So Business Regulation and Liability Redress is Anti-Business?

By Keith R. Schmitz

Tell that to the seafood industry in the Gulf.

Feingold Calls McCain's Bluff

Keith R. Schmitz

John McCain, under the direction of the ultra-humorless Rick Davis, thinks he has struck gold with his "drill here, drill now" nonsense. So apparently this ploy has worked according to the polls during the dog days when people are sorta listening but not really.

But we all know what a steaming crock this is -- the notion that letting the oil companies loose to sink holes everywhere and anywhere will drop the price of oil significantly.

Truth is quite simply the oil companies for whatever reason are not exploring the leases they have already. Why is that folks?

So our own Russ Feingold along with Christopher Dodd (D-CT), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) are continuing their push to ensure that, before the oil companies seek additional leases, they develop the 68 million acres of federal land they currently lease.

This makes sense.

The trio is attempting to offer several amendments to the energy speculation legislation currently being considered by the Senate. Feingold, Dodd and Menendez recently introduced the “Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act” and “Responsible Ownership of Public Land Act.”

Feingold goes on to say:

“With oil companies asking for more federal lands when they aren't producing oil on most of their current leases, it is time for Congress to step in and insist on some accountability,” Feingold said. “The quickest way to produce more oil is to develop lands already under lease since exploration is underway and much of the infrastructure, like miles and miles of pipeline, is in place.”

It is time Democrats to nail McCain and stop letting him get away with this non-solution.

Further, we should be asking "John, when are you going to start asking, no demanding that the oil companies stop holding back on putting more oil into the pipeline?" I wish every Democratic politician put it to McCain, and certainly whatever pit bull designate Obama picks as a running mate.

It's doubtful that Exxon and company are getting all environmental on us. If we looked deeper into the real reason why they are holding back it probably wouldn't be pretty. At the heart of this there are likely Enron type shenanigans that if some enterprising reporting would drill into into would yield a gusher that would spe into McCain's face. Could it be that they are holding back so their puppet at the top of the GOP ticket can get them more leases?

The reality is the oil companies know it would take years to build the infrastructure to pipe out the oil wherever it is found and that they are not pushing themselves now to build greater refining capacity. Any American who thinks that giving away more leases to these companies would lead to a drop at the gas pump is treating himself like a fool.

Why are these questions not being asked?

Every rational human being that deals honestly with politics knows that when a GOP politician claims they are pushing something for the good of the American people, you really know who comes first. We know that when Rep. John Boehner weeps on the floor of Congress. It would be nice if it would just BE that politician and not their corporate friends.

Contrarians

By 3rd Way

How would comments like these be labeled if they appeared in threads on the right side of the Cheddarsphere?

Commenter #1.

Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology...

We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We'll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years.

Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.

Commenter #2.

Suppose we do nothing, & we don't eliminate this $400 billion dependence we have on foreign oil. Some of that money goes to terrorist organizations & also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Then what kind of a world have we given our children? We Westerners care very much about our environment and we want to act. I have disagreed with the Bush administration in not being more active in addressing the issue of climate change, whether it be through cap-and-trade, through tax incentives for R&D for green technologies and many other measures that need to be taken. We are feeling here in California pollution from China. It is a global issue, and we have to address it globally.

Drilling Himself in the Foot -- Even Oiled up McCain Has No Where to Move

By Keith Schmitz

The president today is going to announce a push on Congress to open up off-shore locations for oil drilling. This is not smart on many levels -- it will take ten years to get black gold, the oil companies will only sell it overseas anyways, the price of oil will drop just pennies, conservation will do us better over the long term.

But unlike Kramer on Seinfeld Bush doesn't do levels.

He is also not doing John McCain any favors. Turns out Barack Obama has a post primary bounce, especially in Florida.

Turns out that bounce may go higher. There are some places where NIMBYism towards off-shore drilling won't play well. Florida is one of them.