Now, I've written quite a bit on how John McCain supports offshore drilling, and what a bad idea this is at this juncture in our nation's history.
McCain has s
upported offshore drilling for a long time... well, this summer was actually when it started... so... yeah. He now supports offshore drilling so fiercely that that little red light has started flashing in my brain. You know, it's the light that flashes when really bad decisions from recent history are on the brink of being repeated.Now, the American Petroleum Institute (API), which is involved with every level of the oil industry, has a "fact sheet", and here's the highlight: "Before a lease sale could even occur, a complete environmental study would have to be conducted by the government. Once leased, it could take anywhere from five to 10 years for production to begin, depending on the amount of oil and gas discovered, availability of infrastructure and the geological complexity of the region. In an area like Destin Dome, offshore Florida, where there is a confirmed discovery of natural gas and infrastructure exists, supplies could come on more quickly, perhaps in less than five years. Frontier and deepwater areas with no infrastructure in place would take longer."
Who is in charge of "complete environmental studies"? The now completely gutted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I'm sure they'll be really efficient if this goes forward.
But I digress.
At an Orlando, FL, "town hall" meeting just three weeks ago, Senator McCain was asked by an audience member to comment on findings that are similar to those of API: that it would take about 10 years for offshore drilling to have any discernible effect on gasoline prices, and that even then it would only constitute 3% of the nation's daily oil supply. Here's the video from the Orlando Town Hall on 8/1/2008.
Notice how the man is interrupted by the moderator, or whoever it is organizing the exchange.
Where history repeats itself are the sources for McCain's information and counsel for our national energy policy. He said this in Orlando, if you missed it: "in my view and that of oil company executives that I've talked to--the people that actually do it, not those that comment on television, but those that actually do it--we could, in a very short time, have a beneficial effect as we bridge the gap between our dependence on foreign oil and becoming energy independent."
Are these the same oil executives who are currently enjoying their highest profits for all corporations in the history of the world, quarter after quarter, getting the royal treatment with tax kickbacks, and already have 68 million acres of untapped American land at their disposal? Yeah, I thought so. And could some of these expert oil executives be the same guys sitting around the table with Dick Cheney back in 2001, hammering out the energy policies that have brought us to our current predicament? Yes, I would say there is a very good likelihood of that being the case. I've written quite a bit on this in my post "Dirty Little Secrets"; see the special section on Dick Cheney for more on his secret Energy Task Force.
And is this the same John McCain who just a couple months ago supported Bush in opposing the windfall profits tax for Big Oil companies? Yes, the very same. Barack Obama spoke out about this, but I had to go digging in British news sources: "Obama charged that McCain's support for extending President George W. Bush's tax cuts means he is in favor of $2 trillion in corporate tax breaks, including $1.2 billion for Exxon Mobil Corp. 'If John McCain's policies were implemented, they would add $5.7 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. That isn't fiscal conservatism, that's what George Bush has done over the last eight years,' Obama said" (Reuters, June 9, 2008).
It turns out McCain is quite the adept double-talker. This was written just a week later: "[McCain] criticized Obama for proposing a windfall profits tax, despite saying last month he would consider the same proposal" (Associated Press, June 17, 2008).
In whose world is pandering to big oil, and consulting the opinions of those who stand to profit the most, a good idea? Not only are the red lights now going crazy, but I think i hear the faint sound of "Mayday, mayday," in an urgent yet soothing female voice.
Think about this for a minute. Are oil executives, or "the people that actually do it," the people who a future president should consult about an offshore drilling policy that would do nothing to lessen our dependence on oil? Not just foreign oil, but oil.
Now watch Al Gore speak on the issue of energy, and tell me who you think is right.
Keep thinking about it, then watch another speech by McCain, this one from June 3, 2008. I think John McCain is really a robot. Check out the awkward little smiles between his one liners. Mostly just listen to what he says.
To be frank, this guy is simply absurd.
