Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : John McCain for President -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: puborectalis who wrote (2247)	8/2/2008 7:39:43 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 6579

Obama says offshore drilling stance nothing new From Ed Hornick and Alexander Marquardt CNN Decrease font Decrease font Enlarge font Enlarge font CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama responded Saturday to criticism that he has changed his position on opposing offshore oil drilling. Sen. Barack Obama takes a question from reporters during a news conference in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Saturday. Sen. Barack Obama takes a question from reporters during a news conference in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Saturday. Click to view previous image 1 of 2 Click to view next image Obama said Friday that he would be willing to compromise on his position against offshore oil drilling if it were part of a more overarching strategy to lower energy costs. "My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama told The Palm Beach Post early into a two-day swing through Florida. But on Saturday morning, Obama said this "wasn't really a new position." "I made a general point about the fact that we need to provide the American people some relief and that there has been constructive conversations between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate on this issue," he said during a press conference in Cape Canaveral. "What I will not do, and this has always been my position, is to support a plan that suggests this drilling is the answer to our energy problems," Obama added. "If we've got a plan on the table that I think meets the goals that America has to set and there are some things in there that I don't like, then obviously that's something that I would consider because that's the nature of how we govern in a democracy." The senator from Illinois has spoken out against offshore drilling since Sen. John McCain in June proposed striking down the federal moratorium banning offshore oil and gas drilling to help alleviate high gas prices. See where offshore drilling is allowed » Don't Miss * iReport.com: iReport Is more drilling the answer? * Where the candidates stand on energy * Will voters punish Congress for coming up empty? "When I'm president, I intend to keep in place the moratorium here in Florida and around the country that prevents oil companies from drilling off Florida's coasts," Obama told reporters in Jacksonville in late June. "That's how we can protect our coastline and still make the investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and bring down gas prices for good." Even as recently as Thursday, Obama refused to cede any ground, calling McCain's proposal "a strategy designed to get politicians through an election." Video Watch McCain defends his drilling position » "It's not going to provide short-term relief or medium-term relief or in fact long-term relief. It won't drop prices in this administration or in the next administration or in the administration after that," Obama said while campaigning in Iowa. But Friday, Obama admitted that something is better than nothing and praised a bipartisan energy plan from the Senate that combines alternative energy innovation, financial, nuclear energy and drilling proposals. He said he is still skeptical about drilling's potential to lower gas prices or reduce dependence on foreign oil. "The Republicans and the oil companies have been really beating the drums on drilling," Obama said in the interview with the Florida paper, "and so we don't want gridlock. We want to get something done." The McCain camp was quick to applaud Obama's softening on the issue. "It's clear that members of both parties are following John McCain's leadership toward an 'all of the above' approach on energy that includes nuclear, alternative energy, and offshore drilling," said a McCain spokesman. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll out Thursday, just more than half of those polled said the ban on additional offshore drilling is a major cause of high fuel prices. The same number cite the Bush administration and the war in Iraq as causes. The poll indicates that about two-thirds of Americans think U.S. oil companies and foreign countries that produce oil are major causes of higher gas prices. One group gets relatively little blame. Thirty-one percent of those polled said the Democrats in Congress are a major cause of gas prices. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Most Republicans want to lift a 1981 ban on offshore drilling, saying it will increase domestic oil supplies. But the Democratic leadership wants to keep the ban in place, arguing that more offshore drilling will have little effect on prices and could threaten the environment. Republicans also want to legalize drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and allow the processing of oil shale on public lands in the West -- two actions Democrats also oppose. Oil shale is sedimentary rock with oil in it that has historically been considered too expensive to process. Several environmental risks are associated with extracting oil shale. advertisement House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said the president was perpetrating a "hoax" by pushing for more offshore oil drilling. "The president has failed in his economic policy, and now he wants to say, 'but for drilling in protected areas offshore, our economy would be thriving and the price of gas would be lower,' " Pelosi said. "That hoax is unworthy of the serious debate we must have to relieve the pain of consumers at the pump and to promote energy independence." E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend Share this on: Mixx Digg Facebook del.icio.us reddit StumbleUpon MySpace \| Mixx it \| Share

To: puborectalis who wrote (2247)	8/3/2008 2:57:25 PM
From: KLP	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6579

The President doesn't "create legislation and enact it" ....Read your Constitution. The Congress does that. The President suggests....

To: puborectalis who wrote (2247)	8/5/2008 4:37:47 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 6579

Oops: Democrat on VP shortlist underscores Obama’s inexperience By Michelle Malkin August 4, 2008 02:50 PM This is definitely snort-worthy. The foot of Democrat VP shortlister Bill Ritter, governor of Colorado, meets his mouth. From a reader: “Michelle – check out Colorado Governor Bill Ritter’s oops this morning on the Mike Rosen show, hour two (www.850koa.com). When asked about rumors that he was on the list as a vice presidential candidate he remarked (not quoting) that his 18 months of gubernatorial experience were insufficient to be considered for vice president. When asked to compare this to [Obama's] 143 days of experience [in the Senate], he quickly changed the subject.” I’ve transcribed the relevant parts of the exchanges, in which Ritter first downplays the rumors that Obama is considering him… Rosen: “Why don’t you think you’d be a good choice?” Ritter: “Well, just because, I think there are a lot of things that he has to take into consideration. I’ve been governor for 18 months. My experience before that was as a district attorney. I loved being a district attorney…but I don’t think that’s what Barack Obama’s looking for in a vice president. I’ve been governor for 18 months. It’s been a great experience. But it’s just 18 months…Obama has to think about experience…levels of experience…” [Ritter then discusses other VP possibilities...Tim Kaine, Evan Bayh...praises their experience, foreign policy creds...Joe Biden/chair of Senate Foreign Relations committee..."Any of those three would make sense to me"...Kathleen Sibelius is a great woman...] …and then during Q&A, Ritter fields an excellent question: Caller Richard from Windsor: “Governor, you said 18 months’ experience wasn’t enough experience as governor to be the vice president. Would you want to contrast that with the 143 days’ experience Obama as senator before he decided he had enough experience to be president.” Ritter: All I can tell ya is I am a fan of Barack Obama’s. Met him in 2004 during his campaign for Senate…You meet him and discover there’s something very different about him. That’s all I’ll say michellemalkin.com