why would you see wall street tanks? Why would we go to a greater depression? Why would we pay more taxes to support the poor in Africa? Back it up with some of that reasoning in ur small brain and enlighten us. I never posted here to say put Obama in office or put McCain in office and to be honest I havent picked who I want to see in the office yet. I am just arguing about energy. Lets get back to the topic. Why cant we not afford to wait? Whats going to happen in the next 3 years that would totally screw us over with a “great depression?”

How does McCain plan to force the Oil companies to drill. Oil companies already have 68 million acres under lease that they aren’t drilling on now. Oil companies are trying to keep production low so they can continue reaping their record profits. McCain’s plan gives the oil companies more and by the way cuts their taxes too. McCain has the same plan as cheney and bush.

wlw100, fyi
The so called 68 million acres under lease are either proven to be dry of oil or the oil that may be available is hard to get to. The Democrats are just using these so called 68 million arces as another big lie to prevent the oil companies from going after known and rich sources of oil off shore and in Anwar. My question is, why not let the oil companies go after the known oil available to us in the US? Or would the Democrats and Obama rather that China get there first by drilling sideways like they plan to and drain Florida of all of its off shore oil before we can get to it? I wonder about this since a lot of money going into Democrats pockets are from China.

FYI for all you uninformed individuals who know little or nothing about the oil production business. New well starts are occuring off shore in Alaska, Texas & Lousiana. You can check for your self by reading the Oil Industry Journal they list every new well start by location and date of well start. You people kill me how you let both sides try to brainwash you with facts they know aren’t true.

Ronaldraygun, If you are interested in economic growth thus new and higher paying jobs going forward in the US, I do not belive that you will get there with conservation. Sorry I do not believe conservation is a good solution to our energy problems if you are interested in economic growth going forward in the US. However if you are really interested in living in a declining economy with no or negative job growth and a lower standard of living, go for it.

mary-
Here’s the kicker….how are we going to PAY for all of it? It’s not going to come out simply because we want it to…it’s going to cost some SERIOUS money that we frankly don’t have. Oh well…I guess Bush/McCain will just have to cut those veteran’s benefits again. Support our troops, love it or leave it, manifest destiny, and all of that lovely crap. . .

Mary,
I agree with you. If you are for a US in decline with a no or negative economic growth and a delining standard of living, Obama is your guy.

Who really believes that opening up even more areas for drilling will actually help the gas prices of today? What a knaive and simplistic solution. The oil comapanies have plenty of leases yet to exploit. It will be many years before additional drilling would impact the price of a gallon of gas. And the focus would be off of alternative fuel solutions, something the gas companies and the car companies would be fine with. Alternative fuel sources are the best answer to foreign oil dependance No, new drilling isn’t the answer for anyone except the oil companies. Just a great big HANDOUT from the greedy GOP to their greedy friends in the energy industry. And the American people continue to suffer…

I have been reading all of these posts and with all of the untapped energy sources out there, my question is why now go after it? I have yet to see one person who is against going after all of this oil, oil shale, coal, natural gas and nuclear, come up with one credible reason for not letting the energy companies go after the energy and make it available to the public. I do not see the government capable of doing anything to increase supplly. All the government seems good for is to artifically restrict the supply and thus make prices go higher. Restricting supply and confiscating money from the profits of the oil companies seems to be the solutions Obama and the Democrats are proposing. I just do not see how this helps increase the oil supply and bring the prices down.

tim-
What up? Ready for round 3?
Biofuel has no interest in keeping us from the oil. They NEED the extra oil to refine that stuff, which, IMO is a HORRID way of claiming “alternative” energy.
And, sadly, you are correct….we do need more oil….damn it.

America is in trouble. We need quick relief (tapping into the reserves)as well as a plan to end our over-dependence on OPEC oil (alternative fuel methods).
I bet once the world hears we are going to start tapping reserves, price will start to fall. We are the world’s best customer and our suppliers are accustomed to a hefty revenue stream from US. Who would want to lose us as their best customer?
So hold tight and let this play out.
I find it encouraging that Obama is humble enough to revist his policies on energy. His shift proves he is willing to go back to the drafting table willing to rethink, revise in order to find a solution. Gone are the days of being stuck with an idea you thought would work, especially when the landscape severly shifts. So give the man some space to work.
The way this country is accustomed to operating has ran us in the red.
We are in crisis mode. We will see both candidates revise, rethink and sometimes reverse their stance order to bring America back to where she once stood. GIVE THEM ROOM!

Forget about transportation, not that you really can, and think just about home heating. Oil and gas heat most houses. Geothermal and solar may work for some, particularly those with the cash and in the right location. For many, probably most, there is no immediate alternative to heat your home. Yes, I know, coal, wood and pellets are options for some. But for now most folks need oil and gas and they need it at an affordable price. I hope you Pelosi, Obama and Moveon.org supporters take comfort this winter when they fly over. You know they will feel your pain, from 30,000 feet.

Jr, straight from Newsweek…..red tape and exploration makes the Oil companies leases non productive at this time. Open the 18 billion barrels off the coast.
New drilling means something different to congressional Democrats than it does to Republicans.
Democrats argue that oil companies are not going after the oil where they already have leases, so why open new protected areas? Democrats say there are 68 million acres of federal land and waters where oil and gas companies hold leases but are not producing oil.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, calls lifting the offshore drilling moratorium “a hoax, subterfuge, a decoy” that will not lower gasoline prices and will not produce more oil any time soon.
Many energy experts say the Democrats’ claim that oil companies are sitting on millions of acres of federal oil and gas leases also is questionable, and irrelevant when it comes to responding to high fuel costs. Often the leasing, permitting and exploration phase takes years, during which leases technically would not be considered productive.

Thank heavens for Big Oil. Let them get busy and do their work.
Obama won’t be able to do a wind fall profit tax. It is unconstitutional.
They can’t single out one business to tax profits. They are working on a 2% margin.
Other businesses make more net profit than oil companies.
Oil companies are owned by share holders. They employ thousands.
I am sick and tired of the dems playing the class warfare card. Their envy and jealousy will not help the country.
Nancy is supposed to be working for Us.
She is scared to bring drilling to a vote as she knows her liberal leanings would lose. Some one should tell her she isn’t Mother Nature no more that BHO is the ONE who will save the world.

Spenderson, who cares what the Reps did 7 1/2 years ago? Stop living in the past dude. Don’t be insane. VOTE McCain!Obama does not have a clue, neither does Nancy Bela Lagosi.

David-
“Spenderson”….nice….has a ring to it.
I don’t really care that they didn’t try to push it through, I’m just pointing a bit of the funny that I saw in that person’s post.
P.S. Nancy “Bela Lugosi”…..I dig it.

Can anyone tell me where unused oil rigs are standing there waiting for work? How many new ones are under construction and will be operational in the next 2 years? Without these massive and complicated machines, there is no new drilling. Where are they “my friends”?

I still havent hear McSanes short term solution to the gas problem. Dohhhh

Obama’s tax, spend and redistribute economic policy is a socialist idea. Big Oil is basically a scapegoat for Obama and the Do Nothing Democrats. Their idea of windfall profit tax certainly makes them look liked a champ to the voters but we are not the United Socialist of America.Furthermore, why tax more when tax dollars are wasted on congressional earmarks.In reality, windfall profit tax stands for more tax dollars, more earmarks.A windfall profits tax on oil was an American disaster in 1980s. It has been criticized by many economists as being counterproductive.

Obama’s economic policy is a recipe for disaster and more jobs to drift away overseas.
1. Windfall profit tax
2. Tax the rich
3. More government regulations
4. Tax more, Spend more and redistribute

I agree with Obama that offshore drilling is next to useless. I don’t think we should bother. The oil companies wouldn’t even want to do it if oil wasn’t priced so high. They don’t care what common citizens pay and they could care less if offshore drilling makes a difference.
Where I disagree with Obama is the nuclear thing. They should be building these plants on every major waterway in the country………. and before you want to go telling me about the risk, please take into consideration that I live (now and then) within the 10 mile circle of Three Mile Island. I know the risks and I think we should be taking them.

>”McCain also used the opportunity to rIfidicule Obama’s suggestion of tune ups and tire inflation as a method of conserving energy.”
McCain is making stupidity a virtue.
Obama’s suggestions are from the governments own website:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml
Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned: savings: $0.16/gallon
Keep Tires Properly Inflated: savings up to $0.12/gallon
We’ve had 8 years of the “dumb” guy, and enough is enough. Let’s vote for the smart guy for a change.

Let’s see, the Bush administration, Charlie Crist (McCain’s possible running mate and fellow republican), Gov. Schwarzenegger and NASCAR all recommend tune-ups and properly inflated tires as a method to help with the high price of gas. McCain should fire his staffers as they don’t know how to do their research BEFORE giving John his new talking points which has the tendency to make McSame look as incompetent as Bush.

yeah, drill, drill, drill. This is the kind of short term thinking that got us into this mess to begin with. Either we develop clean, renewable energy sources now, or begin staking out caves.

Being a POW grants McCain the distinction of having sacrificed for his country. Can you possibly understand that concept?
Posted by: bombem | Aug 5, 2008 8:15:56 AM
I don’t think the Obamabots understand the meaning of “sacrifice”, since their lord Obama has not used the term in his empty rhetoric.

McCain follows anyone who will give him money. He’s saying drill, drill, drill when really we need to find other ways to be more independent. Even if we find the oil we are not going to hold onto it just for domestic use. India and China will be our major customers, and with both countries with 1+ billion people each, they will eventually deplete whatever oil we find. I do understand that it would be a good short-term fix if there was a guarantee of the barrels we could find offshore. What they don’t say is that it’s not definite if there is anything offshore, which would be such a waste of money to put that much money into it and we don’t find anything. There are guaranteed sources like the oil shale, but it’s so unpopular, because of the cost and harm to the environment. So I understand why everyone is saying drill, drill, drill, but we can’t waste anymore money. We have a 9 trillion dollar debt, and almost 500 billion dollar deficit. We are broke right now and need to work on finding ways to reverse that, then get to work on possibly drilling, but right now we want to right checks we can’t cash. In the past 8 years we have helped so many countries get on our level, because of this ridiculous war and buying oil from supposed enemies. We want to stop Iran from making weapons, yet they are a major supplier of oil to us. The Republicans talk a good one, but have the worst ways of doing things. I’m voting for Obama, because at least I feel that other countries will work with him on our challenges, and I feel that he will be able to lead the country back to it’s former standing in the world. Everyone is against us, because they feel we’re protectionists and are enemies to them, and it’s time to change that view.

Let’s look closer at what you said Jack:
1. Windfall Profit Tax on Oil Companies- Would help with creating new sources of energy, which would lead to more jobs, which would replace the more than 2.5 million loss since 9/11 and add about 2.5 million more on top of that, and give tax relief to 95% of the citizens in this country.
2. Tax the Rich-He’s not increasing their rates, he’s just removing the tax cuts they already got under Bush, which most didn’t ask for, and it would also help with many of the social problems we have now, like Social Security, Education, Healthcare, and our military.
3. More Government Regulation-Majority of the country across party lines say that we definitely need more regulation, because of mortgage crisis, corrupt banks, and in general, greed among CEOs who are only looking out for their end result. Notice that most of the CEOs that were part of these large banks got out right before the companies failed with big bonuses, i.e. Citi-Chuck Prince-approx. $20 million last year b/f he resigned, company lost over $10 billion in the last quarter alone.
4. Tax More, Spend More, and Redistribute-He’s only increasing taxes on less than 5% of the country, which got billions, if not trillions in tax cuts, so he’s in effect reversing and filling the void that Bush put in place to deal with our social problems and to finish the original war that was started in Afghanistan, which really should have been in Pakistan.
So semantics will not work this time around. The American people know too much and are tired of hearing all the BS from the Republicans, which have vetoed bipartisan bills or held off voting on them for no reason. Now we want to come out of recess to handle something that has been coming up for the past 2 years. Obama for President, it’s time for some real changes not just a bunch of BS.

Obama is proposing raising the top marginal rate on ordinary income. That will drive money offshore as the wealthy seek to protect their life’s earnings for their descendants. Obama wants to nearly double the capital gains rate to 28% and dump the exclusion for the sale of primary residences. When you or your parents sell their home, they will have to give 28% of any profit to the government. Is this really the “change” you want?

Marcus – The cost of the oil exploration is born mostly by the oil companies. In fact, it seems that the cost of pipelines, etc. could be put on the table as part of an energy plan. We’ve got to figure something out. You know the U.S. uses 20% of the world’s oil – but we produce 28% of the world’s GDP. We may have become prone to hate ourselves, but we are still the key to the world’s prosperity and future.

Why does the McCain campaign refuse to discuss the $2 million in recent contributions that they have gotten from the oil industry? What are they hiding?

“What are they hiding?”
John Barton, welcome to Politics 101.

I don’t think the oil companies truly want to drill since they know that America can switch to alternative energy before they can turn a profit. We must face facts, peak oil, the end of easy to reach and pump oil, has been reached. Oil companies would be foolish to invest in drilling when the DOE has plans for the Hydrogen economy to go mainstream in 2010!!! Any questions, research at http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/index.html

In the past two years big oil, such as Exxon and Chevron have been re-purchasing their own stock. They have invested more money buying back stock, which enhances their share holder market value, than they have in research and development, exploring, and/or development of new wells, even on existing leases. Both Exxon and Chevron have stated at the current price level, or lower, it has not been economically feasible to invest in new wells, which of course, means, had they invested in new wells at lower prices than current, their bottom line profit would not have been possible. Given these facts, and the fact that the current industry cost, according to EIA and others, of drilling a standard off shore well has averaged between 15-35 million dollars, and the fact that a deep ocean well such as Jack I recently brought in at the Jack II field in the Southern Gulf at a cost of over $100 million, what makes McCain think oil companies will attempt drilling in additional off shore leases at today’s price? Answer is, they probably won’t. At least not anytime soon. What additional leases will do however, is increase their reserve potential to enhance their bottom line value making them more attractive for large investors. When the cost of oil reaches two to three times what it is today, then you may see additional drilling, and possible additional exploration and development of sources such as the oil shale in the Western states. A Chevron spokesman even stated that “Jack I would not have been possible, nor any additional development be possible, without the price of crude remaining at today’s level, or even higher”. Senator Obama knows this and has attempted to bring these facts to light, while John McCain attempts to use smoke and mirrors to pull the wool over voters eyes. Use your head people. Oil companies depend upon volume, or sustainable higher prices in order to maintain their current profit ratio. Peak cheap oil has been reached in the majority of oil producing countries with known reserves, and is on a decline, all while consumption increases. What makes you think these oil companies will further their own demise by further reducing their inventories without sustaining their current profit margins? They simply won’t. While Senator Obama attempts to find solutions out of this conundrum, McCain attempts to gloss over the facts while pandering to the ignorance of many voters. Simply stating that poking more holes in the earth below miles of ocean water is the solution, is not only wrong, it is ignorant. The world is running out of fossil fuel and fossil fuel sources. Oil companies know this and are not going to hasten their own demise by additional production, until needed, nor put more expensive solutions into practice without getting paid for it at an attractive level to satisfy investors. What’s the solution? Competition. Oil companies don’t have any, they are a monopoly. Many forms of alternate energy exist that can be further developed, but oil companies will not invest in other sources creating their own competition. Investment by other companies and government in alternate sources will create a competition forcing oil companies to lower prices in order to stay competitive as new sources develop. This will also force oil companies to find ways to trim costs to bring more expensive known reserves to market at lower prices, but as they do, and create more abundance of finished products from fossil fuel sources, Americans will once again fall back to dependence on fossil fuel products leaving alternate fuel sources ‘cooling their heels’ so to speak. A great example of this can be seen by looking back at what was called “The Office of Fuels Development”, a division of “The Department of Energy”, which funded a program from 1978 through 1996 under the “National Renewable Energy Laboratory”, known as the “Aquatic Species Program”, which was developing a program using the algae plant. Algae, the original source of fossil fuel, is the highest known source of oil producing plants, way more than corn, soybeans, sugarcane, or any other plant source. This promising technology however was shelved when discovery of more abundant sources of fossil fuel were discovered and brought on line. It has now been revived by many private sources since the cost of fossil fuel has escalated. This is a source that America needs to develop as rapidly as possible. University of New Hampshire, a leader in this development, as well as many others have demonstrated that oil from algae can entirely replace every drop of America’s fossil fuel. But a mechanism needs to be put in place to prevent big oil from burying development of sources such as biodiesel and other products from sources such as algae, once again. A windfall profits tax, or a higher tax structure such as that in Europe is probably not the way to go. A better way may be to establish a floor for the price of fossil fuel, and tie any price increase to the rate of inflation and enact higher import duties on foreign oil sources. This may force American oil companies to develop methods to bring to market products from sources of yet unproductive known resources within U.S. boundaries, rather than to rely on imported sources and the pocketbooks and bank accounts of their investors. In the meanwhile, practicing efficiency and conservation can help to stave off the inevitable. Meaning, doing things just as Senator Obama has stated, as well as Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon recently stated in a board of directors meeting, which went something like this. “Americans can help conserve by practicing conservation, and efficiency by doing things like keeping tires inflated correctly and cars tuned up.” So I guess McCain is also ridiculing the CEO of the world’s largest oil company as well as Senator Obama. As to the subject of nuclear power, while true that France has exploited nuclear to a large degree, they also have created an even more larger problem that McCain fails to tell Americans about. France while basking in the glow of their nuclear power also has trucks laden with nuclear waste running around all over the European continent with nowhere to go. So, until a viable method is developed to deal with the waste issue, I would challenge McCain and those who unwisely flaunt nuclear as an option, to volunteer their backyards as a waste depository. Senator Obama not only spelled out all of the above early on in 2007, he has offered many solutions by legislation, while McCain coasted along without a plan until this past June. Use your head people, McCain is pandering for votes, while Senator Obama is searching and offering solutions.

One of the other commentators mentioned drilling in ANWR (north slope in Alaska). Unless McCain has flipped again he has always stood against that proposal. This was just talked about today on another article on how Obama was contesting that State which hasn’t voted for a Democratic president since 1964 in terms of why McCain isn’t as strong there as other Republicans were (He was 4th in the GOP caucus)

What a joke, JukeBox John deceiving the American people that giving yet more FREE leases to Big Oil will matter at the gas pump. It is a myth. No, it is a lie. McShame never met a lie or a flip-flop he did not like, and the Double Talk Express is pathologically hypocritical.

Perhaps McCain is looking for the ultimate fix that will solve all of the world’s energy problems. Bomb,bomb,bomb, Iran and start WWIII, wipe out a third of earth’s population, then there would be plenty of oil to go around.

Oh, yeah: “Drill here and drill now” — and in 15 years we will be ready to sell you gasoline at $17.85/gallon.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) says that for every pound of pressure your tires are under-inflated, you lose 2% of mileage on your car….And the United States Department of Transportation states that approximately 25% of all commuters are driving a few pounds short of full pressure. Do the math.
Anyone arguing against these facts IS truly “ignorant”. No wonder this country’s economy is in the condition it’s in. People can’t even see the truth when it’s staring them in their ignorant faces.

McCain is a liar. I can’t hardly believe the fools who so blindly support this dope. I’m not saying Obama is “all that” but c’mon people, McCain? He’s rediculous and an obvious sellout.

If we had drilled with the first oil crisis we would not have the problem now.Guess who prevented it.Need a clue?
Read the following:For those too young to know or remember. Change for the sake of change is seldom for the better. 1975-76 the U.S. was in turmoil, and people were demanding change. An obscure young man with good credentials(exceptional credentials compared to the aspirants today) championed the cause.1975 Carter sensed that the mood of the country was anti-Washington and that people were interested in a candidate offering change.On assuming office in 1977, President Carter inherited an economy that was slowly emerging from a recession. He had severely criticized former President Ford for his failures to control inflation and relieve unemployment, but after four years of the Carter presidency, both inflation and unemployment were considerably worse than at the time of his inauguration. The annual inflation rate rose from 4.8% in 1976 to 6.8% in 1977, 9% in 1978, 11% in 1979, and hovered around 12% at the time of the 1980 election campaign. Although Carter had pledged to eliminate federal deficits, the deficit for the fiscal year 1979 totaled $27.7 billion, and that for 1980 was nearly $59 billion. With approximately 8 million people out of work, the unemployment rate had leveled off to a nationwide average of about 7.7% by the time of the election campaign, but it was considerably higher in some industrial states.
Carter also faced a drastic erosion of the value of the U.S. dollar in the international money markets, and many analysts blamed the decline on a large and persistent trade deficit, much of it a result of U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
In July 1980, Carter received a favorable rating of only 21% in the Gallup Poll. That was the lowest rating any president, including Richard Nixon at the time of his resignation, had received since polling began in 1936.
When Jimmy Carter left the White House in 1981 and handed the presidency over to Ronald Reagan, he was widely viewed as a failure. Carter, and the nation, had been humiliated by the long ordeal of the Iranian hostage crisis, as well as the botched rescue attempt that left Americans dead in the desert. The Soviets had brazenly invaded Afghanistan, and Carter’s response (including boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics) was seen as ineffectual. Carter’s tenure also witnessed an energy crisis, soaring inflation(11-12 percent), and skyrocketing interest rates(21.5 percent). The smiling, confident, fresh-faced Carter of 1976 seemed long gone, replaced by a growing national malaise.
This not to mention the devastated military preparedness . Do we need to relive this in 2008-2012?