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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: steve harris who wrote (36684)	7/27/2008 10:42:55 PM
From: Ann Corrigan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224729

BO will send Michelle to visit his Kenyan family for next few mos.<g>

To: steve harris who wrote (36684)	7/28/2008 11:42:05 AM
From: Ann Corrigan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224729

Republicans Seek to Capitalize On Drilling Support By JOHN D. MCKINNON, ELIZABETH HOLMES and STEPHEN POWER July 28, 2008; www.wsj.com, Page A5 Republicans are upping the ante on their bet that energy issues -- especially increased domestic oil production -- will be key to closing Democrats' imposing advantage with voters on the economy. This week, President George W. Bush heads to two election battleground states, Ohio and West Virginia, to draw attention to congressional inaction. Senate Republicans are planning a floor fight before August recess to try to win authorization for more production. It is a potential make-or-break move for Republicans, who, in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, trailed Democrats by 16 percentage points when voters were asked which party they thought would do a better job handling the economy. That is a slight improvement for Republicans from the 18-point lead Democrats held in January, but still a big deficit to overcome. There are indications Republicans' support for increased domestic oil production is gaining traction on the campaign trail and in Congress. In the poll, Democrats' advantage on energy -- the issue voters in the poll said was their No. 1 economic concern -- had shrunk to 20 points in July from 28 points in January. The telephone poll of 1,003 registered voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points; the question on party advantage was from a half-sample, with margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. The issue could create an opening for Sen. John McCain in his battle with Sen. Barack Obama for the presidency. Sen. McCain's support for more offshore oil production is one of his main domestic-policy differences with Sen. Obama. Some Republicans believe it could be a defining issue heading into the fall. On Sunday, Sen. McCain pressed the energy issue as one of his top priorities on the ABC News program "This Week." As president, he said, "I will embark on an immediate...effort to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil -- nuclear power, offshore drilling, wind, tide, solar -- and stop this drain of $700 billion a year from the American economy." On Monday, Sen. McCain plans to hit the point again in Bakersfield, Calif., in an oil-producing area. He will discuss domestic drilling as a means to reduce reliance on foreign oil, and as a bridge to a future when alternatives such as nuclear power and solar power are more widely available. The McCain campaign planned to respond to Sen. Obama's appearance before a large crowd in Germany by touring an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana. Hurricane Dolly forced the senator to cancel his visit. Talking to reporters in Ohio, Sen. McCain attacked Sen. Obama for refusing to support offshore drilling, then slammed the Democratic-controlled Congress for not making headway. The Obama camp is seeking to cast Sen. McCain as the one who has failed to take action. "Sen. McCain put it best when he said that our energy problems are the result of 30 years of inaction in Washington," said Tommy Vietor, an Obama spokesman. "Unfortunately, John McCain was there for 26 of those years and he repeatedly voted against increasing fuel-economy standards and investing in renewable energy." The potency of the oil issue is apparent in some state races. In Colorado, Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall has seen a 10-point lead over Republican Bob Schaffer disappear. Mr. Schaffer has highlighted his support for increased domestic oil production and echoed President Bush's call to develop the state's oil shale. "High gas prices have changed the political dynamics in Colorado," says Floyd Ciruli, a Denver-based political strategist. Republicans "see public opinion is running in their direction." Many economists say authorizing new domestic production would have minimal effects on oil and gasoline prices for the foreseeable future. But high fuel prices have proved to be an especially sensitive issue, and Republicans hope to make it a broader emblem of congressional inaction and concern over U.S. competitiveness. The stakes have become increasingly apparent in a bruising debate on Capitol Hill in recent weeks. This week, Republicans in the Senate plan to use parliamentary tactics to keep floor debate alive on the issue. "This issue is washing over the Democrats," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said last week. "They're scrambling like crazy to try to figure out how to avoid it." Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, scoffed at that idea, saying Democrats continue to offer deals for a vote on the issue. "They continue refusing to take 'yes' for an answer when it comes to voting on the issue....It's a party that's bereft of ideas [and] reduced to one play in the playbook -- stop everything in sight and hope for the best in November." Republicans in the spring began to coalesce around the strategy of urging higher domestic oil production. For their part, Democrats have considered a range of alternatives, including a windfall-profits tax on oil companies, a crackdown on price gouging and tighter curbs on oil-market speculation. None so far has made much headway amid Republican opposition. In a possible sign of the Democrats' troubles, the Sierra Club plans to run radio ads this week urging six Democrats to keep supporting legislation targeting the oil companies. The lawmakers have been under pressure from conservative groups to support offshore oil drilling. Democrats also are planning to work throughout August promoting their proposals, including one to push oil companies to explore more on existing offshore lease areas. Write to Stephen Power at stephen.power@wsj.com online.wsj.com