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

[Bobleblah1]

Reid and Pelosi

Its really to the point where they can not be taken seriously. Their removal is paramount for any progress to occur. Reid and Pelosi occupying those two positions has and will continue to prove ruinous to any progress. Pelosi and Reid have both repeatedly shown themselves as agents of corporate lawlessness.

[UltraClassic]

Go ahead liberals and leftist democrats. Prevent the US from producing more of it's own energy. You are setting yourselves up for the "perfect drilling" this fall.

[NoBo08]

Sssh. Don't tell them.

[ChiGuy]

Treating Americans as though they're stupid with phony fantasies of relief by drilling for oil that wouldn't see the pump for years, and will make no difference in pricing when it does.

Continuous lying.
That will be your guy's downfall this November.

[beerguy]

Have you noticed that since Bush lifted the executive order on drilling that oil has dropped over $20 a barrel. When Reid annonced this this morning it dropped $4. The market reacts quickly. When we get serious about going after our own oil, it will drop further. Thank you dems for painting yourselves into a corner on this issue

[JR49]

If you are not idiot then you surely know that big oil company has already areas off short drilling but they didn't even start there...just saving areas and waiting when country will be down with oil and then they come as a big white knights to rescue us all and sell us gallon of oil for $8 USD.

[UltraClassic]

Pure BS, straight from the DailyKos and hAirbraneAmerica, but hey, it sounds good. BTW English is obviously your second language but you are doing pretty good at it. Keep up the work.

[hark]

Why don't they just drill where they already have leases? And what has developing oil fields a decade or so from now got to do with today's high gasoline prices? And when are we going to start investing in alternative energy, instead of feeding our addiction to oil? At this rate, not until the last drop of oil is gone. Don't you people have any sense of reality? And why should we use up our own limited reserves when Iraq has got all the oil we need for the next decade or so, and can be recovered at a fraction of the cost here?

It's just madness, this drilling hysteria that is sweeping this country.

[NoBo08]

Could it be they have determined there is no or not enough oil on those leases to justify the expense of drilling?

[leduck]

look at the clowns fighting over scraps of oil

[leduck]

meat heads may win in the short run, but drilling dry holes wont make you popular in the long run

oil companies will never do it, they're not in the business of wasting or losing money
the only thing you'll have left to drill your dry holes is the govt.
you socialist

[ChiGuy]

Reid should grow a pair and stop trying to appease those that have been conned into thinking that any immediate relief can come from drilling.

[DesertLight]

Oil prices tumbled more than $3 a barrel Tuesday, falling to their lowest level in seven weeks as the perception that record prices are curtailing the world's thirst for energy sparked another dramatic sell-off.

Since, the topic of drilling was brought up.

[cdub1991]

No--since Americans cut back on their summer driving and short term demand dropped. Supply and demand curve--Econ 101.

[NoBo08]

So it is just a coincidence that prices starting dropping the day after the Prez lifted the presidential ban on offshore drilling and oil shale?

[imusintheevening]

Oh, you conveniently forgot about hearings on oil speculation rules.

[rockinroll]

Why are we still even talking about Oil? This is why I am a registered Independent. The Dems are
wimps. Get Reid out of that position and put someone in who will actually stand up and have a voice!
This guy is worthless as the Majority Leader!!

[Chavez08]

Although Neoliberalism/Reaganism/Neo-classic/"Free Market" capitalism failed so miserably, Friedman following politicians cling on so hard to it their fingernails are coming out.

Attn Washington: The "Free Market" machine is dead, replace it with something that works. (or WE'LL do it for you)

[dejtemper]

In the beginning, Reid kept getting elected because of the quality of people who would run against him in the primary and general elections. Then he was in long enough for a certain amount of power, and helped NV, so he kept getting elected because who else are you going to put in? His voting record reflects party line. I don't like the fact that when you contact his office, by email or phone, you very seldom get a response. When I called his office about the FISA bill, the person I spoke to was ill informed and almost put me to sleep. After saying this - guess what - if things go the same way as I mentioned above, I'll vote for him again. I am sure that NV is typical of why certain people keep getting elected.

[dejtemper]

I also wanted to add that even though I vote for him, when I heard he was going to be the Majority Leader, I was shocked. I knew what was coming. He really has to be gone from that position.

[DesertLight]

So, are you going to vote for him again?

[katmeyster]

This is great. We drill for more oil, consume the oil and put the carbon into the air contributing to accelerated global warning. Then the polar ice caps melt and we have new ocean to drill in -- ingenious I tell you! Drill until it's gone -- that will solve the earth's problem as the humans will be extinguished and the earth can heal its wounds.

P.S. from New Mexico. Sorry about Bingaman. At least Udall will replace Domenici next year.

[Moka11]

Harry Reid has consistently caved to Republicans. He always appears so weak. How did he ever get to the position he holds. I want to scream when I see him on the floor whining against something rather than fighting for something. ARRGGHH!

[DesertLight]

And you just got this revelation, when?

[ZsaZsa]

I agree with Peter DeFazio on this one. Caving to Repubs on offshore drilling only heightens the public impression that offshore drilling automatically equals lower gas prices. That is a dishonest argument, and Dems should call Repubs on it. Plus, this bill undermines 0bama, who is opposed to this drilling. Just like on every other issue, if you give the Repubs an inch, they'll take a mile.

[DesertLight]

Caving to Repubs on offshore drilling only heightens the public impression that offshore drilling automatically equals lower gas prices.

No, it doesn't. If nothing else, it says that we aren't going to hang around and do nothing.

[bichn]

There is no need to do this. The oil companies have plenty of leases that they are not drilling yet. If production is a problem why aren't they drilling those areas instead of looking for new leases to buy up? They are trying to secure their own profits for many years to come. We need to move aggressively for renewable sources. And if other countries have cars (not hybrids) that get 45 miles to the gallon, we should have that too. The auto industry only hurts themselves when they align themselves with the oil industry. The more gas you need to get around, the more profit they make. Enough is enough.

[Grunty1]

Too bad that is all giving out more leases does: nothing.

It won't make the oil companies drill at the locations (new or the ones they already hold)
It won't make them build more refinaries (or even fully use the ones they already have)
Thus, it won't lower the price

And worst of all, it will delay real effort to make ourselves energy independent.

[LemonFreshScent]

I say we have a SPINE for VP.

[castlerider]

My G*d!!

Reid is such a p*ssy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe this guy? No spine at all.! ! !!!
He doesn't have a clue how to establish a moral high ground when he argues, he doesn't have any idea how to throw back a verbal punch. This guy is absolutely losing it for the Dems.

He has no idea that the real reason Congress' approval rating is so low is actually because he is so spineless. All he needs to do is go to lunch or hang out with Russ Feingold or Jim Webb, get his pointers and decide on having some Cojones!!!!!

[IowaKid]

I say NO MORE DRILLING the oil companies own a lot of property that haven't drilled on including property in Alaska. Give me a break. It's time to get people in THIS COUNTRY CALLED the United States of America back to work. How about jobs in the field of energy conservation and exploration? WITHOUT OIL!!!!!! What happened to our independence.........................

[SWEETPB307]

I ask what about the oil resevers already leased that's not being used! What is going on???

I'm not a politican, but comon sense is common sense...to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, do what we just did...lower consumption, continue on the track of making cars fuel eficient, invest in alternative fuel which will produce what is really missing jobs...Oooh I just can't understand this!
We need jobs now not 5-6 years for now and to get that kind of job you have to know someone who knows someone...And not to forget that it has to be regulated by who? THE OIL COMPANIES!

[Franksa]

This is the last straw, Reid has to go! He feckless! He makes Barney Fife look dynamic. From his repeated cave in on the war funding to his ushering telecom immunity through the Senate, he is an embarrassment to the Democratic Party. He reinforces every negative stereotype of Democrats.
Every time I think about sent the DSCC a little money, Reid make some bonehead move like this and I say no way.

[YesWeCanada]

What a spineless wiener, caving into the milkshack drinkers. Reid and Pelosi should both get the boot.