Obama spreads energy message
As Barack Obama pumps up his energy policy today in an Indiana town hall meeting, his supporters will take his message to gas stations in two dozen states.
His campaign announced that backers will hand out his "New Energy for America" plan at service stations in 24 states. (Republicans have held similar events promoting John McCain's energy policy in about 20 states.)
His campaign also announced that an ad will appear on video screens atop gas pumps across Florida. The spot hits Republican rival John McCain for not taking steps to solve energy problems during 26 years in Congress and promotes Obama's plan for renewable energy and $1,000 tax rebate to pay energy costs as he promises to "break the grip" of foreign oil.
UPDATE: But Obama's plan was nixed this afternoon by Gas Station TV, the Palm Beach Post reported.
“Gas Station TV was considering running political ads and we have been approached by a few campaigns. We have made a conscious decision not to run political ads on our network, including the Obama campaign,” a spokesman said in a statement.
“American families are struggling to make ends meet and cope with soaring gas prices, while oil companies rake in record profits,” Obama said in a statement. “Grassroots supporters across the nation today will share our plan to break our addiction to oil and choose a new, clean energy future. Our plan will put money back in the pockets of middle class families, create millions of new jobs and lessen our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. This is the choice in this election – four more years of record profits for the oil companies or a change in leadership that means real energy relief that American families deserve.”
The Democratic National Committee is joining the fray as well, launching today an "Exxon-McCain '08" presidential campaign, complete with a website, fake checks, and other paraphernalia to argue that McCain is "in the tank" with Big Oil.
"The oil companies are looking for one, two, or even four more years of record profits, and John McCain is promising more of the same," Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland said at the kickoff of the effort. "He's voted time and again against raising fuel efficiency standards. He's voted against renewable fuels and green jobs. He's made an Exxon lobbyist his Senate Chief of Staff, and he has 33 oil industry lobbyists as campaign advisors and fundraises.
"I guess Big Oil has gotten quite a return on their $2 million investment in John McCain," O'Malley added, citing reports of how much McCain has received from oil executives since calling for an expansion of offshore oil drilling.
And MoveOn.org, the antiwar group backing Obama, is weighing in as well.
It launched a video this afternoon that makes fun of McCain for calling for Congress to return from vacation to pass energy legislation, when he has missed a series of votes on energy bills.
The video shows McCain, during a campaign event in South Dakota this week, urging Congress to "get to work." Then, with the soundtrack of Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again," it lists votes that McCain has missed. The video even has a yellow arrow pointing to McCain's empty seat in the Senate.
He has no plan. What he "proposes" is passing someone else's plan, the Gang of Ten.
This was never a topic of conversation while OIL was on it's way up. He waited for oil to go down before even endorsing soemone else's plan? Great.
I'm just wondering, HOW are we gonna break our addiction to oil? What is the substitute for the gasoline in cars?
what energy policy all talk no specifics
He has'nt got me fooled. He falls far short of the curve and short on air gauges.
obama, if you shine my shoes i'll get better gas mileage too!
Obama and his little puppets haven;t got a clue how to solve anything. You don't solve the energy shortage by releasing the country's reserves. That will buy about a week. Release the billions of barrels beneath the ground and ocean. That's how you will solve the problem. Anything else promoted by Obama and Mr. T Boone Picket are pure lies.
This moron's plan will actually increase the price of energy both in the shorterm and the longterm. His problem is he knows no history of the energy markets, energy investment and taxation effects on energy prices.
He is simply a buffoon with a big mouth, little real knowledge and very questionable intelligence. From what I have witnessed he must have gone to Harvard as Affirmative Action Student.
"Oil companies raking in record profits" ?
What about the foreign oil producers? Aren't they raking in record profits???
Why are we sending all this oil money to the foreigners? Because Democrates have prevented the American oil companies from producing our own oil.
Idiot!
Exactly how will this lower gas prices in the short term? I'm all for expanding R&D on alternative enery, but thats at least 10 years away. The Big O's plan sounds like higher prices at the pump, off set by yet another "stimulus" check.
And McCain's plan is four more years of the same while he has BBQs at each of his 9 houses. Oh, wait. Cut the gas tax for 3 months. That should fix it!
Neat. How about giving everyone a 10,000,000.00 tax rebate. Then we will all be millioniar's, will all pay little to know taxes, as we will all be in that coventanted top 1%, we'll all not be burdened by inflation or the cost of oil, and no one will ever have any more problems. Or wait, no, even though that sounds great, that probably won't work either. I love the unabbandoned innocense that comes from inexpierence, that allows you to dream big, but really? 1,000 dollars? To pay energy costs? Let me get this straight. You tax us say 1,500. 500 is spent on administration of the program. 1,000 comes back to me. I spend it at the pump. And suddenly the oil companies make less money, we use less forgien oil, and all the worlds problems are solved? How about just letting me keep my money?
He's making a commitment to a specific set of goals; reduced dependence on foreign oil, stimulate home-grown development, etc. God bless him!
Great ad. McCain is part of the problem. What little leadership he showed before 2000 has completely disappeared. Like Bush, McCain has been fundamentally FOR his oil contributors. Obama has been fundamentally against oil AND lobbyists. Obama is far from perfect, but I absolutely love his refusal to take any lobbyist or PAC contributions. His willingness to handicap himself like that speaks volumes.
Sal - He's got more of a plan than impulsive, dangerous McCain. Barack Obama is a highly intelligent, thoughtful and cautious man - exactly the kind of man the USA needs after 8 years of recklessness and dumbing-down. Obama's careful, deliberative and results-oriented approach makes him ideal for president over the difficult times ahead. The USA needs someone who can gather information, listen to opinions, respect science, involve all stakeholders and communicate clearly. Barack Obama is the right choice.
Better than McCain who still has no solid plan and is sitting there with the oil companies. More than anything else, we need someone who will steer us away from oil. If we can't get that, hardly anything else matters because oil is running "low"... high prices are just the beginning.
Sal M, gas prices always go up in the summer months and then go down again in the waning days of summer.
The long term energy increase is the real concern, and Obama has a more comprehensive plan than McCain, who seems to think we should throw a few derricks into the yonder and hope for the best.
Political Intelligence may be an oxymoron:
Oil prices put money in billionaires' pockets, The war, any war, puts money in billionaires' pockets, The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout puts money in billionaires' pockets. This is capitalism ! Money rules ! There is not a poor person in Congress. The gap between rich and poor gets wider and deeper.The rich people run the country. They will NEVER take money from their own pockets and share it. We understand that. JUST DON'T CALL IT DEMOCRACY !!!!
I believe that Obama has a much more realistic plan than McCain. McCain plays the classical Republican trick of proposing "simple solutions" (that hold no hope of working) to that segment of the populace that want a magic bullet solution. Given that Obama is willing to compromise on the issue and go along with some offshore drilling, I believe McCain will look like a fool. Exxon has sat on the second largest known reserve of oil in Alaska since 1977 without drilling one hole to date. What makes anyone think that authorizing a bunch more territory will help fuel prices given that fact? Obama is safe in this compromise since no drilling will happen anyway. Exxon et al have no shortage of oil, so why should/would they drill?
Great Strategy!
Obama 2008
And he will doing this by 2025 and 2030? what a plan!!! we will be broke and in deep hole by then. He is planning recession for the next 15 to 20 years. Not a good one.
The Democrats are blowing it again. This politics as usual ad is not going to work. If Obama wants to runs ads, do three minute or half hour infomercials promoting his comprehesive vision. If Obama wants to change this country's energy policy, he needs to layout a 10 year comprehensive energy policy that encompasses all alternatives. That policy can give consideration to drilling and nuclear as short term (10 year) solutions. Obama needs to show how worthless the Republicans' "Drill, Drill, Drill" red herring is as a short term or long term solution.
Obama needs to get the word out about what is really happening in the world of energy production. Currently there are exciting and viable solar solutions in process in Arizona. There are major solar and battery storage breakthoughs on the horizon using nanotechnology. We are just 14 years from being able to provide all of our energy needs from solar alone not to mention wind and geothermal.
We need a hero to lead the way. Obama can be that hero but he needs to promote a BIG PICTURE and stay out of the dirt with McCain.
Advice to the Democrats - hire a movie producer and develop some infomercial propaganda for a real comprehensive energy program. Same is true for health care, the wars, education. You've got millions...spend it wisely.
HE has no plan? What have the repubs been doing while controlling Congress for all these years (minus 1-1/2 years)? Let's here McSame's plan - 10 years later we see some gas production from off shore drilling. And do you really think the price of a barrel of oil drilled in the US will be any cheaper than using foreign oil? That's if they even use it for US consumption - they will most likely sell it on the open market to rake in more profits. If we had gone done the path of Democrats back in the 70's, we would not even be discussing oil by now.You idiots love the same old way of oil. McSame will be dead before the first barrel of oil comes from new drilling.
What a joke!
Windfall profits tax will only encourage more imports. If anyone is given the opportunity to either use something that they have that costs them 50 dollars and can sell it for 100 dollars and the Government takes 45 dollars as a windfall profit.
OR
They can buy the same product for 95 dollars elsewhere and keep the 5 dollars they will do that every time, and if they didn't they should be fired!
Why on Earth would you use your own cheap inventory only to have the Government rip it away!!
Simply moronic.
edge.
Ethanol should not be considered clean energy in the first place due to insufficient energy gain and increased ozone. I am disappointed by 'grassroots' support for fuel in the Food vs. Fuel debate. The Food vs. Fuel debate is a global issue and Obama's clean energy relies too heavily on ethanol. His plan displaces US energy consumption to the global food market via increases in ethanol production. Considering the effect of the price of corn on food globally, Obama's plan is irresponsible international leadership .
Is a tax rebate check for $1000 really an energy policy. No, its pure gimmick.
This is not positive change. It is brilliantly packaged but lacks quality.
I thought he said it would be costly and everyone would be hurting will his plan is implemented. How does this save us money?
I find it funny now that Obama "flip-flopped" on drilling for oil, that he is calling this "his energy plan". I guess we should believe that the other plan, which called for no offshore drilling, was someone else's idea.
In addition, I'm tired of hearing about oil companies raking in billions of dollars. They make $0.08 on every dollar earned, while state like California is making $0.70 on every dollar in taxes. The Left Coast will be in for a rude awaking once we become less dependent on oil. Where will the tax revenue shortfall come from? The taxpayers.
If people think windfall profits tax is going to solve their problems, think again. The oil companies will only increase their prices. The federal government will receive the tax money. Does anyone think this will lead to a decrease in wage taxes? If you think so, try to remember when the last time a Democratic president lowered income taxes. Also, should we include the banking and legal industry and IT services industry, which make more profits that Big Oil, in this tax?
Americans drive 12,000 miles on average each year. If the oil companies increase their prices $0.25 to pay for the windfall profits tax, the average American will spend $3,000 more per year on gas prices. Does a $1,000 tax rebate help?
While we are quick to blame the oil industry for all our energy problems, why hasn't anyone blamed the auto industry for not extending fuel efficiency and/or developing alternative fuel cars. I remember back at the turn of the century seeing a piece on 60 minutes with the CEO from GM. He was describing the fuel cell car and how it would be available by 2008. What happened to that? I know people will be quick to blame the Republican party for this, but that's a myth. Businesses embark on new technologies every day to get a "leg up" on the competition and government stipulations play little in their business decisions.
Actually he does have a plan and it includes building energy efficient cars IN the United States putting Americans back to work. MacCain has been voting against alternative fuel and has taken huge donations from oil companies.
we are not addicted to oil. This is like saying we are addicted to food to live.the problem is that we are not being allowed to farm for our own resources here in this great nation where we probably have enough to last hundreds of years if not more.(resources of energy & renewables.) I"m thinking that the dems are just as mutch in bed with big iol as the repub.. to keep oil high.
Don't worry, the messiah will save us all from ourselves.
@ Sal: Dont be so naive.
Don't forget that the most honest minded politician is still just that- a politician. Politics is a game, not to mention a power struggle. When you want to change something that's not in the interest of the ruling majority you have to play your cards right which can also mean waiting for opportunity.
And there's nothing wrong with supporting someone else's idea. What, we're supposed to be so egotistical that we cannot back another person's idea because it wasn't your own? That's called being a good leader.
what a joke
Why is he all of a sudden jumping on the energy bandwagon? Is it because his polls are dropping as fast as the price of oil.
Hey Sal ... I assume you are speaking of McSame who has no engergy policy since Barak's is comprehensive in all aspects ... McSame only wants to drill, drill ,drill and NOW ... which will do nothing now and almost nothing in the future for our oil needs ... all this does is increase the oil companies' profits ... and they certainly have America's best interest in heart, don't they ... when was the last time an oil company did an Amnerican a favor ... oh that's right, I forgot, McSame got well over a million dollars in contributions from Oil Companies and their owners ... and it is a great idea to keep your tires inflated as the expects have ALWAYS said will increase a car's mileage by 3+%, which will provide more relief in price than any drilling in Alaska or Florida or California ...
Taxes always get passed to the consumer. So we get a little bonus to help pay for gas and groceries, meantime, in order for oil companies to meet stakeholders goals they will raise prices of refined oil. And that means the expenses go up for everyone across the board, including businesses. Next thing you know, companies need to keep trying to cut costs, ultimately leading to less pay/jobs for the American worker.
TAXES ARE NOT THE SOLUTION! For this reason alone, I cannot vote for Obama!
#1 Sal M
Sal, are you referring to McCain or Obama?
Say all the negative things that you want about him or his energy plan. At the end of the day, anyone that thinks that we do not need immediate, drastic change on this issue simply hasn't been paying attention. As for embracing someone elses plan, thank goodness that we now have an opportunity to choose a leader that is not afraid to use the collective knowledge and input of others to find the best solution to the problems we face. Obviously, we are not currently blessed with such leadership, although I am confident that we will be soon.
Sal M - who cares who makes the plan up? as long as it's passed. You think the republicans give a damn about ANY environment issues? The only reason they're acting like they care is because they're going to give most of the research money for alternative fuels directly to their oil buddies.
At least you know where Obama stands on this. And before you spout off "I don't know where he stand on his other issues" just go to his website. His issues lay out his plans, budgets, and implementation details. McSame's website just talks about Obama (with little substance). Start by downloading his 70+ page blueprint for america.
It looks like a plan to me. I guess it's not as good as Sen. McCain's plan that he's been working on for 26 years... oh wait... he did nothing for 26 years and now blames Sen. Obama for high gas prices. Obama has been involved with this issue since he became a senator and McCain has been involved in this issue for the last 2 weeks. Now who would you trust based upon this track record.
To Sal - Do you think that ANY politician actually comes up with his or her "own" plan? Sometimes being a great leader is taking other peoples' good ideas and putting them together in a way that leads the country in the correct direction. If you want a leader that just sticks his head in the sand and always says, "I'm doing it MY way and no one's gonna stop me" then you can get into a really big mess (aka the Iraq "war.") Maybe the Czechoslovakians can help McCain come up with something...
Democrats and republicans have to share the fact that they have done nothing to direct this country toward energy independence for more than thirty years. We the people have to take responsibility for our wasteful use of energy and continuing to elect people from these political parties.
and that's how the game is played...
We need to get away from oil, period. Exciting new technologies are available in biofuels and electric cars (if we can get the bulk of our electricity from something other than fossil fuels). Obama seems to be someone who can bring people together to solve problems, not necessarily someone who comes up with the solutions himself. Maybe the national speed limit should be set to 55 mph again before people start whining about fuel prices and contemplating more drilling and destroying the planet further.
It doesn't matter who's plan it was, Sal. The fact is that we finally have someone that is motivated enough to actuall DO SOMETHING.
So many people are concerned about where original thoughts came from and who is stealing someone else's ideas. It's very tough these days to find an original thought with billions of people on the planet. Why don't you consider being grateful that we have someone who is already trying to get a foothold on adopting a sensible plan with a tangible outcome, no matter who or where that plan came from? I give tons of credit to someone who can show action after a whole bunch of words. And so far, that's Obama.
Obama waited for his polling numbers started to go 'in the tank' before pandering about energy. How many more 'shifts' will this guy make to get elected?
This makes my head hurt--to break dependence on foreign oil, we're going to keep on buying it from them at inflated prices--then, on top of that, we'll pay sky-high taxes and punish our domestic producers so we can pretend to mail ourselves "rebates"--which we will have to use to buy even more foreign oil. How does bankrupting ourselves and the economy in order to enrich foreign oil producers "break the grip"?
Either way you look at this, whether you hate Barak or not, we don't NEED OIL, we never did. This nation wasn't built on one person's ideal. It was created by building off of a bunch of ideals. We can nit-pick at anything anyone says at any point of time, but what's the point. It doesn't help you, and it doesn't help me. But the facts are staring you right in the face. The OIL CRISIS IS A CRISIS. When you think about it, its baffling at how long our dependence on oil has gone for. Switch it up, it WILL create more jobs at home. Take a look at this as an opportunity. We don't NEED OIL! Wake up AMERICA!
I did not realize when I opened this web page that it was just an advertsement for Obama, it looked like a "legitemate" news article. I guess Obama needs to fool people to look at his ads
Obama’s energy message:
Inflate your tires and tune up equal’s new offshore drilling oil, wow can’t believe people are not listening to what this man is saying! worse yet voting for him
Obama is AGAINST nuclear, AGAINST clean coal, AGAINST continental shelf or domestic drilling.
HOW exactly is he going to get energy independence, when America is dependent for close to 70 percent on imported oil -- from Hugo Chavez, the Saudis and such?
Solar and wind are all very nice, but they are expensive and isufficient options.
We need to have multiple energy options, including clean coal and nuclear, domestic oil and shale, to have enough electricity for cars in order to diversify away from oil dependency for transportation.
Sorry, but Barak has NO CLUE.
Am I missing something here? Mcain wants to off shore drill NOW. How does that help. As I understand it the government sells the rights or leases the land or ocean shelf to oil companies. They pay and then it's their oil to sell on the open market. All this talk about getting our oil is BS isn't it. If for example Shell or BP purchases the right to drill(both foreign corporations) they will sell "our" oil to the highest bidder on the open market. If india or China bid more there goes our US oil.I don't know of any plan that our oil is only used by us.
Why is "profit margin" completely ignored.? Exxon's profit margin is about 10%. That is ten cents on each retail dollar. There are many other companies with higher profit margins than Exxon's. Google's profit margin is more than twice that of Exxon's.
The gross profit (which is what is used to paint an evil picture of the oil companies) is the sum of the profit margin times the total sales. The profit is paid to the shares of which most are held by retirement funds or beneficent organizations. Shame on them.
Is this $1,000 relief check just to passify the AMERICAN people for 10 weeks? Thats how long it will last the average American if used only for gasoline. What about after the 10 weeks? My family don't need $1,000 we need lower gas prices. I don't know the answer, but this sure doesn't seem like the solution. How many people will actually use this for gasoline, and not more junk they don't need? And who qualifies for this useless, no problem solving check that Obama is slapping the AMERICAN people in the face with. We need real answers not bribery. How much oil stock does Obama own? Is it really McCain that supports the oil companies exceedingly high profits, or the Democrats?
What the hell is this? McCain has never worked for oil, and Obama has received a hell of a lot of money from oil companies as well. Absolutely ridiculous. This man is not getting my vote.
He is just handing out bread to the masses with that rebate (or promising to) - I don't want $1,000 I want the economy fixed!
We need to drill AND work more on alternative energy!!!!!
That whole drop that you are seein Sal is the same thing that happened before bush jumped into office. Look where we are now... Obama has given us his plan for the future and it has lessened the weight that we all carry in our minds and our wallets. Good on him, shame on you.
And how is McCains plan to allow offshore drilling and keep his oil executive friends happy going to be any better?
How is taxing oil companies more going to lower the price of gas?
What he proposes is 100 years old and have always failed: Deamonizing business, raising taxes, increasing size and scope of government, restricting trade, etc.
No new ideas, lots of empty promises.
We will know when he is elected. but till then its all talk!
"make sure you inflate your tires"
Moron.
Drill here, Drill Now. Pump up solar, wind, nuke, and bio.
If big oil is going to pay for the $1,000 rebateas obama wants. big oil will pass the cost on to the consumer. Lets assume we drive 12,ooo miles a year and get 20 miles per gallon. That means we buy 600 gallons of gass a year. Asuming the above is true big oil would have to mark up the cost of gass $1.66 per gallon to recoupe the cost of the rebate and probally even more to add on admin costs. Exxon more in taxes than 50% of the bottom half of tax payers. They pay 47% of profits in taxes. Could it be the taxes that makes the price of gas high? not a smart idea Obama, I dont want to pay $6 a gallon under your plan.
oh, and the gang of ten's plan was simply to drill on our shores instead of looking for oil elsewhere. Obama is looking for better, cleaner, and more efficient energy sources
Your saying that McSame does? You would think after 26 years in Washington he would not wait until tring to be elected President to do something.
Mr. McSame does not give a hoot for the average American. Anyone can look at his record and determine that he is the same as McBush. More wars and to hell with the middle class.
Sal M
you partisan idiot. Read the plans in print if you care
if you knew anything about leadership you would know that promoting someone elses plan that you see as a solution is what is right. Being a leader is about knowing how to listen to others and to use the collective ideas of others to integrate solutions. If you expect one person to know everything and come up with unique plans, then we will fail as a team (all of us living in this country are the team). Obama listens to the people and others. He is a true leader at heart and not just cause of experience. People can have lots of experience at doing the wrong thing so experience isn't everything.
McCain has no long term energy plan except to drill offshore and delay the real problem. Obama has proposed $150B of research into clean energy - desperately needed research. Obama is more aggressive about digging into speculation, the problem that inflated oil this year - there are too many unregualted, invisible, and offshore ways speculation can be done. Specualtors include airlines, oil companies, hedge funds, OPEC and others who have the advantage of inside info, whiel Americans pay for the gains on their derivatives at the pumps. To be honest, Paris Hilton had the best plan on YouTube yesterday -- drill offshore to cover the next 5-15 years AND spend the R&D on clean energy to cover the 15+ years -- how can she be smarter than both of these candidates????? Boy oh boy did McCain shoot himself in the foot with that ad.....
The plan he needs to work on is getting his fellow democrats from the House back to the jobs they were elected too. Do we really want 4 years of this?
Energy Independence is the only way to stop funding the Wahhabist Muslims of Saudi Arabia that is the major source of terrorism around the world. We are paying to kill our own soldiers in Iraq and Afganistan and Obama is looking for ways to create energy that does not fund the Middle East killing machine.
Mark - I just do not understand how the Dems can put this guy
up to be President of The United States !
A classic "empty suit" !
Take Care - DAD
what's insane is no windfall profit tax on big oil. of course their obscene profit should be regulated, and returned to the economy in the form of lower fuel prices. of course bush cheney will never do that they are big oil, or at least owned by it. maybe mccain, and obama too?
Fast tracking technologies that have been repressed by GM and the oil industry is going to make a huge difference in increasing MPG standards in the US. It's about time!
Such cynicism - and a poor memory as well, Sal M. This is a good plan for this stage of a campaign and it will get better once he's in office. McCain has suggested off-shore drilling first and Obama has stressed conservation first. The expensive and lengthy drilling could add about 2% to 3% to our needed energy supply. The simple and free measures suggested first by Obama such as proper tire inflation can do the same. Neither is sufficient, but we need a president that recognizes the lowest hanging fruit in this issue and that is conservation.
What Obama needs to point out is the fact that McCain's eagerness to "Bomb, Bomb, Iran", the world's second largest oil producer, would succeed in pushing oil prices to over $200 per barrel and gas prices over $7/gal. Go ahead, rewind to before the Iraq invasion in 2003 when oil was under $30 a barrel...remember what happened? So much for the war paying for itself as declared John McCain in all his wisdom. Paid for by US taxpayers, that's who. And we're still paying for it!
So while McCain wants permanant bases in Iraq, more war with the Mideast, and to drill offshore for oil that won't produce any additional supply for 5 to 10 years, Obama will withdraw out forces out of Iraq and into Afghanistan to catch Bin Laden, while forcing the oil companies to pay for a clean renewable energy revolution, and forcing the automakers to make vehicles more fuel efficient.
Obama has the real strategic plan and sees the big picture. McCain, as usual, is only tactically focused on short-term solutions that continue the failed policies of George W. Bush.
Any plan is better than that of the past 26 yrs. Was gas prices a topic of conversation when you were paying two bucks a gallon? McCain - old man, old ideas, old policies-same out comes. Obama - new man, new ideas, new policies, different outcomes. Keep doing what you been doing you're going to keep getting what you got. If you want something different, you gotta do something different. Barack is different. I know that scares some white folk but in this case different is good for the country.
Sounds like a plan to me and it sounds better than the Bush/McCain plan that will take 10 years to produce enough oil to make a difference in the price at the pump. Would you rather wait 10 years to see a drop in gas prices? Or would you prefer someone who has a plan to give the average American a tax rebate instead of the big oil companies?
Did you know that the 2005 energy bill gave big oil companies $18.5 billion in tax incentives to drill in the deep waters in gulf of Mexico? Did you also know that only 20% of those 38 million acres are utilized today?
It's time for change. OBAMA 08!
I don't want a hand out from my government. I want alternative energies and that won't happen if we get artificially cheap gas. Only high prices will get this country off it's behind and motivated to invest what it takes to get alternative energy that doesn't make us the beggars of oil rich countries.
What is his plan... tire pressure gauges? ..Tune-ups? Even he knows what's no solution. He, Obama, has no real plan to get us off foreign oil. Does McCain? I don't know that either. Our country will begin to decline in its power if we don't get ourselves off other peoples oil and start using ours and possibly selling it to other countries too. We, Americans, are still the most powerful country in recent history, but China, India, and other big nations will soon catch up if we as a nation don't act to get control of this issue.
What is his $1000 rebate going to do for us ? This is America, he cannot seem to understand that. We are not like his ragheaded friends. That rebate will be gone before it cools off. Even his own wife said the earlier $600 rebate was hardly enough to buy a pair of ear rings. Is he trying to tell us this $1000 rebate is supposed to last and buy gas for us for the next 20 years while he builds his energy kingdom ? And we thought Al Gore's diarrhea of the mouth was bad. God help us all. I fear we have not seen anything yet.
HOW DOES OBAMA THINK WE CAN BREAK THE "GRIP" ON FOREIGN OIL IF WE DON'T DRILL FO THE OIL WE KNOW IS IN THE GROUND. THERE IS TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN "EXPLORATION" AND "DRILLING FOR OIL".
Prices drop when an old executive order is recinded, can you imagine what would happen if we actually pumped some out of a new well on or off-shore??? We need to produce energy from ALL the sources we have; oil, coal, coal oil, shale oil, wind, solar, nuclear and anything else we can think of. The fact is that there are at least 200 MILLION cars that are going to need GAS for a long time.
Last I read... Obama was recieving campaign contributions from oil companies. I had to write a huge report about it because I had wanted to support him but the more I research, the less I like him... :-(
Sal M-- He has an extensive plan that's been on his policy page for months. It goes much farther than the Gang of Ten compromise.
John McCain is the one with no plan for renewable energy. He merely pays lip service to it, just repeatedly saying "we need it." But he offers no plan. Obama plans a wide ranging $150 billion investment over 10 years, and Apollo mission type of project, to get us off of foreign oil.
Blah, blah - go to his website and read it... then read John McCain's and have a real opinion.
Neither candidate has a realistic plan for our energy problem. Candidates can and will say what they think the public wants to hear. Until a president and caring congress (one that will cross party lines and truly care about this great country -- and be proud to say "This is what WE did....") decide to work together on this overwhelming problem, I think it is the responsibility of each of us to use water, gas, electricity, oil, whatever in a responsible manner. The 9/11 commission report indicated Iraq was not involved in the terrorists attacks; how much oil (and $$$$$) are involved each day in supporting our current administration's folly; how many more lives are going to be lost or horribly injured; how much deeper into dept to foreign countries will we become?
Let's face it, the whole country including you, me, and both political parties, are playing catch up on our need to achieve energy independence. Alaska and offshore drilling should not be off limits, nor should nuclear power stations. At the same time alternative energy sources should be heavily promoted and subsidized, and higher vehicle mpg standards should be ennacted.
Obama seems more willing to compromise, shake up the status quo, and have the government show a leadership role. Private industry, (which in the case of oil has a global dimension), is doing its job of providing a product and making a profit. But private industry cares little about energy independence or creating more jobs for Americans. They see that the development of other sources of energy will only cut into their sales.
McCain is right to stress offshore drilling and nuclear power. Where I think that he and his party come up short, is his unwillingness to consider that the federal government has a hugely important role to play. The conservative belief that private industry is the only solution leaves us in the grip of the past. Here is a classic case of where the government needs to step in to establish a new playing field.
I don't want a hand-out from my government. I want alternative energies and that won't happen if we get artificially cheap gas. Only high prices will get this country off it's behind and motivated to invest what it takes to get alternative energy that doesn't make us the beggars of oil rich countries.
Obama is not any better than McCain. Infact, his energy plan is just pathetic!
The vicious cycle of automaker to petroleum producer profits need to be stopped. The more cars that are produced without hybrid technology the more $$ the OIL companies make. We as Americans should be leading in technology to squeeze out every last bit of energy available in ALL petroleum....not just gasoline or diesel. Americans have the intellectual capacity to switch from our current gas hogging technology to hybrid technology but the interaction between big business, government and MONEY will be our downfall or at least bring us Americans to our knees and possibly a new revolution. We need to focus on which president is A. Going to get us out of Iraq, B. Who is going to order AMERICAN auto makers to only produce hybrid technology in all models from here on out, and C. Is going to start paying back the debt we owe to the rest of the world from the money we dumped into Iraq from our countries credit line. That is why Bill Clinton was a decent president, he understood that America has to pay back its debt not keep adding to it.
Worthless babble! What sheep would ever believe that he is saying something that has never been said for the passed 35 years! -- Do yourselves a favor and look at an oil import chart! -- It's not just on GW watch that this all took place!
Note: When we stopped drilling 25 years ago because of the wacko envro's that's how we got to 70% of imported oil! DAH!!!! Yes don't start drilling today cuz we will move to TOTAL imported oil in just a few years! That will be brilliant beyond belief and I pity the party that blocks it again!
Hey, Is China conserving oil or is it just us? No??
Hey, Look at that! -- Is that a China oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico?? Why yes I believe it is!
Republicans: Drill offshore and in the Alaskan wildlife refuge--get more oil in 10-15 years. Build more nukes with no idea what to do with radioactive waste. Pat oil companies on back for skyrocketing profits. Go negative, negative, negative.
Democrats: Recycle oil-company profits back to consumers. Get serious about non-oil alternative energy. Build more electric cars and create some jobs to do it.
How long has McCain been in the Senate making life easy for oil companies? How is it that he just noticed the consumer?
His great plan is to post advertisments on gas pumps in florida. That will solve the fuel problem.
Here's to boycotting participating gas stations. I prefer my propaganda unleaded, thank you.
10$ net is a record profit? When, then, will he go after Microsoft or Google for their 40%+ net profits?
He is the BIGGEST flip flopper of any candidate I can ever remember. No back bone, no original ideas. Whatever blows in the wind that day is his mantra of the moment. Pathetic.
He is the grand advocate of change......apparently, he shows he's best at changing positions. i'll admit though, he's very crafty at disguising or downplaying is change in positions amongst his naive sheep supporters.
Paris Hilton has a better energy plan than this guy. It seems she was the one being insulted in the McCain ad not Obama. I wish these politicians would get over their idealogical hangups and do there damn jobs. It's so stupid not to drill for oil when all transportation depends on it.
OBAMA ENERGY POLICY WILL NEVER WORK ANY WAY. MORE DIGGING UNDERGROUND WHEN GLOBAL WEATHER SEVERE CHANGES STILL GOING ON. HES GOT KNOW IDEAS WHAT SO EVER IN CREATE OTHER FUTURE TECHNOLOGY IN PROTECTING AMERICA ATMOSPHERE AND BETTER CLEAN FUTURE GROWTH. ONLY MR McCAIN HES THE ONLY GENTLEMENT KNOWS HOW TO CREATE ARE BETTER FUTURE CLEAN ENERGY THAT AMERICA AND THE WORLD OVER NEEDED SO MUCH. MR McCAIN AND ALL HIS BROTHERS IN AMERICA LEADERSHIPS WILL WORK IT OUT MUCH BETTER IN CREATE THIS SPECIAL TECHNOLOGY IN AMERICA BETTER CLEAN FUTURE SURVIVAL. THANK YOU. FUTURE FRIEND.
Name one vote in the 26 years of McCain's time in politics when he voted for alternative energy.As far as his claim not to raise taxes,the definition of a tax is a financial burden to society.The Iraq war ultimately will cost 3 trillion dollars.That is one hell of a tax.
He, who are you referrng to?
The only thing that Obama continues to spread is manure!
His "new energy plan" rivals that of president Carter's "wear more sweaters" directive.
He's the most disingenuous politician on record (and that's redundant terminology).
He will bend whichever way the political winds are blowing on economic, energy, defense and foreign policies.
Speaker Pelosi SHUT DOWN Congress for the month of August instead of LEADING them to put together a bipartisan energy plan. She and the Democratic Leadership (Obama included) have NO desire to put AMERICA FIRST.
Obama is an idiot! He will say ANYTHING to get elected. Obama scares me.
Wrinkled-white guy is just too obsolete to lead the country. We need a political overhaul in this country. Politicians like kitchen-sink strategy, but, we need a fundamental change, we need a new face.
McCain is just too old, too creepy! He does not even use internet, he's out of touch for this century!
He is at least acknowledging that something should and will be done. It makes no difference if it is his original idea. A good leader listens to the people around him. One man cannot do it all by himself!!! That is why our government is set up as it is!
Where is this $1000 coming from: a windfall tax on oil companies profits. Remember companies don't pay taxes, they will just raise the price at the pump to cover this.
sal m is right on the money. he must not live in MA. i'm surprised the globe's moderators let such a comment through
The fact is he is running scared and willing to steal anyones ideas to help himself
Where's the Beef
I'd like to see a plan not promises for tax rebates. That is NOT a PLAN. He says no drilling. He has no plans for REAL alternative fuels. The government can't just give voters tax rebates to make them feel better. We need ACTION! How about calling Congress back off vacation?
Where's the Beef
I think that this issue of breaking our dependence on foreign oil is the most under rated problem in America today. Being an undecided moderate, my vote will easily go toward Obama if he produces a viable plan to take America back to energy self reliance. Not only will we stop funding the people who threaten us most, we will boost our agricultural economy and create new industries which will greatly strengthen our lagging economy. The last time our nation found itself in this type of economic situation was the 1930's. Then it took a world war to turn us around. This time let it be new energy technologies that make us the worlds supper power.
If you don't have something good to say then go away, I say yes to Obama and all of his brilliant ideas and new concepts. "Go get em" Barack. I am tired of the same "old" slander.
Obama is proposing what? Once again this guy with zero track record for change and a lack of any sort of defined political agenda for change is raising his strong fist. What a joke! Please America, look beyond this show composed of smoke and mirrors and vote for the lesser of evils...much lesser. BaracK Obama must be stopped BEFORE America is left with a tattered economy, growing Middle East tensions, and overall extreme political failure.
He has no new idea or a plan at all. All he's doing taking the money for the GAS companies and giving it to the poor. He has no idea how to run a business and what the risks are. If he does this the Gas companies will just raise their prices. This is a NO Brainer.
Got to love Obama. A real instrument of change, uniting the country, energizing millions of disenchanted Americans and providing the catalyst we need to get this country back on track. I've never been so excited for a presidential election in my entire life, partly because of the last 7 1/2 years of Bush/Cheney/McCain politics and mainly because of Obama. First time i've ever contributed to a presidential campain as well. Obama 08'!
Obama was tripping over his tongue in speaking about "his" energy idea to the citizens of Indiana today. Since the only two bills of 'his' that were passed in the Senate were actually written by others, who had told him to put his name on them, I wonder who really wrote 'his' energy bill. In listening to him on local TV today, he didn't sound very familiar with it.
Giving a tax rebate paid to be paid for by oil companies is also useless, because any good business person knows that they will raise the price to cover this increase in costs.
I agree with Sal.. Obama Bin-laden has no plan.
I think we should be taking the oil from iraq. We are there fighting their war.. We should get profit out of it instead of spending billions on them they should pay us in oil..
Obama has always been ahead of the curve on energy issues. While I don't love everything about him, his positions on energy policy and the environment drew me to him early on. From the beginning he's been emphasizing the need for us to invest in renewable energy sources, unlike McCain and Bush who are all about Big Oil. What do we want for our children, a green, healthy, and beautiful planet with sane energy usage? Or massive profits for a few oil executives, and a dirty, polluted world?
I think McCain is a republican "YES" man. I truly believe every last politicain who has a choice to vote has some type of investment in oil and gas, that's the reason why the prices aren't capped. Currently the producers of gas and oil has the absolute advantage and charges us whatever price they want. What i want to hear from politicians is how they can make healthcare affordable, change our public school systems around the country, and tighten up on lenders who are giving consumers loans and mortgages they know people cannot afford. There is a time when we have to realize that we may loose the battle over the oil, but we can try to fix issues right here in the states so that the people in america can simply live comfortably.
Thank goodness someone is finally taking the oil crunch seriously! Geologists have been warning since the late 1950s that we need to make a long term plan to get off oil. Carter warned us and we ignored him. We probably have about 8 more years of reasonable oil supply before the fast-pumping fields Mexico, etc. start to decline at a rate that will really hurt.
Whether it's the Obama plan or the Pickens plan, we need to start making real progress getting off oil. The flow rates for future sources (offshore, ANWAR, Bakken shale etc) are low, so we cannot keep going on as we have.
McCain is right to stress offshore drilling, Alaskan drilling, and nuclear power generation. These are important energy sources and Obama should be prepared to compromise.
Obama, however, has the better strategic plan. It is more encompassing and it puts the federal government in a leadership role. Private oil interests, which are global in dimension, are concerned with adequate supply and profit. Their agenda does not concern itself with energy independence, more jobs for Americans, and U.S. balance of payments. The large oil suppliers have little to be gained by seeing us draw power from the sun or the wind. Much like the tobacco industry and the pharmaceutical industry which do not profit when we smoke less or consume fewer drugs.
McCain's almost exclusive reliance on private industry does not serve us well as we attempt to create a new playing field for energy development. For example, he is reluctant to use public law to mandate higher standards for vehicle mpg. If private industry sees no short-term profit in a potentially promising new energy technology McCain would be constrained by his conservative agenda from allowing the Federal Government to subsidize its development.
These are on the pretext that he can get his taxes to go through. He himself is some what open to off shore drilling
Sal since he has "no plan" Let's here your detailed plan. Please provide specifics of what your candidate was doing while prices were soaring. What was his solution to the housing crisis, the meltdown of the financial sector? The staggering job loses. and the movement of jobs out of USA? What about the voting machine issues in FL, OH, CA and PA.
FYI there seems to be a growing concern about electronic voting machines receiving code updates doing elections, and the fact that a candidate had minus -0 or negative votes when votes were tallied.
Nobody "has a plan". They both have visions and the feasibility of those visions is what intelligent and informed voters (nowadays in short supply in this country) should debate.
Your comment about the timing of releasing a plan makes no sense -- please elaborate. Is it a bad thing to listen to a bipartisan group that comes out with an intelligent plan? I haven't heard the Gang of Ten plan in full, but if it's a good thing, shouldn't an intelligent, rational leader embrace it?
We hold 3% of the world's known oil reserves. If one were to posit a hypothetical where we could magically take all of that oil and dump it on the market within the next year, it would enter the general pool of global oil and have a minimal impact on the price of oil. Foreign demand from economies that subsidize their local and distort the global market and domestic (US) demand are currently the key arbiters of oil prices. Any non-partisan economist/expert will confirm what I have detailed above.
sounds like he is trying to buy votes with this $1000 rebate. how can he promise this amount when bush tried to give us $800 and congress wouldn't let that happen?