Jeffrey Toobin on Obama's 'Drill Baby, Drill' Strategy

Instead of Obama simply embracing a "drill baby drill" stance, Jeffrey Toobin suggests, "there may be some larger game at work."
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In an exclusive Fresh Dialogues interview, CNN's senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin gave some insight into Obama's new offshore drilling plans, a policy reversal that caused both outrage and bemusement. Instead of Obama simply embracing a "drill baby drill" stance, Toobin suggests, "there may be some larger game at work."

The legal expert and best-selling author of two of the most high profile political controversies: Too Close to Call (the Bush-Gore Presidential Recount) and A Vast Conspiracy (the Clinton-Lewinsky Affair), is well qualified to provide some unique analysis of Obama's latest political strategy.

Toobin also opined on Obama's support of the EPA's plans to regulate greenhouse gases as pollutants; a possible Plan B strategy to curb global warming if progress on climate legislation fails to progress in Congress.

Will Obama's supposed, "drill baby, drill" strategy be replaced by "regulate baby, regulate" in 2011 as Newsweek's Daniel Stone predicts?

On the Obama Offshore Oil Drilling Announcement

"It's a bit peculiar frankly...it seems on one level that he's negotiating with himself...conceding something to the pro-development forces before the negotiations have really begun in earnest...but there may be some larger political game at work...that this shows how accommodating he is... " Jeffrey Toobin

On the Republican Reaction

"Gestures of good faith to Republicans have generally been met over the last year and a half with non responsive actions." Jeffrey Toobin

On the EPA Regulating Greenhouse Gases as Pollutants

"That's a campaign promise that Obama appears to be keeping...they have already started the process." Jeffrey Toobin

The interview took place on April 1st, just before Toobin's appearance at Foothill College's Celebrity Forum.

For more exclusive interviews on energy policy and the environment, check out the Fresh Dialogues Channel and join the conversation.

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