House Dems embrace “Drill, baby, drill”
September 24th, 2008Democrats have decided to allow a quarter-century ban on drilling for oil off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to expire next week, conceding defeat in an month-long battle with the White House and Republicans set off by $4 a gallon gasoline prices this summer.
Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., told reporters Tuesday that a provision continuing the moratorium will be dropped this year from a stopgap spending bill to keep the government running after Congress recesses for the election….
Democrats had clung to the hope of only a partial repeal of the drilling moratorium, but the White House had promised a veto, Obey said.
Amazing, really. Would Bush have shut down the government before the bailout bill was passed — assuming the Democrats had been smart enough to do the stopgap spending bill (with limits on drilling plus a renewable tax credit extenstion) first?
I doubt it, but we’ll never know. If someone can explain to me why the House Democrats went all the trouble of passing a big Energy Bill with far less drilling last week, I’m all ears.
I have repeatedly asked Congressional Dems and enviros what their end-game strategy was. Turns out they never had one. They should have immediately embraced and passed the original Gang-of-10 compromise.
Lousy messaging and no strategy means failure is inevitable. I can hardly wait for the 2009 debate over cap-and-trade.
Sad.
Related Posts:
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- “The environmental community has had its head in the sand when it comes to reality”
- Q: How is the House GOP’s behavior last night different from my 19-month-old daughter’s
- House Dems rolled by GOP on drilling?
- Since offshore oil is de minimis, why shouldn’t Obama and the Dems make a deal? Part 1
- Gustav, climate, drilling, McCain, Palin — Some enviros self-censor, but should progressives?
- “Drill baby, drill”: The moment the Republic died
September 24th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Joe, I’m a bit confused. What exactly is going to become law…or expire. Will the plug in credits? or is that in the energy bill Bush will veto.
Also what about these 18 billion in tax credits? Are these a version of the Alt Energy bill (or of the drill bill) that will be veto’ed by Bush if the house aproves it?
http://www.greentechmedia.com/ articles/ senate-oks-18b-in-tax-credits-
1456.html
Please clarify…….
September 24th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Unfortunately, there seems to be no Democrat in the house with authority on this issue willing to hold the line on drilling. On the financial crisis, you’ve got Barney Frank, who is as respected in DC as Paulsen and Beranke, and whose ideas carry real weight, but no one of that stature on energy and climate change (Markey is not, though he’s a good man).
September 24th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Bush?
He has his piorities….he would veto…
September 24th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Although I prefer the Democrats to the Republicans, it is hard for me to understand the rationale of the Democratic actions here-it would be nice to see them lead rather than follow.
January 16th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Amazing, really. Would Bush have shut down the government before the bailout bill was passed — assuming the Democrats had been smart enough to do the stopgap spending bill