McCain: Drill Offshore US For Oil

Electricity seems to be the way to move. However, I'm interested about how we plan on powering or 18 wheelers via electric?

Electricity seems to be the way to move. However, I'm interested about how we plan on powering or 18 wheelers via electric?

It"sabout time somebody started listening in D.C. There are only a few conservationists and they are always heard. The American People need a voice to in time of crisis. We need to be Americans, not Dem. or Rep. that is the problem now. The govenment has said to Hell With People !!!!!

I agree, continue to drill and help the economy, while other sources are funded developed.

I say DRILL. I remember all too well the gas lines of 73/74. We got the wake up call then, but chose to hit the snooze button.

DRILL, tax, use tax for alternative fuels.

I say - why NOT take every last drop? (that's actually a Maxwell House question, not Folger's) Drilling offshore is not going to INcrease energy consumption. It will only change who gets the money. And, due to the way that speculative markets work, it will likely be less money - that's borne out by the inconvenient truth of historical statistics that many will continue to ignore.

I say - why NOT take every last drop? (that's actually a Maxwell House question, not Folger's) Drilling offshore is not going to INcrease energy consumption. It will only change who gets the money. And, due to the way that speculative markets work, it will likely be less money - that's borne out by the inconvenient truth of historical statistics that many will continue to ignore.

(Mike: Thanks for the Maxwell House line...I've gotten my coffee retailers straight in the piece. Dave)

I take issue with him calling this a resolution for the energy crisis, even a short-term one. Dictionary.com defines "to resolve" as "to deal with (a question, a matter of uncertainty, etc.) conclusively." Drilling offshore for oil is only going to prolong the energy crisis. The only real resolution is finding an alternative fuel that is affordable, clean, and able to be produced in the US.

Problem with McCain and like mindset is nothing will be done on rebuilding America's transportation systems like rail for passngers for the long term. He is short sighted and in my thinking criminal in that Anmerica dies because he and others like him do nothing.

It is really simple. When the US wants energy independence it will drill the hell out of ANWR in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico and give a dollar for dollar tax credit for people to develop and IMPLEMENT alternative energy sources such as wind, steam and solar. The US government will subsidize gas prices like India and China do while giving a straight up, dollar for dollar tax credit for moving to and developing wind, solar, geothermal and hydrogen energy. I say give straight up deductions for installing hydrogen stations at all gas stations and let us move to putting out only water as a waste product and do it now.

This is not a technology problem. You have the oilers who correctly drag their feet when grudgingly going with this CO2 greenhouse crap even though Mars and the gas giants are warming up,too, and you have the treefreak crazies who are really just Luddites who seem to oppose MOST technology. Instead of destroying our economy and borrowing like a drunk with the DTs and going to war, we should have spent those dollars on establishing energy independence.

Using less fuel is not necessary to save the planet, but being more efficient is simply the right thing to do. Our problem is not energy, nor is it technology. The problem is we have a bunch of d***less politicians up there who are so bent on a one world government that they are willing to destroy the American and world economies in order to be in control. They use the lie of the climate as an excuse to motivate the common man just as the lie of terrorism was used to justify the war in Iraq.

When the people stop listening to McBama...the socialists on one side and the Neocon fascists on the other and start looking for solutions then we can begin moving ahead. The Pax Americana is doomed because sooner or later the people WILL realize that all these manufactured crisis are nothing more than Orwellian excuses to increase control and stamp down on the individual.

Again, this is not an issue of a problem that cannot be solved. It is an issue of people on both sides wanting to solve it THEIR way and be RIGHT and make the other side LOSE. Such stupidty will lead to both sides losing.

Thanks for giving me a reason to get going this morning. While we may points of disagreement, I enjoyed your blog.

I agtee somewhat . We should look for alternatives. But, at the same time we need the gas and oil that is still in the ground to reduce our dependency on foreign oi'. After all China and Cuba are at our door step taking what we could using and that is unacceptable !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What would we be leaving the oil for?

You want to know the REAL reason we are at the mercy of foreign (and hostile) oil producing countries? The Republicans. It has been their unswerving paid alligence to Big Oil and Coal and conspiracy to back-burner and trivialize clean and renewable energies like solar and wind every step of the way. It's a scandal of the first order. People have been calling for clean alternatives for decades now but Congress, in bed with Fat Cat CEOs, have done all they could to favor Oil and Coal by giving them huge subsidies and tax breaks while simultaneously roadblocking R&D into renewables. Why? Because de-centralized alternatives would mean no longer being dependent on a large central corporation to provide one's energy needs. A population with their own solar panels or wind turbines etc. would OWN their energy and not have to continually pay for it and they simply couldn't have that. Frankly, it's just insane.

One would think that with the sudden spiking of gas prices recently, though, they would remember their supposed role of looking out for the American people and would realize that we should be investing in renewables - but you’d be wrong.

“Separately, Democrats also failed to get Republican support for a proposal to extend tax breaks for wind, solar and other alternative energy development, and for the promotion of energy efficiency and conservation. The tax breaks have either expired or are scheduled to end this year…. The oil companies could have avoided the tax if they invested the money in alternative energy projects or refinery expansion. It also would have rescinded oil company tax breaks — worth $17 billion over the next 10 years — with the revenue to be used for tax incentives to producers of wind, solar and other alternative energy sources as well as for energy conservation.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/10/republicans-block-extra-t_n_106282.html

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2002/2002-07-19-09.asp#anchor2

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1525/is_4_85/ai_63127627

When Bill Clinton tried to make it fairer again the Republicans put the breaks on anything that could lead to a switch away from dirty energy (oil, coal, nuclear).

http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/new/html/Tue_Oct_3_130025_2000.html

First of all your comment is filled with absurdity. How can we use every last drop of fossil fuels if there is a ban on the usage. Secondly we have such a vast supply of shale oil it would take many many years to come close to exhausting them. Third there are untapped fuel sources that haven't even been discovered yet. Fourth, if we develope alternative fuels, conserve as much as possible by requiring electric vehicles, more effeciency and better use of mass transit for example, plus we drill and utilize the available fuels we know are there, we can do all of the above and keep the prices low and utilize resources wisely. Instead liberals would rather hug a tree until all the bark falls off and the tree dies. Nonsense arguments and stupid remarks do not necessarily make a good point.

What are we saving the oil for???

This is a PERFECT example of McCain's total inability to make a rational decision based on over-whelming (and in-arguable) information. We've so badly screwed with mother nature that our weather patterns are more violent (and killing more people - and doing more property damage) than ever before. McCain's answer to fuel costs? Screw with mother nature some more. Make our weather patterns worse. It might drop gas prices .05-.10 cents a gallon....

I would like Senator McCain to define "Short Trem Fix".

First a bill would need to be submitted to Congress. If both sides do approve the Bill which is doubtful, it would nreed to be signed by the President.
If the Presedent does sign the Bill, the next huddle would be all the Legal battles started by all the coastal residences which could take YEARS going through the court systems.
If it survives, the Oil Companies would need to determine the most logical place to drill.
When this is determined, the Oil companies would need to construct offshore drilling platforms and pipelines connecting the offshore rigs to the mainland to pump the oil.
It could take 10 years before we see the first barrel of oil.
If this is Senator McCain's "short term" answer,what is his long term solution?

DRILL DRILL DRILL, in my backyard between the roses bushes if necessary...

There is enough oil already drilled in Alaska to run America for 200 years. Each day up there, they blow 1,000,000 cu. ft. of natural gas back into the earth with jet engines.

We're buying it all from the Arabs because of the 70's Kissinger deal with OPEC to only sell oil in dollars - the Arabs agreed to hold our worthless paper. - i.e. the national debt. Now, we are fighting wars with those Arabs who threaten to go to the Euro., rather than fixing our monetary system and using our own oil.

How about an article about that ?

McCain / Obama is a puppetrshow .

McCain is stupid, just like his brother Bush.
Appease the rich people, and let the country go to hell.

Screw the nature to it's last drop, go for Alaska........Is the pristine Alaska National Refuge the answer!!! What a pimp both of you?

He himself was tortured when he was a prisoner of war but now will approve torture since he is no more POW.

As it was told in republican gather, there is no science but political science.
Under their leadership, the country is going back to stone ages.
God really Help America!!!

Right on, idiot! Lose Florida! This will not play well down there. Go take a look at Blue Bayou in LA and tell me you want that to happen to your beach-front property. There is no short-term fix (and this doesn't even come close to that - it would be years before this kind of drilling would even have the smallest impact (which is about all you could hope this would be.)) Yep, we had the warning in the '70s and rolled over and went back to sleep in the '80s. Reagan's gone now and all you fools who supported him are going to go into old age watching your kids prepare for a life of thankless subsistence farming. Get all upset about your Hummer's $80 fill-up but answer me this: what are you going to eat? The seat cushions? 'Cause Walmart only has a 3-day supply of food (just-in-time stocking) and the trucks won't be rolling next year. Get ready for the "change you deserve." Hope you have a garden!

I'm sorry but McSame is just an IDIOT.

Who does he think is buying this crap?

The more I hear about the energy crises the more frustrated I become. We are so focused on feeding our gas-guzzling vehicles that we (the American people) have become short-sighted and greedy. And I am just as guilty as the next guy. I agree with you, Steve Wilson. The last 50-years of our oil dependence has wreaked havoc on our climate and too many people are rushing to do more harm by demanding that we drill more. In addition to investing in alternative fuels we need to invest in public transportation and alternative modes of transport. I'm sure my highway-loving, fumes-spouting, car fanatics will disagree but this is the only way we can really use more fuel efficiently - by achieving per capita reduction in fuel consumption and green house gas emissions. Mass transit is the way to go.

I would have to say one of the biggest reasons we're in this mess is all over the American dallor. How much money can I make. Its destorying America. Everything just goes up. which makes no sense when minimum wage goes up.

McCain doesn't go far enough, what we need to do collectively as a nation is take US oil (a American natural resource) off the commodity market and require that it only be used to meet our own energy needs. China and the rest of the world can go hat-in-hand to OPEC and make their best deals at $140/bbl. We do not need to if our own resources are used for our own needs. OPEC and our "friends" in the middle east are destroying our way of life (and economy) and we are now at epidemic proportions when we can't get a head of lettuce from state to state without asking some carrier to not make their house payment. If this is not a national emergency dictating the removal of our own oil from the commodity market, then when will there be be one? If big oil wants to continue selling oil they produce from non-US fields, let them. I am quite sure that there will still be a hansome profit in marketing US oil ONLY to US users.

Yet another populist message to the incompetent by bushie V3.0, right up there with ‘gas tax holiday’.

His ‘enormous reserves’ are just enormous profits for the pullers of his puppet strings.

21 billion barrels divided by the 20 million we consume daily works out to...2.8 years of consumption at present rates.

John McCain is seeking the presidency the same way his buddie bushie did...by securing the incompetent vote.

As for powering 18-wheelers...the fuel saved by moving private ground transportation (automobiles) to electrics would reduce demand and thus costs for petroleum users, such as truckers and airlines.

put SUVs out to pasture, and start them there by putting them on every other day operation based on license plates. Stop allowing Muscle cars to operate on US highways and start them on their way out by only allowing them to operate on ever or odd days. .
Dont allow the US to use more oil than we can produce.

Stop pretending there is an infinite supply.

Bush promised $5 billion in alternative fuel research in his state of the union message 7 years ago. Another lie.

Oil prices started going up when Obama became a strong candidate for the Democratic Party nominee for President. Then when he did become the nominee of the Democratic Party, a barrel of oil WENT UP OVER $10 IN ONE DAY. What does that say to you? Someone wants Obama in the White House.

And by the way, most of the profit of oil goes in the pockets of the Middle East countries. See last weeks U. S. News & World Report on one of those countries and how they are using all their riches from oil.

McCain & GOP ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ENERGY FAILURE AND MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE MEDIA!

McCain, Bush, Cheney, and GOP forced and shoved the now failed Energy Policy upon Democrats against strong objections! Now McCain and GOP want to pretend that “New” solutions are needed and want to forget their GOP INSISTENCE to rape and pillage the Country! McCain and GOP wanted Democrats to just lay back and enjoy being raped as Big Oil pocketed record profits!

The McCain, Bush, Cheney and GOP Energy Policy failure has now come home to roost and now the GOP pretends that they had nothing to do with it! McCain says “OH go drill more oil for Big Oil and everything will be OK again!” The total abject failure of the McCain GOP Energy policy must be squarely tied around McCain’s and GOP necks! It is completely OUTRAGEOUS for McCain now to ignore the blatant failed Energy Policy they insisted on and now claim in their BIZARE IMAGINATION that it must be the Democrats fault! NOT THIS TIME! McCain and the GOP ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ENERGY FAILURE AND MANY OTHERS AND MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE MEDIA!

Gore and Democrats pushed hard for responsible Global Climate Change legislation to increase conservation and alternate energy efficiency and reduce oil consumption that McCain, Bush, Cheney, and GOP JUST LAUGHED AT! IT IS TIME TO LAUGH LAST AT McCain AND THE GOP! Now we have 500 years floods and $140 oil going to $200! The Media must hold McCain Bush Cheney and GOP accountable and responsible for the TOTAL ABJECT FAILURE of the Energy Policy, except of course for the record BIG OIL PROFITS! FOLLOW THE MONEY!

Steve Kirslis
Atlanta GA

P.S. THIS EMAIL SENT OT ALL CONGRESS AND 500 MEDIA SOURCES!

If the federal government cuts the gas tax for the summer, are we ready for gas prices to raise 18.4 cents (federal tax) at the end of summer?

What else is there to say – it appears these folks will do anything to win the white house. It doesn't matter whether they believe the gas tax holiday is a gimmick or that we cannot drill ourselves out of an oil dependant economy that causes national security to deteriorate just a little bit more each day. Individual integrity be damned - it's all about winning the presidency, not improving our country and the lives of our citizens. You know, I have had just about enough of this political rerun; I’ve seen it all too many times before.

Anyway, at the risk of sounding just a little too “elitist” - it's obvious for McCain and the United States of America, McCain’s will be a "pyrrhic victory" if he takes the white house intending to achieve his apparent desire to drill our way out of our national oil fixation. The simple fact is we are at the mercy of those nation states that possess the oil, and even if we begin drilling off our coasts tomorrow, we Americans will still be at their mercies for many years to come. Not to mention, after the oil companies successfully drill new holes at the bottoms of our oceans does anyone really expect that these free market oil companies are going to sell that new oil only to us citizens of North America, and at a reasonable price?

Do you ever feel like your intelligence is being insulted by these people who constantly say they are going to represent us when it often appears they are representing anybody but us? A long time ago, somebody said something akin to "the American electorate gets what it deserves," - don’t we deserve better than the last seven years?

So what’s it all come down to? Well, I remember John McCain of the year 2000, and I believed I knew that John McCain; I believed I could trust that John McCain. But this new John McCain, to him I say, “You’re no John McCain.” So if this new John McCain is what we can expect during a new republican presidency, we deserve better than John McCain, regardless of whether Barak Obama is that "better."

FYI: This would be Great!

Secretly behind closed doors the final resolutions are being put together to set the next phase of Energy Independence for the US.
This Month the motion is being put forth to set standards on auto production / numbers for alternative requirements for all Auto Manufactures selling Light Trucks and Cars in the US, a specific time line will be imposed on all. This will send significant waves through the Oil Market as need for crude oil will significantly be reduced / the US market could even at the 2025 Mark support its own demand.
2015 – 25% of all Light Trucks and Autos sold in the US must run on alternative fuels.
2020 – 50% -
2025 – 75% -
2030 – 95% -

Would not hold onto my Oil stocks too long!

joseph burke i totally agree, we need to drill now to lower oil prices which will save money that can be put to finding alternative fuels. it will give temporary relief at the pump and help in the long run to find a new fuel

I keep reading about how we need to stop our dependence on "foreign" oil. Frankly, we we need to stop our dependence on oil PERIOD. The damage to the environment and future generations will not be worth the oil that is extracted from the few pristine places that are left. One should also note that the only way Americans will benefit from that oil is if an American company purchases the leases. If it is a foreign industry, they can sell it to whomever they choose -- as in the highest bidder. Another thing, safe drilling is an oxymoron. Once only has to research the number of spills on land and water to get that.

How do we pay for the alternative energy research and resources? Simple. Stop giving millions of dollars in subsidies to the oil and gas industry while they rake in billions of dollars in profits. It is time to suck it up, stop being so selfish, and stop our dependence on oil NOW.