Obama, August 2005: [rquoter]"The reserve should only be used in the event of an emergency, and we shouldn't be tapping the reserve to provide a small, short-term decrease in gas prices."[/rquoter] Obama, July, 2008: [rquoter]"I do not believe that we should use the strategic oil reserves at this point. I have said and, in fact, supported a congressional resolution that said that we should suspend putting more oil into the strategic oil reserve, but the strategic oil reserve, I think, has to be reserved for a genuine emergency."[/rquoter] Obama, August 4, 2008: [rquoter]"Democrat Barack Obama called today for tapping the nation's strategic oil reserves to help drive down gasoline prices, a shift from his previous position on the issue."[/rquoter] via the corner.
In his speeches today, Obama reiterated that he would only use the oil reserve should there be an emergency, OR he would propoe a small-scale drilling should it be required to help facilitate a plan to free us from dependence in the Middle East/ South America . Much different from McCain's stance of "we need to drill, and we need to drill now."(That's almost a direct quote from a speech he JUST gave...i.e. within the past five minutes.)
Seriously, basso, couldn't this go into any of the other dozen threads about the Presidential candidates and their energy policies? That being said, I heard Barack say this today, and it makes me angry. Pelosi and the Do-Nothing Congressional leadership is promoting the same thing. Even Newt is trumpeting this hair-brained idea. It is incredibly short-sighted. I get it. It'll momentarily drop the price of oil, and some traders will lose their shirt and think twice about going long on oil again. But what happens if we have a hurricane and need that oil? Or the unlikely attack. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is reserved for emergencies. Using it to control the price of oil is dangerously short-sighted.
It’s prop day on the campaign trail. To coincide with Barack Obama’s energy speech this morning, the McCain campaign handed out tire gauges branded with the slogan “Obama’s Energy Plan” to reporters traveling with the senator today. (The Republican National Committee apparently will distribute others to reporters back in DC and at the Obama event today in Michigan.) The gauge is poking fun at Obama’s comment last Wednesday that Americans can save energy by “making sure your tires are properly inflated.” Nevermind that plenty of Republicans have offered up similar advice—prominent McCain surrogate Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, among them—the McCain campaign is pushing that message that Obama is so lacking in judgment that he thinks inflating the tires alone is the key to solving America’s energy problems. Merits of the debate aside, how did the GOP get these gauges engraved so fast? http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/08/04/prop-watch-the-obama-tire-gauge.aspx I'm not a McCain fan by any means and altho it is bit humorous, shouldn't McCain be spending their money on better things than Tire gauges? The guy doesn't have the warchest that Obama has.
I agree, obama needs to go back to his playbook from the ind primary, he came out smelling like a rose because he didn't go for the gimmick gas tax holiday, do these politicians even read the news. oil has fallen twenty bucks a barrel before this statement and you choose now to change stance or at the very least adjust. to me, after really going through fisa, I wasn't really that disappointed because I personally never cared whether immunity to phone companies was retroactive. I really hope something like this doesn't become norm. I'm personally for drilling off shore so that didn't bother me either, ALL ENERGY SOLUTIONS SHOULD BE LONG TERM, I can't stand crap like this either. disappointing
So, just to be clear, both McCain and Obama came out with pandering ideas this week that they claim would lower gas prices within weeks. McCain's is widely panned by economists across the board. Analysts say Obama's could actually drop the price of gas by $0.80. Hmm. While neither should be pandering, it's funny to note that one of the candidates actually provides a silly plan that would work, while the other provides a silly plan that wouldn't (but that does generate hundreds of thousands in immediate contributions).
McCain really needs to come up with an energy policy quick. Thus far all he has is mockery of Obama's policy. I don't even get it. What does the tire guage have to do with Obama's policy - higher fuel efficiency standards??? Alternative energy? Nuclear power is great, I agree with McCain there - but that's not going to helpo for another 15 years. WE need current action. Tapping the reserve is fine - because we are facing an economic emergency.
I heard Obama was about to name Doc Brown as his VP and unveil this new source of energy for automobiles.
Is this even in the same league as McCain's monumental double-jointed back flip on ANWR and offshore drilling? You would think as a McCain supporter you wouldn't be directing the conversation 'that close to the sun'. This is a very Promethean game of chicken you are playing, basso. In any case, at least we can say for sure that Obama's back flip isn't paid for by special interests, unless there is some tire-gage manufacturer's lobby I've never heard of.
