Obama shifts, says he may back offshore drilling

By MIKE GLOVER

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday he would be willing to support limited additional offshore oil drilling if that's what it takes to enact a comprehensive policy to foster fuel-efficient autos and develop alternate energy sources.

Shifting from his previous opposition to expanded offshore drilling, the Illinois senator told a Florida newspaper he could get behind a compromise with Republicans and oil companies to prevent gridlock over energy.

Republican rival John McCain, who earlier dropped his opposition to offshore drilling, has been criticizing Obama on the stump and in broadcast ads for clinging to his opposition as gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon. Polls indicate these attacks have helped McCain gain ground on Obama.

"My interest is in making sure we've got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices," Obama said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.


(AP) Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. acknowledges an audience member's...
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"If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage - I don't want to be so rigid that we can't get something done."

Asked about Obama's comment, McCain said, "We need oil drilling and we need it now offshore. He has consistently opposed it. He has opposed nuclear power. He has opposed reprocessing. He has opposed storage." The GOP candidate said Obama doesn't have a plan equal to the nation's energy challenges.

In Congress, both parties have fought bitterly over energy policy for weeks, with Republicans pressing for more domestic oil drilling and Democrats railing about oil company profits. Despite hundreds of hours of House and Senate floor debate, lawmakers will leave Washington for their five-week summer hiatus this week with an empty tank.

"The Republicans and the oil companies have been really beating the drums on drilling," Obama said in the Post interview. "And so we don't want gridlock. We want to get something done."

Later, Obama issued a written statement warmly welcoming a proposal sent to Senate leaders Friday by 10 senators - five from each party. Their proposal seeks to break the impasse over offshore oil development and is expected to be examined more closely in September after Congress returns from its summer recess.


(AP) Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. answers an audience member's question,...
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The so-called Gang of 10 plan would lift drilling bans in the eastern Gulf of Mexico within 50 miles of Florida's beaches and in the South Atlantic off Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, but only if a state agrees to the oil and gas development along its coast. The states would share in revenues from oil and gas development.

Drilling bans along the Pacific coast and the Northeast would remain in place under this compromise.

The plan also includes energy initiatives Obama has endorsed. "It would repeal tax breaks for oil companies so that we can invest billions in fuel-efficient cars, help our automakers re-tool, and make a genuine commitment to renewable sources of energy like wind power, solar power, and the next generation of clean, affordable biofuels," Obama noted.

"Like all compromises, it also includes steps that I haven't always supported," Obama conceded. "I remain skeptical that new offshore drilling will bring down gas prices in the short-term or significantly reduce our oil dependence in the long-term, though I do welcome the establishment of a process that will allow us to make future drilling decisions based on science and fact."

Nevertheless, Obama said the plan, put forward by mostly moderates and conservatives led by Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., "represents a good faith effort at a new bipartisan beginning."

Earlier in the day, Obama pushed for a windfall profits tax to fund $1,000 emergency rebate checks for consumers besieged by high energy costs, a counter to McCain's call for more offshore drilling.

The pitch for putting some of the economic burden of $4-a-gallon gasoline on the oil industry served a dual purpose for Obama: It allowed him to talk up an economic issue, seen by many as a strength for Democrats and a weakness for Republicans, and at the same time respond to criticism from McCain that Obama's opposition to offshore drilling leads to higher prices at the pump.

In linking McCain to the unpopular President Bush, Obama struck a theme from Ronald Reagan's successful 1980 campaign against President Jimmy Carter by asking a town-hall audience in St. Petersburg: "Do you think you are better off than you were four years ago or eight years ago? If you aren't better off, can you afford another four years?"

Obama primed the crowd by noting new government figures showing 51,000 jobs lost last month and citing 460,000 jobs lost over the last seven months. He tied other bad economic news from the Bush administration to McCain and offered his energy program as one route to relief.

"This rebate will be enough to offset the increased cost of gas for a working family over the next four months," Obama said during a two-day campaign swing in Florida. "It will be enough to cover the entire increase in your heating bills. Or you could use the rebate for any of your other bills, or even to pay down your own debt."

No drilling off California - you better believe it!
Seniors in Florida will probably back drilling. Must suck to be there.
Seekingtruth - So both candidates have shifted on a range of issues.
I'm not moved.
I'd rather give Obama a chance than risk four more years of Republican policies that don't seem to have done squat for most Americans.

SUPRMAN said:

Not trying to move you. Just posting an article and waiting to see what everybody's take on it is.

Of course it is interesting that Obama is having to shift to positions that either McCain had already held or McCain had adjusted to.

Makes you wonder which is the better leader.

Just posting an article and waiting to see what everybody's take on it is.

Does the man have any conviction(s)?

SUPRMAN said:

Not trying to move you. Just posting an article and waiting to see what everybody's take on it is.

Of course it is interesting that Obama is having to shift to positions that either McCain had already held or McCain had adjusted to.

Makes you wonder which is the better leader.

I don't see what the big problem is.

One of the things people say they like about Barack is his willingness to work on both sides.

This shows that he actually researches an issue. He hasn't completely changed his position on this issue either. He's just compromising on this issue so he can get his Alternative Energy Bill passed.

I see this as something that can be a positive.

It shows that he's not an obstructionist, and he's not just towing the party line!!!

He is NOT the flip-flopper of this campaign!!!

Where was John McCain during the FISA bill voting??? That's right, he wasn't there!!!

He has the worse attendance record in the Senate!!!

seekingtruth said:

So McCain adjusted AND Obama did and you see that as a positive for Mcain

SOunds like you already had your mind made up and are trying to make the situation fit how you see it.
Bottom line is they both did.

lazycrockett said:


Does the man have any conviction(s)?

Shifting from his previous opposition to expanded offshore drilling, the Illinois senator told a Florida newspaper he could get behind a compromise with Republicans and oil companies to prevent gridlock over energy.

No drilling off California - you better believe it!
Seniors in Florida will probably back drilling. Must suck to be there.
Seekingtruth - So both candidates have shifted on a range of issues.
I'm not moved.
I'd rather give Obama a chance than risk four more years of Republican policies that don't seem to have done squat for most Americans.

SUPRMAN said:

Yes, but he also shows that he's not a brainless twit so wedded to an idea
that he can self-correct.
Hopefully adults learn, grow and change in the process.
I'd like a President capable of doing that unlike Bush of the past eight years who says he's made no mistakes as President.
I guess there are those who would rather have him stick to the left and let you beat him up as out of touch and unrealistic and too stubborn to change or acknowledge that someone other than himself can have a good idea.
'
[Edited 8/2/08 9:22am]

Dance and guitarslinger4- I'm with you
both on this topic! Haha guitarslinger-you
have a way with words! lol

No drilling off California - you better believe it!
Seniors in Florida will probably back drilling. Must suck to be there.
Seekingtruth - So both candidates have shifted on a range of issues.
I'm not moved.
I'd rather give Obama a chance than risk four more years of Republican policies that don't seem to have done squat for most Americans.

superspaceboy said:

Haha-TOUCHE'! Exactly! I DO agree on (the changing the minds)
thing.I myself am not TOTALLY sure of this (offshore drilling
thing) however,I DO trust Obama MORE than I'd ever trust McCain.
but I'd love to see Obama in office and as far as his views on
this topic, he's human too and maybe just not 100% sure of what
he'll do as far as the topic at hand. They ALL change their minds
eventually on something or another. That doesn't mean he's
necessarily a "flip flopper." I mean as screwed up as things
are at this juncture, would ANY OF US know 100% what to do ? jmo


[Edited 8/4/08 14:50pm]

paisley43 said:

Thank you sir!

DANG it Mr. O. PLEASE mean what you say and say what you mean.