President Obama: Drill, Baby, Drill

It is irresponsible of ABC news to report this story as though it is something other than a PROPOSAL.

Why not open open it all up? There’s oil off the West Coast. If Obama was for real in his offer then he would tell Pelosi that we need her back yard to become “energy independent”.

No to drill baby drill! How about more solar power how about more wind power? Why is almost all the wind mills made overseas? No to drill baby drill and more wind and sun power come on people wake up. I’ll tell you why it’s the sleaze bag republicans that want their friends to keep on making billions of dollars so they can get there kick back.

It’s a bribe to get the Repubs on board the climate change bill…plain and simple…you make it sound like he honestly intends to open up drilling for real, once the climate bill is signed, the drilling is off

Damned if he does, Damned if he doesn’t.

… maybe we should whack a few baby seals on the way to the drilling rigs …

Folks, our country is broke, capice? Out of funds. Owes more money than Warren Buffett will ever see in 20 lifetimes. Get it?? We have to find sources of revenue. We also need to increase our oil and natural gas supplies and use our own resources rather than to buy everything from OPEC and other countries like Venezuela. I am glad that Obama is offering to open up these areas for drilling. I just hope it does not come in exchange for some payoff to The Goreacle according to Al so that he can make lots of money from carbon credit derivative instruments. Think the mortgage derivative meltdown times 10. The Europeans have rampant fraud in their carbon credit trading market and if we get it, so will we. Now, it is criminal not to open up the Pacific Coast to drilling. There are wells that were capped years ago sitting there ready to start pumping. If I were the President, I would refuse to help California until it helps itself by using its own resources.

Thank you for purchasing the Red Rider Slick Barry bicycle from Marxist Brothers Inc, A division of the Soros Group.
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Open the oil fields.
Step 2: Pass “Cap & Trade”.
Step 3: Take over the oil companies.
Enjoy riding your new Red Rider. But remember… It only makes left handed turns.

Why the change? During the presidential campaign, Obama was vehemently opposed to off shore drilling. Who’s votes is he trying to buy??????? Is this to get the congress to be more accepting of his Cap _n_ TAX proposal???????

I strongly believe it is essential that the US becomes less dependent on other nations for our oil and gas WHILE we develop sound, solid, reliable ways to produce greener energy.
He’s disappointed me so many times, but I’m willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt here.
But each time I do that and he disappoints, the patience level drops.

benintn,
As long as it’s not tied to a larger piece of legislation, like cap and tax, then the GOP will be for it and as a matter making things interesting they’ll also demand that Obama open up the West Coast where there’s proved reserves out there.

The energy issue is in the present. Most of the solutions are long term. Are we going to dilly dally until oil hits $145 again? Of course – that’s Washington. Vote for a change in Nov.

Heh – Obama just called the GOP’s bluff. Whatcha gonna do now, Bob McDonnell? Posted by: benintn | Mar 31, 2010 7:53:55 AM
——————-
I hope they act less childishly than you sound.
The welfare of the USA is not a game.

Next on Obama’s agenda….immigration reform….but, until he demands that they send HIS ILLEGAL aunt back to her own country….he can’t be trusted. He has known for a long, long, time that his aunt was living here illegally….in public (taxpayer paid) housing no less. Send her packing, BEFORE you even think about immigration reform Bo.

It will take a combination of all of the solutions to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. But many can be implemented immediately – hiring the unemployed to increase insulation, apply radiant barriers, caulk are solutions we could be spending stimulus and unemployment money. These simply changes provide immediate benefits to the dwelling occupants, reduced energy consumption, and put America’s (stimulus and unemployment money) to work. Immediate benefits while all of the longer term solutions are implementd. longer

Another one of those issues that could have been handled in the first 100 days with bipartisan support – of course this wasn’t what he told people he would do when ran for office. Glad he changed his mind. Better late than not at all.

toby hill | Mar 31, 2010 7:30:36 AM….You’re right. I will protest bailing California out. They cap their oil wells, restrict new drilling, limiting the mining of their natural resources, all of which will provide jobs and tax revenue to a financially sinking state. If the oil companies got the go ahead, it would be closer to 3 years.

I agree with alot of others posting… it’s good that Obama is seeing the light about drilling and using resources we have HERE instead of foreign dependence or ‘green’ solutions (that are sending jobs overseas). However, there’s more to this story, it just hasn’t reared it’s ugly head yet. No decision by this administration so far has been without ‘strings attached’. Well see what happens here.

Maybe he’s drilling for ‘Tea’

Those that put the anointed one in office are now reaping what they sowed … an empty suited liar.

Was this not the same policy that was pushed by Republican candidates…that Candidate Obama thought was so wrong?
It is easy to make self-serving statements early on when you do not have all the facts…or care about them…

Allowing exploration past 50 miles is a token gesture. Most offshore oil is within 50 miles of the coast and on the continental shelf where it is much easier and cheaper to get to.
Drilling within 50 miles of the Gulf Coast has proven very productive and safe but people on the east and west coasts don’t want to see oil wells just like Ted Kennedy didn’t want to see wind mills.
If you don’t want to see oil wells and refineries and feel that windmills will destroy the view I have a simple solution. Park the car, turn off the lights in the house and don’t use anything made of oil or natural gas. That includes plastic, rubber, many pharmaceuticals, even the olefin carpet you walk on.
Obama criticized McCain and Palin for wanting to drill. Now he admits they were right. At least he is learning.

Where’s the push for solar and wind energy? Obama needs to add them into a comprehensive energy package instead of this piece-meal method.

Why now? Unemployment is not going down and his poll numbers are not going up. Obama sees a blood bath coming at the polls in November and he is trying blunt it.

Where are all the eco-maniacs. When George Bush want to drill off these coasts, every eco-psycho in this country along with the dems went crazy.
Is there something different about Obama’s plan?

While I strong disagree with President Obama on many of his stated (or unstated) core values and the way he wishes to implement them, I want to see more bipartisan efforts like this to find the common ground we do share.
Many of the goals of the right and the left are similar but it is the ways of achieving them that often lead to division. I am disappointed that many on the left are willing to accept actions by this President that the former President advocated and was vilified for. While I expected President Obama to advance his more radical agenda I also predicted that the realities of the office would move him toward the center over time–I just hope the movement continues before he totally bankrupts our country with unpopular and non-bipartisan support.

This is a sell-out of monumental proportions. He will get no rest from Republicans either. They were out to kill the health care bill when they had already backed the more radical Wyden-Bennett bill last year. More oil for the American economy is like giving heroin to an addict. Its time to bring on new technologies and change the way we live.

What a joke Obama has become. This is all about passing cap and trade, so dont be fooled. Did you know that with the house cap and trade bill if you sell you house you have to bring it up to the new EPA standards? That means new windows, a/c units insulation ect or you get fined. Welcom to the new America, aint it great.

Oil needs to be refined before it can be used. Refining is a large portion of the cost. Where is this oil going to be refined? By the way, most of our “foreign” oil comes from Canada, not from the mid-east.

This is a sell-out of monumental proportions. He will get no rest from Republicans either. They were out to kill the health care bill when they had already backed the more radical Wyden-Bennett bill last year. More oil for the American economy is like giving heroin to an addict. Its time to bring on new technologies and change the way we live.
Posted by: Joel Miller
—-EEEEER you got those technologies in your back pocket somewhere pal, bring them on.

You do not get it?
Obama is a
“Liar”
how many ways does he have to prove it
Transparency.
What transparency?
Sam
boca

Oil will be over $4.00/gl by the end of the summer. Oil is traded in dollars and guess what is happening to the dollar with all of Obamas spending? it is worth less each day and therefore it takes more dollars to buy a barrel of oil. All commodities are shipped and it takes oil to ship so what do you think is going to happen to the price of commodities? They will cost more because of inflation. And you thought the economy was bad now?

Obama is a really terrifying joke!! This is just smoke and mirrors for the upcoming cap and trade. Shows how little intelligence he thinks the American people have. You lie, baby lie! We will see oil rigs off the coast of VA just after we see the Gitmo residence packing their bags to move elsewhere.

I’m ok with *some* new drilling, but only if we also accelerate our movement toward alternative sources of fuel/energy. Oil ain’t the future.

Why is Californis and the rest of the west coast not included in this plan??? They use oil but do not want to take any risk. I say we sell this new oil to all states except the west coast states.

We send over 750 Billion UDS to foreign counties every year for oil. All the happy talk about alternative energy is BS in the short term. Oil consumption isn’t going away because the environmentalist’s want it to. However I have serious doubts that this well happen.
Obama constantly makes statements that he has no intention of ever doing. Look at his track record.

Give it up! This president is doing the right thing. Everyone was screaming that we should use our own oil and not be dependent on other countries, including John McCain. Now he is doing this and you are complaining? Of course we will hear from the enviornmental people, but you cannot please everyone. So tired of some people bashing this president…they didn’t like him from the beginning and do not want to cooperate and try to fix this country.

Face it, this is Obama admitting that Palin was right. Gawwwsh that has to hurt Obama’s ego!

Drilling is good. Nuclear power is better. Time to start a new power program similar to rural electrification in the 30′s. Start now to build new nuclear power generation to produce at least 80% of our power in the next 10 years.

A proposal, pending approvals, to “explore” for oil —— No real drilling yet?? —– So, for the time being, we know nothing has changed yet!!

billy bob… I simply was saying there is no satisfying anyone. Did I said anywhere I was supporting Obama with the decision. You’re the one should stop drinking the Kool Aid of rhetoric nonsense.

We also need to utilize our vast amounts of shale oil. We need to see what it will cost to begin extracting it. Let’s start making people like CHavez and Almadenijad nervous by adding supply to the global demand.

Just another empty promise. Anyways, it’s sad to see the folks, who supported Obama, suddenly justifying his sudden about-face on drilling at home just like they justify his bombing civilians in Afghanistan. When it was W, these same people were crying “monster.” Not this guy though… he’s a saint. Wake up people.

It’s a start.
But hey for you left of center types who are against drilling: Look at Brazil, led by a left of center administration, which is “full speed ahead” on offshore oil exploration and has become a “player” on the world oil stage.
If it does turn out to be a “smoke-n-mirrors” job to appease Republicans to support cap-n-trade, then this will be just a cynical political ploy — and rightly condemned.

Look i am one of the first people that is more than happy to jump on the “Bash Obama” wagon, i have a LIST of grievances with the guy. But this is a COMPROMISE that im willing to deal with. We do need to open up domestic drilling, the loony left wants cap and trade, we make certain concessions and maybe not make the cap and trade so severe and allow domestic drilling. They get their stupid cap and trade BS that isnt worth the paper its printed on except to the VERY rich who will get infinitely richer, it wont do a thing to their imaginary global warming, but it will also help us get off the middle eastern teat. I will support ANYTHING and ANYONE that will enable us to STOP buying middle east oil.

this man is incapable of telling the truth. It must be genetics because he has yet to keep any of his campaign promises, he lied his way thru the one piece of legislation he got passed, it has to be genetics. His people are incapable of distinguishing between what is right and wrong

“”"”I will support ANYTHING and ANYONE that will enable us to STOP buying middle east oil.”"”"
Posted by: jspicer
Agreed, or at the very least, lower our foreign demand.

First thing I’ve agreed on him with! We should drill. I’m just wondering what made him change his mind. It goes against everything he believes in and how is going to get Pelosi to pedal it to the libs on the hill? Plus this is how our the story lines would differ per our dear liberal media “Obama Tries To Save U.S. from Foreign Oil Dependancy” – “Bush and Cheney Try to Line Their Pockets On The Backs Of U.S. Taxpayers”

I will support ANYTHING and ANYONE that will enable us to STOP buying middle east oil.
Posted by: jspicer
—So will I except the currently passed house cap and trade bill. It will devestate what is left of the economy. If you give them an inch they will take a mile with this bill. I am all for sensible enviromental concessions but that is not what is on the table.

Ok Lucy, good Job ?
. I bet you are on an entitlement program and looking for free health care on my dime!

Did he borrow one of Palin’s speeches? I guess Obama must now be called dumb, stupid, and unqualified. How about it libs? Isn’t he just so stupid? Imagine utilizing our own resources to become energy independent. How silly. How illogical.
Are y’all sure you elected this guy? He must be one of those stupid republicans, eh?

CA already drills for oil along with the Gulf coast. Didn’t love this plan when the Repubs were proposing it. Seems like it’s just adding to our oil dependency when we should be getting off of it. The problem is the companies who are drilling will do what they want with this oil like sell it to other countries for the highest bidder like they are doing now. The oil companies will be getting rich off our resources. Everyone was already yelling about socialism, but the only way to keep our oil in this country is through Gov controls which nobody likes.

And we have the far right and far left crazies ….they are the ones causing all of this anger. Most people who are in the middle and do not have blinders on, can rationally reason with one another.
Posted by: Barb | Mar 31, 2010 9:36:26 AM
*******************
Agreed. It’s why I posted my first post to begin with. There is just too much hatred on both sides that there is no more commen sense to think things through. As I said, regardless, it is ‘Damn, if you do. Damn, if you don’t’ with politics these days.

Is there a method to his madness?

To little to late. By the time the EPA gets done with there useless environmental impact studies and after the useless environmentalist delay things with frivolous lawsuits it will be 40 years before we see any of the oil that we need today.

I don’t think for one minute that this will actually happen. Obama doesn’t believe in it. He believes in himself. Which is why he is feigning this phony proposal – to look tough on job creation to cling to his power and get reelected – all without ever having to implement it and actually get oil. Don’t fall for it.

No surprise coming from the guy who burned 9,000 gallons of Avgas last Earth Day. I await Gore and Pelosi to oppose this!

Who needs oil. In the future, cars and planes will run on a liberal idea called good intentions. It will have a special additive called Hope and Change.

Barb,
Where were you during the Michael Moore era? When the left gets excited against a Republican President, suddenly the media and so-called ‘moderates’ like yourself are completely quiet. But when a conservative voices an opinion, they get labeled with the minority fraction of loons out there. This country is supposed to be one of free speech and freedom of expression, except in today’s culture that only applies to the left expressing themselves. Any contrary viewpoints coming from the right are quickly lumped into the category of violent criminals. Wow. Backing people into a corner is not a good thing.

Hey,
Electric cars will soon be affordable which is great. But try flying a 747 commercial airline on electricity and see how far you go. We will need oil for a looonnnnggg time. Exhaust all options. I say use the oil until it runs out. We’ll deal with it then.

Barry’s up for sale. We got a great deal too!
Posted by: GS Rulz | Mar 31, 2010 10:00:02 AM
What are you talking about, we would pay another country to take him off our hands.

I’m a left leaning liberal – I will not be voting for Obama in 2012 – to be fair he lost me in the first month (Gaza – drone attacks – Rick Warren) – but this drilling initiative is as cynical and ignorant as it gets – I take that back – throwing 30 million new customers to the health insurance companies is – wait a minute – giving Federal loans to Nuke plant builders in GA is – No – putting Larry Summers and Geithner into your cabnit is – no Sec Gates – on and on and on.

What is he doing? He is just like Sarah Palin he going to ruin this country!!

It’s about time he did something right!!!!!!!

Why can’t we resume drilling off California shores? 57% of Californians favor drilling off their shores.
There are estimated to be 10 billion barrels of oil and 16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under the sea in areas where drilling is banned.
This could almost single-handily take California out of the red.

This stinks to high heavens. I wonder whose votes he is trying to secure for the upcoming Cap and Trade bill boondoggle!

Throw the kitchen sink at our energy problems. Exhaust all options.

I read something about using cow (methane) farts to heat our homes the other day. Why do we need natural gas?

“With oil refineries at capacity this action will not do a lot of good. This is about the cap and trade attached to this so called action. Read what your tax bill will be after that is passed and you would rather pay seven dollars a gallon than all the tax this lying president would have in his bill.” – chasbquar
My first thought was does Obama finally get it? Then I thought why did it take so long to start the steps to open up offshore drilling? I hope I’m wrong but with gas going over the $3 mark with less demand, Iran getting close to having a Nuke and Cap & Tax next on the lib agenda, this could just be political posturing.
Is Barack Obama really going to get behind HydroCarbon energy?
I’ll wait to see if we build an oil refinery before getting too hopeful.

What? Is it too difficult to break the oil habit? How about setting aside a portion of oil profits and buy some electric vehicles for people who will give up their gasoline powered ones? We need to start thinking smarter.

Finally, he heard us ……. DRILL BABY DRILL~!!!!!~

Many other countries see that oil is the energy of the past and are moving quickly via national mandate to alternative and more enviro friendly energy sources, but the US as usual is still stuck in the 70′s mindset with more of the same old failed and outdated policies and technologies.
The people of the US want to move ahead but the US government is stuck very much in the past, and that will isolate the US from the rest of the world as the US sinks further behind and the rest of the world leaves the US in the perverbial dust.

Dino,
When these electric cars get plugged in what does it take to recharge the batteries?

I wonder why he left out the left coast? maybe it has something to do with the liberal California politicians he wants to please?
I’m sure the potus just can’t wait until gas prices are so high everyone will want to dump their cars and start walking or riding bikes. That will be the first sign that we are turning into a 3rd world economy, and I believe that is the administrations goal.

Maybe they think we will face some critical shortages due to a increasing Middle East crisis with Iran. That would shut off the flow of oil. The US needs to be prepared for chaos that is on the horizon. Domestic drilling is a no brainer for any thinking citizen. We need to be energy independent now and not at the mercy of OPEC.

Some of the comments remind me of a post by the green conservative at The Daily Green shorty after Frum interviewed the tea party folk. He discovered they didn’t know much about taxes, despite being anti-tax– and they didn’t know much about oil either.
“The Tea Partiers were asked how much oil lies beneath the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in terms equivalent to annual domestic oil consumption. The average response was 70 years. One person estimated 1,000 years worth.
The right answer – if you accept the highest number in a U.S. Geological Survey estimate – is about 2 years and 3 months, based on the present consumption rate. That works out to around 16 billion barrels.
..If the Tea Partiers were right, we could join OPEC… we could run the joint.” (The Daily Green, Green Conservative blog, Jim DiPeso)
In any event, The Mick is right. Caruso said that if you open up ALL of America’s offshore areas, it won’t put a dent in supply or prices.
The key here really isn’t how much offshore drilling is allowed, the key issue is whether Big Oil and Big Gas decides it’s worth their money to go out, find, and retrieve the stuff– and that’s a very good question.
Meanwhile, the President’s stance has the potential to make the opposition look a bit tone deaf if they continue to claim he defies the will of the American people, meaning, of course, conservatives and the drill, baby, drill types.

DP(9:33:36)wrote: “Wallstreet needs cheap fuel to drive profits.”
How about America’s economy needs “cheap fuel” to fuel profits so working class Americans can get jobs?
Your statement suggests you think “profits” are evil — I’ve got news for you — America runs on profits, not socialist utopian dreams that will never happen.
Drill, baby, drill!
Working-class Americans say, “Amen.”

Dino,
When these electric cars get plugged in what does it take to recharge the batteries?
Posted by: toby hill | Mar 31, 2010 10:30:45 AM
I simple plug mine into the windmill in the back yard or the solar powered shingles on my roof, or the hampster in the squirrel cage attached to a 50kw generator.

Yeah, billy bob…I have a question. What exactly is your point? I hope it is that you recognize the need for a national energy plan that will enable us to go to an alternative energy source and recreate some new manufacturing jobs that will put us on the forefront of energy technology. But…I really doubt that that is your point.

obama is a stinking rotten communist liar. obama is not to be trusted. yes we need to drill for oil but obama lied about that and everything else.

Posted by: billy bob | Mar 31, 2010 10:37:20 AM
Meanwhile, per JM Rooney of the Earth Policy Institute, interesting news :
“Even in the face of a worldwide economic downturn, the global wind industry posted another record year in 2009 as cumulative installed wind power capacity grew to 158,000 megawatts. With this 31 percent jump, the global wind fleet is now large enough to satisfy the residential electricity needs of 250 million people. Wind provides electricity in over 70 countries, 17 of which now have at least 1,000 megawatts installed.” (Treehugger)
Onward with a comprehensive energy bill that includes some nuclear and some limited offshore drilling as well as incentives to spur investment in true clean energy technologies that can be exported.

Ok… I am confused by all the rantings and dogmatic thought on this page. It is hurting my head how people have so little common sense.
To the people saying Alaska and the Ocean have only “X” number of years…
The reason the OIL companies ignore most of the liberal arts professor’s and hippies in this nation is the obvious lack of understanding of the world of exploration and research.
In 1918, there was only about 8 years of Oil left on the planet. If there was only 8 years… Why are we still using it and in greater quantity!?
The reason is output per barrel goes up as technology becomes better. Also with increased exploration comes increased finds.
Alaska and the 48 states are untapped resources which since the Democrats could filibuster during the bush years, have been denying the business sector.
There is so much more, that will take so much time, I will just leave my comments to this one posted.

If President Obama is going against his
energy policy and agreeing to drilling
offshore, it is because of the Iranian
conflict and middle east problems that
seem to be rising.
There are problems with Israel stubbbronly building in Palestine, and
runing the peace alliance.
There are problems with Iran that has
a group of fanatics at the head.
Afghanistan is corrupt with a leader who
will turn on whomever pays more???
We need a reserve of oil if the Middle
East flares up.

If Obama made everyone a millionair or billionair with a 20 room mansion, made unemployment at 0%, cut taxes by 50% for everyone, cut the deficit to zero with a surplus of 1 trillion dollars, made Iran and N Korea nuclear free, made lasting peace between Israel and it’s neighbors, and discovered a cure for all diseases, the same people here that hate him would still hate him and complain and whine. We all know the real underlying reason here for this…don’t we? Yeah, some will never accept a non white as a President no matter what. It’s in their genes to hate. Yeah, yeah…you thou protest too loudly.

-There are problems with Israel stubbbronly building in Palestine.-
Hysterical. Some guy building condos for his bube is worse than suicide bombings…

He can open all the leases he wants, because he’s safe knowing the EPA will make actually sinking a well in any of it so expensive and overregulated that none of the companies are going to bother with it. Russia is drilling in our backyard, and we sit here with our thumbs up our collective butts.
And for those talking about all the new manufacturing jobs that will come with “green technology”, all i can tell you is to put the pipe down. Want to take a wild guess where our solar panels primarily come from? China. Not because we can’t make them, its because they make them cheaper, and that’s not because they have better manufacturing technology, its simply they don’t have inflated costs through union negotiated higher compensation rates, and they aren’t saddled with a crap load of federal regulations that make it expensive to produce anything. You won’t see manufacturing return to the U.S. until we stop being the 2nd highest corporate taxer in the world, reign in union inflation of labor costs, and pair down regulations to something that is more even and fair instead of cumbersome while picking winners and losers based on constituency and ideaology.

And for those talking about all the new manufacturing jobs that will come with “green technology”, all i can tell you is to put the pipe down. Want to take a wild guess where our solar panels primarily come from? China. Not because we can’t make them, its because they make them cheaper, and that’s not because they have better manufacturing technology, its simply they don’t have inflated costs through union negotiated higher compensation rates, and they aren’t saddled with a crap load of federal regulations that make it expensive to produce anything. You won’t see manufacturing return to the U.S. until we stop being the 2nd highest corporate taxer in the world, reign in union inflation of labor costs, and pair down regulations to something that is more even and fair instead of cumbersome while picking winners and losers based on constituency and ideaology.
Posted by: Shing | Mar 31, 2010 10:55:42 AM
Wello said and worth repeating over and over.

Fact: Obama took many positions and made promises that he now is contradicting.
Explanation: He is merely a figurehead like a news anchor. He looks good and reads well. However, the real decisions are being made by the Axelrods, the Emanuels, and those that long ago bought and paid for the privilege to set policy.
Conclusion: The administration is compromised to the point of becoming erratic. To maintain any semblance of poll popularity, the administration will soon need to set up Congress as the bad cop or else suffer a Newt Gingrich style reversal of fortune.

Yeah…China sure does a great job in manufactoring…fume producing sheetrock installed in homes you can’t live in, lead in toys, lead and chromium in everyday household products, tainted milk fortified with melamine, tainted pet food, tainted drugs like heparin that killed many, and workers paid slave wages. Sure, no problem there if YOU are willing to have all those products in your daily life. Yeah, I thought so…you’re not interested, no surprise there.

For all of the readers saying this “start” doesn’t matter — both from the left and the right — I suggest you are wrong:
A bipartisan offshore oil exploration policy would make it that much easier for a future Republican administration to open the “spigets” full-on.
Creating jobs, effecting oil prices, and reducing America’s foreign oil dependence: What’s wrong with that?
We gotta get the oil from somewhere — it might as well be America.

Thermo-depolymerization is the way to go.

Finally he is making some sense as I guess he is learning that the green economoy that Carter promised 35 years ago never happened due to ineptitude and actually made our dependence on oil go from 30% to 70%, and all of the green jobs Obama promised were outsourced before they even began. Fix our anti business/big govt. problem and the rest would take care of itself.

Why should anyone be surprised that Obama is doing something he campaigned against? He does whatever seems to work at the moment. This action is one I’m glad to see but think the only reason he has done it is because the price of oil is headed up again! Think how much closer we would be to having our own oil had he done this a year ago! Right now we’ll have to wait to see his entire program. The devil could be in the details!

Will never happen. Just a way too overtax while leaving the solar industry alone. Here is the beginning of the nationalization of our energy…Don’t be fooled by this very slick politician.

He’s throwing you a bone Republicans. This is what you want. And all you’ll give back is a chorus of boos from the peanut gallery. All you know is NO.

Anyone who really thinks we will truly drill while he is president has their head in the sand. This is empty words until a real drill hits the floor of the ocean, just watch and see, it won’t happen……this is politics and political maneuvering, nothing more….

Do all libs turn a blind eye to Obama’s deception? I can only imagine the “outrage” if it were Bush doing this. What a bunch of impaired sheep.

Why is Obama pandering to the right. NO ONE is going to vote for him if they didn’t vote for him last time. I’m guessing he’s gonna get 40% in 2012. He’s making BOTH sides mad. He’s awesome!!!

Please, I’m a Republican — you Republican partisans saying Obama is changing his campaign promises on oil exploration — are wrong.
Obama did promise offshore oil exploration in the campaign — after considerable political pressure made him change his position.
Obama is fulfilling his campaign promise — yes, he broke a boat-load of campaign promises — but apparently not this one.
But watch what Obama and his administration does — not what he says.
The proof will be in the pudding.
Actions, not words will be the measure of the fulfillment of this “start”.

Obama is drowning and he is hoping if he appears more moderate it will be his lifesaver. The thing is it turns off those of us who really believe in long term solutions for our energy needs rather than just drilling.

Bill…as I said, thou protest too loudly. Here’s how simple it is…the law of averages say that even if Republicans oppose a bill, there will still be some among them that will vote for it, even with reservations. As you know, in the health bill, not one single Repbublican voted for it, even though it had elements in it that some wanted. How often do you see a complete political party vote against a bill from the other party, Democrat or Republican…? I’m waiting. Yes, it is about race, you know it, I know it, the man on the moon knows it. They want this man to fail as no other President ever. What reason can there be if not the obvious? No, it’s not about ideology or party loyalty, it’s about a concerted and organized effort to see him fail even if it hurts the nation. It’s all there to see, all you have to do is take the blinders off. Civil discourse and differences in strategies or opinions are one thing and welcomed, but that’s not what you see happening here. No President has ever been the subject of such hate as this President. Again, tell me why if not for the most obvious. Forget that BS about “liberal” agendas…we’ve had liberal agendas before too and it never rose to the ugliness you see today.

Libs are not turning a blind eye on this topic, because most Libs are actually FOR drilling off shore. It is only the crazy extreme left that wants to prevent this from happening.

Jimbo, Sustainable and “green” fuel sources can not, overnight, fill the demands of our needs. We will need gasoline and diesel for many years to come. It is naive to think that we should keep the Arab nations (that hate us) rich, while ignoring resources in our own back yard.

Phantom, you are correct. The difference is that folks didn’t stop using the big computer that took up an entire office floor when the surface was being scratched on smaller faster computers. It wasn’t until those computers reached a level of truly being viable to replace the office floor size systems that companies transitioned to them. It’s just like software today. No company runs out and switches their entire office to Windows 7 when there are still kinks to work out, no service pack out yet, and they currently have XP working just fine.
This administration though through word and deed has clearly stated that their goal is to force a move to alternative sources by making current sources too expensive to use. The problem is being forced into a safety net that still has vast holes in it. With no nuclear plants, no massive improvement of solar and wind tech, and no domestic drilling, we’ll be jumping out of our aging boat not into a new improved boat, but into a churning ocean that we can’t see the bottom of.
Climate policies that won’t fix the climate, and energy policies that won’t address energy both have something in common, they both provide more control over the populace, and provide more funds to government coffers to be used so poorly that the term “government waste” can’t begin to describe it. It’s really easy for them to push these policies when they don’t live under the effects of them, after all, their government suburban is paid for and fueled by us.

Ryan C(11:26:20)wrote: “Why is Obama pandering to the right. NO ONE is going to vote for him if they didn’t vote for him last time. I’m guessing he’s gonna get 40% in 2012. He’s making BOTH sides mad. He’s awesome!!!”
I don’t claim that people on the right will vote for Obama because of this policy, but what about jobs for working-class Americans, what about effecting oil prices, and decreasing America’s dependence on foreign oil?
Seems to me this policy of expanded offshore oil exploration benefits ALL Americans, no matter what their political stripe.
What’s wrong with that?

As an independent conservative I applaud his decision as long as there is no strings attached! Now if he can only keep Greenpeace off his back. Now, do something along our border with Mexico before this border town violence worsens.

Oil companies are PRIVATE companies, they will sell it to the highest bidder, we can’t force them to sell to us. It has nothing to do with independence from other countries. If it’s oil for the US only, it would be the Gov who would be paying for it. Then Americans would be screaming about debt and socialism.

tierra, Not complaining, just wondering why you, as a liberal are not complaining. You and your people were against Bush drilling off shore. Why does Obama get a pass?

Jake, the poor quality of China’s goods are a matter of barring those products from entering our country. And yes, their near slave wages accounts for some of why their products are cheaper than ours (i.e. the solar panels we buy from them). At the same time though, the pendulum being swung too far the other way in our country also prices us out of competition. If there is a surplus of auto mechanics in our labor force, then the value of their labor falls because there are plenty to choose from. Unions undercut those natural forces by inflating the cost of that labor above what the market dictates its value at. Under normal circumstances, if there were a crud load of mechanics so that the value of their labor dropped, mechanics wanting to make more money would retrain for a different job, or perhaps specializing in one segment of the auto mechanic discipline that is not as overpopulated thus insuring higher pay do to higher demand with lower supply. We saw it in the IT industry during the 90′s. Huge demand for desktop support, tons entered the market, eventually there were too many folks in the labor pool so wages were dropping and job opportunities were growing scarce, so people retrained, or branched off to network support, app development, database administration, and so on. This is not to say that unions do not have any purpose to serve in the American labor force, but they have left behind their roots of existing for the protection of the worker and have instead evolved into an entity that seeks to wield power and influence just as career politicians do. They just happen to do so under the guise of championing the little guy being mistreated by “the man” while Congress does so under the guise of protecting all citizens from the “corporate man”. Reality is they both crave power, and they both use whatever means necessary to pull more people behind them because more people = more power.

This isn’t about Obamma “allowing” drilling and/or bipartisanship at all. His plan is to move toward gov’t take-over of the oil companies. Beware, big oil, be very aware. It’s a snake coming after you w/regulation fangs!

LOL AT LIB OBAMA…there he goes Bowing to the oil companies. OBAMA bin BOWIN the american clown president…LOL

tierra, Not complaining, just wondering why you, as a liberal are not complaining. You and your people were against Bush drilling off shore. Why does Obama get a pass?
Posted by: Reality | Mar 31, 2010 11:57:23 AM
_____________________________________
Where exactly does it say the President is getting a free pass? That’s your presumption.

Obama has no interest in increased oil drilling. This is a trick to get cap and Tax passed. He’ll link the two and if republicans (rightly) vote cap and tax down he can say they are agasinst oil exploration

shing…your 11:44 post said something in it I can’t let go. here is your quote: “…to force a move to alternative sources by making current sources too expensive to use>” What in the world of reality are talking about. Oil is NOT a “finite resource”. Peak production occirred in North America almost 30 years ago. Since then what has happened? We have “sold our souls” to the “Middle Eastern devil(s). My suggestion is you do considerable more research before you make any more ridiculous statements like that. We MUST develop an alternative energy policy very quickly. We have all ready put ourselves behind the 8 ball. And what did it get us. A “useless, wrong war” in Iraq that has bled us financially.

“”"”"”"opening up two-thirds of the resources in this region should Congress lift the moratorium imposed upon it.”"”"”"”
I knew Pelosi was going to factor into this. I support this 100% and if Congress says no, then Pelosi has to go.

lfrichar, Actually Pelosi should go, anyway…

“”"”"lfrichar, Actually Pelosi should go, anyway… “”"”"
Posted by: Reality
Completely agree. She has done more damage to Obama than Obama could ever do.

“Sorry Charlie (Crist),I’m done with ya… under the bus you go!” -Barack

give a dog a bone, cap and trade trap,lolololololololo.

All well and good, but if you read the final line of the article, it all leans on Congress approval.
“In addition to the moves allowing oil and gas exploration and drilling from Delaware to Florida, the Department of the Interior will continue lease sales in the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico, opening up two-thirds of the resources in this region should Congress lift the moratorium imposed upon it.”
Now given the Democrats hold the majority does this sound like a “I tried to get this for you but Congress blocked it”….type of game. I don’t trust this man as far as I could spit.

There MUST be a catch. I bet Barry-Pelosi-Reid are dangling this carrot just to get Republican votes for their crap-n-trade scheme. Then they’ll implement the Hugo Chavez model: Let the oil companies do all the work, then tax their profits at 100% and funnel the money to his ‘constituents’. If I’m right, gas will go to $10/gallon.

CND FOX- More domestic reserves as well as technology for accessing oil shales that were previously cost prohibitive have been discovered over the last 30 years. Do not mistake lack of drilling and lack of expansion of refining capacity with an inability to do so. There are domestic resources available to make us 100% free of foreign oil and natural gas (albeit that it could take anywhere from 5-10 years to bring all of it fully online). My point is that instead of leveraging those resources, using the savings generated from using domestic sources instead of purchasing from the global market and channeling it into R&D for alternative energy sources and technology. This administration is pushing a policy that will spike the cost of current energy sources to force a move to an alternative energy technology that has not yet reached a level to be a true viable alternative for us. Thus we’re forcing a move from oil, yet wind and solar can’t supply us. Forcing such a move without laying the ground work or putting infrastructure in place first for a transition is economical suicide.
And i consider nuclear a current gen source that also is going untapped with domestic oil, because for all the talk about embracing alternatives, the EPA has hamstrung the nuclear industry to pretty much guarantee that new plants will be few and far between. France has 75% of all electricity provided by nuclear plants without some big scary “we’re gonna glow in the dark” meltdown occuring, yet environmentalists, the EPA, and politicians find every scare tactic BS excuse under the sun about why we can’t do it. When you delve into the core of those idealogues, you will find nothing but a return to people living in huts will satisfy them.

SHOCKED by change of heart, but happy to distance myself from foreign oil, no matter who makes the decision…

Bush tried this and was solidly blocked in opposition by Democrats from coast to coast.
Obama can open them all up, it’s good for the economy, but he will never get credit for it, this is a Republican position through and through.

The responses here show how unreachable Republicans are. No matter how much compromise you offer them, no matter how far to the center you go… they still come back with the same paranoid insanity. These folks are just absolutely “out to lunch.” Totally unreachable by logic or facts.
Posted by: Marvin | Mar 31, 2010 1:31:28 PM
_________
Yes. Its been true for quite some time though there used to be more exceptions.

The EPA is plotting a new massive job-killer that the American people can’t afford: a cascade of new EPA regulations that will punish every American who dares to flip on a light switch, drive a car, or buy an American product.

the bait and switch presidency!. that is what the teleprompter will be remembered as!. lets drill but we will also make it so expensive it wont be worth it. the teleprompter jabs then fades. thinking america is full of fools who dont really pay attention. but we are now. continue to enjoy your last months until nov. when america takes our country back. also dont force cap and trade or hide it in colorful language. america will not stand for it!

progressive mama, I’m sure people didn’t listen to what Obama said, or he would not be president today.

Progressive Mamma- I do weep for your views, but at least you are honest about it. If you identify with Pelosi et al that have “not for me, just for thee” ideas for legislating by enacting laws that they tout about being so great for us, while soundly voting down any amendment that strikes congressional exemptions from the bill, that’s your choice. If you consider it intellectually honest to claim how you will run the most open, transparent, and honest Congress while at the same time making closed door deals, strong arming caucus members, and burying ethics investigations of your own members, to each their own. If you think it is honest to create a system where the government chokes off water to the San Joaqin Valley in California imperilling one of the cornerstones of the nation’s agricultural production, and then use those water rights to buy votes for your healthcare bill, might be hard to agree with you, but your call. And if it is honest to pay your husband $100,000 out of your PAC fund, and then push grants in the stimulus bill that will have a direct effect on your husband’s real estate holdings, well i guess not everyone has the same definition of honesty.
Process matters, principles matter, and giving passes to legislators on either side of the aisle because their methods are shady but their goal is pure is BS. Progressives and liberal elites will parrot how ends don’t justify the means, but that only applies to causes they are opposed to. All bets are off when they want something.

Posted by: Shing | Mar 31, 2010 2:31:28 PM
Like I said, I want to bust up both parties and have four or five parties and no power centers or ties to special interests.
I think the Republicans– as a party and institution– have no credibility. I’ve felt that way since I was old enough to vote. Democrats have their own issues– and on a local level and in Congress and Senate, I look hard for good independents to support, albeit those with progressive views– but at least they care about the middle class and the future and don’t throw up the red herring that separates liberty from equal opportunity.

“Democrats have their own issues– and on a local level and in Congress and Senate…”
Like tax evasion and selecting tax evaders to run the Treasury. Progressive views indeed!

Red. Amen and I agree with your words.

MJ,
You need to come up with your own thoughts. Your whole comment was cut and pasted from a (biased) article posted on the GOP website.
I bet you can’t even explain what your comment means…

I simply don’t trust this man. He has not demonstrated that he CAN be trusted – in fact, just the opposite. Where are the RESULTS he promised?
I’m still waiting to hear how humbled and honored he was to have been elected President, as his predecessors were. I’ve never heard him say he loves this country.
He just wants to change it.

That’s great Mr. Prez…should we file this behind the promise that “The people will have FIVE DAYS to review ALL legislation that comes to my desk before I sign it.”?? Oh wait, that was a blatant lie. Maybe for legal purposes, you should follow every statement with “…if I so choose.”. At least you wouldn’t be lying…

Why would an oil platform be pollution?
Is it ugly? Some people, mostly in Martha’s Vineyard, think that windmills are also unsightly. How do we get energy if all methods of producing fuel are considered unsightly or “polluting”.
What’s the answer? Go back to the dark ages?

I’ll believe it when I see it. Don’t trust this man or his administration,—-ever.

Whats funny about this whole thing – if you actually read what Obama is allowing it is very different from what the Republican Drill Baby Drill message was.
Obama is not allowing drilling in sensitive areas example some areas of Alaska and the CA coast. He is however allowing additional drilling in areas already populated with oil drilling or research etc.
Consider it a smart move to put the ball in the Republican side of the court to see what they do with it. That old saying give em enough rope to hang them selves and then wait.
Learn to read for your self people! The same old political BS is being dumped on you via the media as usual.
READ!! For christ sakes!

After a hurricane sends adrift these new Atlantic ODPs, you can kiss the future blue crab harvest goodbye.

Here we go again, Obama trying to play both sides. Oh yes he did open up some off shore tracts however, those tracts are not the ones that the oil companies feel will be very productive. This is just more of the administrations phony baloney.

Ulterior motive? Here comes cap and trade!

I’ll believe Obama the day drilling starts. So far, it’s just words.
The lapdogs at CEA need to catch a clue. If Obama was at all interested in drilling offshore, then why is this the first time he’s talked about it since his second debate with McCain back in 2008?
Obama did alot of talking about energy, but drilling offshire was not mentioned until now!
It’s just talk designed to position the Democrats in a favorable place come Nobember.

SF guy, I would avoid using Christ’s name in vain.

SFGuy, that was a weak attempt!
Obama did a whole lotta talking about his energy policy once he got elected, and he NEVER mentioned offshore drilling until now.

Bush: I propose drilling offshore
Typical San Franciscan: Bush HATES the environment
Obama: I propose drilling offshore
Typical San Franciscan: Obama sure is smart!

Liberals are all about the manipulation of language, saying whatever gains ground at the time, creating only “politically correct” “speech” claiming that all “hate” should be outlawed etc. (be sure to not “hate” that burglar breaking in you see it’s bad to “hate”).

ray – don’t you get it. My last post mocking SFGuy should make it clear. Iv’e seen this many times before.
Liberals will compromise their long held principles just as long as they can beat conservatives in the end of the day.
In a phrase, liberals don’t have a moral compass or standards. They’ll do anything or say anything just as long as they think they can defeat the right.
That’s why Obama can lie during his debate with McCain, then persue his “no-oil” energy policy until…..he perceives he needs to change in order to defeat republicans in November.

I like that he is finally letting us drill but he didn’t go far enough on that account. On the other hand…..just another in a series of lies. This time the left gets it.

“…incessantly contradictory…” – Spot on! Can I steal it?

Obama’s reversal his word on Florida offshore drilling is only one of the more benign broken promises. There are dozens and dozens… and most are MAJOR… which must prove that he was lying through his teeth from the very beginning.
It is disgusting to have a Socialist in control of the White House. It’s dirty.

Sorry People I cannot stand Obama, I cannot stand the beginning of a complete takeover of our healthcare system, I cannot buy into his vision of the socialization of our great nation. HOWEVER: Based on the quotes from Obama during the campaign you can’t really call him a liar or a flipflop on this one. Believe me I would love expose and inconsistency or a lie here but there is none. Although I disagree with almost everything he says and does and think he is fundamentally manipulative I think this was a smart move and not inconsistent with what he has stated previously. Sorry but I prefer honesty over ideology.

Doesn’t anyone understand that “exploration” is not “drilling?” The headline says “drill baby drill” – so not even the writer gets it.
The fact is we know where an unbelievable supply of oil is – we’re just not being given the go ahead to drill it. So now we’ll spend money on exploration – find some more – but that doesn’t mean the supply is increased. In fact, it won’t be increased at all.
This is a shell game. Gas prices are rising – and this is a political ploy to make it seem like Obama is opening the door to help, but it won’t do anything.

Never look at what they (progressives), only what they do. This is a ploy to gain a bump in his ratings and take the focus off of his destructive socialistic agenda to expand the federal governmen, make the majority of Americans dependent on the Federal Gov., and demonize and destroy the private sector in order to make capitalism fail completely.

Posted by: Stever | Mar 31, 2010 9:24:04 PM
Actually, if it’s a political ploy, I’d say its one that will show how shallow the Palin/GOP strategy of drill, baby, drill is as it won’t end our dependence of foreign oil, meet our demand, stop being cost-prohibitive or lower gas prices. It also will highlight how obstructionist the Republicans are (as I doubt it will help garner additional votes on the energy legislation coming down the pike.) It’ll also provide some cover to some centrist and conservaDems.

obama projects images…there is never an ounce of truth to him.

Has Obama ever said anything he stands by? NO. first, its a trick; second, he won’t hold to this either. Come on people, wake up….just because he says the moon is made of green cheese doesn’t make it so.

Start the stopwatch. It will be only a matter of time before this statement expires, or is proven to be simply another in a long list of LIES.

Doug, that is your guys’ problem, it’s all about hate. Anything President Obama does to be bipartisan will never be enough or agreeable because you guys can’t see past the hate. He won, he’s the President, he’s our President. He is doing what he campaigned to do. You might not agree with his policies and that’s ok, you didn’t vote for him but the majority did. He’s not lying, if you think he is then please state facts to what he’s is lying about.

Sorry Doug, I misread your comment. My comment about the hate stands but my comment about you accusing President of lying was wrong. It should have been aimed at others here who are accusing him of doing so.

Doug, if you come back to read the comments, I appreciate that you are honest and it is about policy differences (except for the socialist part, which I think is ridiculous because it feeds into the mania) but at least we can disagree without going into the hateful rhetoric.

Obama is nothing but a liar. Talk the talk but can’t walk the walk. Republicans, don’t elect a nutjob (ie Palin or Romney) to run against him next election and you win.

go Obama ! finially a turn to the right!

Liz, Do you not remember him saying during the campaign, that he would seek alternate energy sources, and not drill?

“”when I’m president, I intend to keep in place the moratorium here in Florida …”
“I intend”. That’s the weasel door right there. Politicians use that one so they can later say that changing circumstances prevented them fulfilling that intention. After all, we must be flexible, mustn’t we?
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if politicians said “I will” or “I won’t” and stuck to it?
Yeah, I know.

It’s one of three things: first he is saying one thing and will do the other. second- he knows that he has to do something because we need jobs to pay for his health bill he just forced on the American people. Third– and I think this is it– he believes that the Government can take control of that too. You know that he and the Democrats don’t think the American people can do anything on our own. We need big daddy to help us through life. Or is it that he is a socilist and wants to take over our country.

Lies? I can think of a few…make under $250K…no rise in taxes…FAIL
Get our troops out of Iraq…first thing…”you can take that to the bank”…or don’t do that, and send 30,000 more to Afghanistan…right before Christmas…earned the Nobel Peace Prize for that lie.
The American people will have 5 days to look at any bill that is put before me to sign, before it is signed into law…or less than 36 hrs and not posted on line…just a small bill really though. Just $940 billion to the tax payers in the first 10 years.
What about the “pay-go” plan. Congress can only spend a dollar, if they save a dollar somewhere else…debunk at will.
Hows ’bout all the jobs that have been created by the stimulus package?…we continue to see double digit jobless rates…and higher than he said we’d have (8.5%) if we didn’t pass the stimulus.
GitMo…still chugging.
Get rid of earmarks…lie…
“I don’t have lobbyists.”…’fraid so!
But at least we all got to watch ALL the health care dealings on C-Span…right, I mean, he was totally truthful there…right? uh-oh…nope…chalk another on up.
Dang! I thought he was gonna pull through on that last one.
Hey, Liz. This is not hate speech. It’s sarcastic, to be sure, but if you’re gonna throw a challenge out like that…try to do some homework first. I’m afraid you’re blinded by the fact that you voted for the man…like you have, and will every Democrat…am I right?
C’mon guys…it’s not Dems vs Reps…or even Cons vs Libs. It’s US vs THEM.

Doesn’t matter what Obambo does. At best, he’s a bumbling dolt who has no business being in the WH. At worst, he’s a closet Muslim and out-spoken socialist/communist who is heck-bent on destroying this once great country.
Either way, the results are going to be about the same.

Posted by: progressive mama | Apr 1, 2010 10:32:04 AM
The challenge was to provide facts to back up the claims of Obama lying. I think, especially judging by the lack of replies, that I was successful. Those are just a few that I have jotted down in the margin of my journal.
As far as Gitmo is concerned, Obama said it shall be closed within a year. That was on Jan. 22, 2009. Again…Gitmo is still operational OVER a year later. Not my fault that he gave himself a terrible time line by which to abide. If we want to chalk this one up to rookie mistake, fine.
The fact is; the statement was not true. If it is not true, it must be false. When something false is spoken, we call it a lie. I’m just saying.
And I never mentioned anything about Mr. Obama lying or changing his position on drilling for oil. Time will prove it true or false.

A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
March 31 was a groundbreaking day of such historic significance that had its developments come one day later, it might well have been mistaken as an April Fool’s Day joke.
President Obama has proposed opening large swaths of the country to offshore drilling, reversing the staunch anti-drilling stance he took while he was campaigning. It a decisive move that also marked a dramatic departure from the delays that have characterized Obama’s Interior Department in recent months.
Obama’s proposal is not perfect and today, as so many not-in-my-backyard types are attacking the new policy, it will be tempting for those of us who support a strong domestic oil sector to criticize the president for not going further in supporting drilling in many of the country’s oil rich regions, like Alaska, or to question the timing or the political motives behind his decision.
While there will be time to examine the proposal in more detail, our first order of business must be to applaud Obama’s courageous move, and offer to help him keep true to his words. In announcing a plan to open much of the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast to drilling, he has not only opened up some major new sources of oil within our borders, he has also shown a willingness to break with his core allies for the greater good of the country.
we have consistently chronicled the battle to produce more homegrown energy, but it has too often felt like a losing battle. We have offered all the arguments, from how domestically produced oil creates jobs and strengthens national security, to how a strong oil sector can coexist with strong environmental protections. We have offered all those arguments, but at times it felt like we weren’t getting through.
Obama’s support of offshore drilling has shown us that there need not be two sides in this issue; that anyone who is for a strong economy and strong national security should include development of more oil and natural gas here at home, and buying less of it from distant markets – while, of course, we also develop all forms of alternative energy.
“Given our energy needs, in order to sustain economic growth and produce jobs and keep our businesses competitive, we are going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable homegrown energy,” Obama explained.
Surprising? Yes. Courageous? Definitely. Practical politics? That too.
But, if the appropriate actions follow the President’s words, it’s no joke.