Reid Offshore Drilling Plan Splits Dems

The Hill:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has split the Democratic front opposed to drilling with a plan that would open new areas for exploration.

Reid's proposal was meant to insulate Senate Democratic candidates from public anger over gas prices. Instead, it has created a divide with liberal colleagues and drawn fire from senior House Democrats.

A group of influential Senate and House Democrats has sided with environmental groups against Reid to call exploration in new areas unnecessary.

Read the whole story: The Hill

Comments

[Daniboy]

Harry is a little smarter than I gave him credit for. The Amercan people want something done about our dependence on foreign oil. Maybe Harry is finally recognizing this. Dems better wake up or Repubs will rule again!!! Al Gores plan is a joke.

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

So's T. Boone Pickens plan. You know - the guy that's made a bazzillion in the oil industry who's telling us we can't drill our way out of this mess? But what does he know?

[Daniboy]

T. Boone Pickens wants to drill more too. Maybe you better read up more on his ideas. We have to do more of everything because demand for energy is going to keep increasing. Or maybe we could all go back to living in caves.

[ccpostman]

According to his plan, oil supply/production peaked in 2005. We can drill all we want, but U.S. supply is going to be less each year, while oil demand will be higher!

http://media.pickensplan.com/pdf/pickensplan.pdf

[condew]

Is it just me, or does it seem like this thread is dominated by oil company lobyists? There are a small number of very pro-oil voices here, and they are so insistant they must be getting paid to post.

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

Oil lobbyists wouldn't waste their time with this. I think it's just the last desperate gasps of a few die-hard neo-cons. I mean, at this point who'd be paying for trolls?

[nippersdad]

I just read that John McCain got a huge boost in fundraising from oil companies when he reversed himself on the drilling issue. A troll, being paid. Nuff said? I put nothing beyond them at this point.

[Daniboy]

You Libs want pristine and $8 gas. Normal people want cheaper gas and will take a chance on some oil spills. Fear not Libs, time heals all spills!!!

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

Anybody gullible enough to believe the push for ANWR and offshore drilling is about energy policy and not the creation of an election year wedge issue and another money grab for Big Oil deserves to pay $8 a gallon for gas.

Time wounds all heals.

[Daniboy]

WHY do the Dems want Opec to produce more oil-but yet they don,t want us to produce more. Better to give our money to Opec then those greedy American oil companies!!

[Daniboy]

The 'can do' attitude made this country. You people just sit back and wait for the goverrnment do it for you. I farm, I will keep planting the new crop and I hope the oilman keeps drilling.

[macbabe]

time has also fuc!@#ks up our environment and animals!!

[ccpostman]

You can put the $8 gas in your SUV and make the oil companies very HAPPY. The rest of us will be plugging in our next gen hybrids and passing you at the pump again and again$$$. Oil dinosaurs die hard.

[wiseapple]

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed how all the SUV's on the road these days are moving much slower and all together? They almost look like they are in a funeral procession.

[TN]

I'm sick of reid always giving in. He is not strong enough to be the democratic leader of the senate. We need finegold. You have failed mr. reid and have let all of america down by not standing by the principles you say you have.

[TheSecularist]

Harry Reid has to be the most worthless Majority "Leader" ever. Totally lacking in leadership skills, he's an embarrassment. Why is he still there? Why on earth did Senate Democrats elect this person? Not only does he not know how to lead, he's lacking in insight, well-planned strategy (or even poorly planned strategy, for that matter). Harry Reid needs to step down.

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

If Democrats don't replace him after this next round of elections and elect someone with a spine, we won't accomplish jack squ at.

[chronic]

He even let the FISA bill come to a vote that put the Democratic Presidential nominee in a totally precarious position in this most crucial election year.

The vote could've waited until after the election!!!


Harry needs to be replaced!

[condew]

You would think that by now Reid would have learned to get agreement among Democrats BEFORE bringing up the legislation, or would have imposed the discipline necessary to get anything done with a razor thin majority. I sure hope he does not lead the next Senate, he'd probably pass another Bush priority just out of habit. How is it that when Republicans were in charge, if they didn't want to talk about it, it never saw the light of day?

[research]

Oh my, the republicans and Fox will criticize us, what can we do?

[bascombe]

reid has absolutely no principles or spine.

[bascombe]

R-epublican
E-nabler
I-gnores
D-emocrats

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

The dems need to dump this guy. He is ineffective and ill equiped to be their leader in the Senate.

This is a guy who converted to mor mon ism as an adult!!!! He can't even say he was raised to believe their brand of bulls hit. He bought it hook, line and sinker as an adult!

Simply amazing.

[DesertLight]

The amazing part is that the good people from Stoplight Nevada keep sending him back. I mean what is up with that?

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

I know but the same thing can be said for my home state of AZ - the voters keep sending the putz mcsame back to the Senate year after year after year.

[Sundialsvc4]

My goodness, it sure is difficult to satisfy Big Oil Money sometimes, isn't it? What exactly does the Senate know about oil-exploration and who's in the pocket of whom? Mmmmm....?

"What a tangled web we weave..."

[TimmySlagle]

" sure is difficult to satisfy Big Oil Money sometimes"

You're so wrong.

Americans want to drill. Reid is making a vain attempt to hold onto the Senate in 2009.

Fortunately, you Democrats are so numb to American opinion right now, that you probably won't even notice until AFTER the election. (And you'll claim it was stolen again.)

I encourage all Democrats to ignore Reid's proposal. Americans LIKE paying $5 /gallon for gas.

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

We're hooked on oil (bad) so we need to drill more so we can consume more (stupid).

[condew]

I wonder how the currents from these new areas relate to ANWAR. Would it be just one OOPS! like the Exxon Valdez and the pristine wildlife refuge is pristine no more?

[mgloraine]

Proof once again that the Democrats are as happy taking bribes as the Republicans. The People of America will always lose as long as Congressional votes are for sale to the highest bidder. It's no big surprise that big corporations always get what they want when little voters and taxpayers can't offer their Congress-people trips to the Bahamas, hookers, booze, cash, etc. the way Big Oil or Big Telecoms can. And our Congress-people sell out EVERY TIME. It's time to dump the whole sorry lot.

As long as corporations control Congress, we're screwed.

We need Obama in the White House, but every other seat in government should go to those who are neither Republican NOR Democrat. The whole gang is crooked and needs to be replaced, so no incumbents should be re-elected in 2008. Make them look for a job.

[condew]

Not really practical, in fact you lay out an excellent way to lose. In this country it is Democrat or Republican, and any third choice hurts the party in closest agreement with it. Voting for "none of the above" is really a vote for Republicans.

[argeec]

This isn't about drilling - its about stopping the speculation bill.
Keep in mind that Goldman,Sachs, Morgan,Stanley et al are major contributors to the democrats' campaign funds.

[Viper]

And even bigger supporters of Repugs and Bush...

There are many competing interest. Envronmentalist who want high oil prices no matter how many people starve, lose their jobs and how ridiculous the idea is that you can get off of oil entirely in ten years is.

There are those who dont want to tighten the regs... because they make money. There are those that dont wanten to tighten the regs because it will show it was speculation and there will be then accountability... Sen Gramm/McCain.

There are those that want high oil prices to be a campaign issue.

Regards

[onoclea]

That's not the way I understood it. This is a concession to get the speculation bill to move forward, not to stop it.

[V4Vigilance]

Holy Crap! With leadership (sic) like this, who needs the GOP???

[BigLib]

You have a Speaker who won't impeach the Big Bad Boosh and a Majority Leader who wants to drill for oil through the carcass of a dead baby seal.

What's a Lib to do?!?