GOP: Lift drilling ban or risk shutdown

The Democrats better rethink this one. Global warming is a facade and it won't hold up to real scientific scrutiny any more than carbon trading did. Climate change is perpetual and local so they have no more substantial proof than global warming. Both theories are consensus without substance. The Republicans can win this one if they have a transition plan. We cannot move 'cold turkey' from a 100 years optimized carbon based system. However, we must move off of that system for national security purposes. The Republicans need to offer a transition plan that does so incrementally and integrates the needs of energy, power, transportation, agriculture and defense and is tied to stability period, i.e. at the current global consumption rate, plus our 'stability" supplies equating to when they predict another chaos driven trigger point. The Democrats obstructionism is strictly a power play because they do not want to lose control over businesses from their environmental legislation controlling the energy that feeds the economy. The plan should start in cities where the infrastructure can be implemented quickly and then begin connecting the cities, businesses, and processes like a network. As more and more cities come on line to alternative sources, more and more carbon sources are removed or relegated to backup systems. There also must be investment in innovation. Fear and politics cause biased decisions. Therefore, the innovation should come from the private sector and the public. All the hype of Hollywood isn't going to sell a proprietary OS2 when Windows is more versatile for the common user. Remember Beta Max vs. VHS, don't make that mistake.

Finally some repubs might show they've got some gonads--stop placating the dems and do something for a change. Stop harry, the real estate king tyrant and then go after the plane queen of mean.

The Republicans did not shut down the government in 1995. Both houses of Congress passed a budget and sent it to Bill Clinton. Clinton is the one who shut down the government by vetoing the budget. Somehow the media then and still today like to blame the Republicans for this, but it simply is not true.

The Democrats are wrong on this and they are going to hand the election to McSame.

I hope the Republicans are proud of the mess they have made. They, through their pundits Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Matt Drudge, and their legions of local imitators, have created an army of yammering morons who pollute the airwaves and cyberspace with their ignorant ranting, regurgitating every ridiculous thing ever penned by the oil industry's PR departments.

Why can't we, as Republicans, understand that the time of Big Oil is over. Let's get on with doing what we American's do best, come up with solutions that work! We have the technology to replace Big Oil. Let's use it.

Hmm, the article fails to mention who 'some republicans' are in reference to holding the federal budget hostage. They probably are the same ones who forget that drilling for oil now won't help for 20 years. They are most likely the same ones who forgot that the oil companies have public land that they aren't drilling today but need more of it any ways.

We should have realized in the 1970's that our economy can't run on big oil - the oil era is dead and gone! Congress, and now this loonie tune group of Republicans, is acting absurd - as always. This empty PR ploy by the Republican bozo's in D.C. is just the latest - drilling won't do anything for us - it might help these big oil crooks for a short period, but it won't help Americans. Here in one of the most Republican of states - Montana - oil & gas companies have miles of leased acreage and they are NOT drilling. One reason: When the oil `companies prepare to drill, all these Montana Republicans protest it will mess up their back yard. Even the most die hard Republicans in Montana are right now - at this minute - preventing oil and gas companies from drilling in the Gallatin Valley and Paradise Valley. All these folks support Bush, all these folks are long term Republicans. They support drilling offshore and they support opening ANWR - but no way - don't drill in my home area. No way, don't drill near the Yellowstone River....... Go drill in Santa Barbara Bay or near the Grand Banks (fishing grounds). No one wants the drilling near them....so why don't we just tell congress to knock it off. It's time to lead the country into the future and away from from BIG oil. We all know there is NO such thing as environmentally friendly drilling - someone please tell Bush we're not stupid. If there was such a thing, no one would object to drilling in their back yard. If we want to restore the Republican party to greatness, we need to lead the way to alternative and renewable energy. We need to end this latest Hollywood stunt on drilling and get to business on developing and delivering alternative energy. No argument: we need energy independence - independence from Domestic and Foreign oil. The International oil market makes ZERO distinction on where the oil is sourced - domestic is no different from foreign. By definition, domestic oil will have no impact on our energy independence based on how this market actually functions - something our congress is conveniently ignoring and failing to tell the American public.

Drilling domestic oil has no effect on domestic prices. As Bush recently stated "the price of oil is set on the world market". Think about it - why would an oil company sell for less to the US if china will buy it for more? So it makes no sense to risk environmental damage if it wont help prices. We sell our oil to the oil company and they sell it back to us for whatever is the going price on the world market. What we should do is pass laws saying any oil drilled on US public land may not be exported (its our oil, right?), and also we should regulate the price that that oil may be sold back to us. Give them a good profit, but not cartel profit levels.

Now it's another Obama reversal, this time on the Strategic Oil Reserve. Does the proverbial clown know as Barack Obama know where in the hell he stands on ANY issue? The Socialist Party's candidate, Barack Obama, exceeds all established standards for hypocrisy. Whether thru sheer inept ignorance or carefully calculated political deception, Obama is a dangerous demagogue; and, his rhetoric simply confirms that with the current composition of the U.S. Senate, our Nation doesn't stand a prayer of extricating ourselves from this self imposed Energy Crisis. Simply review the recent Senate action on HR 3121 where Harry Reid and his minions such as Obama, in sync with the Left-Wing Fringe Elements in our society, voted AGAINST the opening of a miniscule portion of ANWAR; AGAINST shale oil extraction of which America has the equivalent of ten Saudi Arabia's in recoverable reserves; and, AGAINST accelerated efforts to facilitate the gasification of America's abundant reserves of coal. Is there any wonder that Obama's handlers have adamantly refused to allow Obama to appear at a "Town Hall" style debate without the aid of his teleprompter? Obama's long-term subversive associations, and his immersion in seditious anti-American diatribe have indeed revealed Obama as the real-life Manchurian Candidate who should not be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office. Greg Neubeck

Not sure why some people think switching from oil to 'alternatives' happens over night. Entire infrastructures need to be built. So if our local gas stations start supplying natural gas, who will buy it considering we all drive gasoline powered vehicles? I guess the gas stations should just provide it and wait for a market to appear?? And to be honest, all of this technology is not sitting on a shelf. Certain materials needed for batteries are not abundant. And converting existing engines to accept new fuel is not cheap or affordable. It is a fallacy to believe that since oil was able to power so many facets of our society, all we need to do is switch to something different to cure our problems. Oil created our society. The internal combustion engine was created after the discovery of oil and its incredible energy density, not the other way around. Our highway system, our suburbs, the simple idea of a grocery store, the entire global trading system, are all results of oil. To simply suggest 'we need solutions' is beyond sophomoric, it's total ignorance of the local, national and global economies. The first step in developing alternative fuels and energy is to free up money for investment and research. That starts with cheaper oil and more domestic drilling. It continues with nuclear power and wind energy as has already been stated by many... because the best way to stop a ship from sinking is to plug the hole. I think that's enough to chew on for the moment before we revolutionize the entire auto and transportation industry.

who ever said that oil was not a fossil fuel appears to be right. What annoys me is that this has been known for YEARS If you'd d like to know more and just google "oil is NOT a fossil fuel" read through the data and you will find that we have all been taken as a bunch of suckers

"The reality, as usual, is far more complicated. Drilling in the now-restricted areas would require years of extensive seismic research before a single rig could operate. Even then, companies would not embark on such massive projects unless the profitability were clear. What's more, the federal Energy Information Administration estimates that access to new U.S. deposits would not significantly affect overall domestic production for 22 years." GOOD LUCK GOP, BRING THEM FAKE LOWER OIL PRICES ON!!!! I am a realist and listen to the voice of reason or in this case experts on energy analysis and the economy. Drilling offshore will do very little to help our problem. It is forecasted that if we do recover the "estimated" amount that is offshore that by the year 2025 we would add 1 million barrels a day. Taking into consideration the fact that by 2030 this would account for only 5% of our total consumption. I have faith that we can either find alternative forms of energy or maybe some of us can ride our bikes to work or maybe (I know it sounds crazy) CARPOOL. We do need to take a stand and quit pointing the fingers at others. Lets start asking what we CAN do and quit trying to tell Congress what they SHOULD do.

Obama is such a joke. Here's a video that sums up his energy plan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iieODDyrwMY

We have 'run out' of oil before- 1975 to be exact- that was just before we stopped trying to control prices and reached 'market clearing'- lines disappeared and the price dropped. Claiming that oil cos. don't drill on their leases is typical BS- no one claims they haven't explored- and if there's no oil there, why should they drill? It's time the Republicans called Nancy's bluff. The fact that oil prices dropped when Bush dropped the executive ban shows what will happen if Congress ever wakes up.