Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleLETTER TO THE EDITOR:
Drilling for our oil sends strong message
Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.
When will the Democrats realize that for the next decade or two, there will be millions of gas-powered vehicles on the road and that if they quit protesting, a lot of that fuel could come from American wells and refineries?
Yes, eventually the gas hogs will be replaced, but that is years away. The purpose of producing oil from our own lands will be to stop sending billions of dollars to the Saudis and other people who hate us, such as Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
Allowing and encouraging drilling in our waters and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge won’t drop the price of gasoline today, tomorrow or even a year from now. But it will tell the world that we Americans can handle our own future, on our own terms, with our own oil.
Can the Democrats even understand this?
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Photos: Olivia Culpo, 20, of Rhode Island is crowned 2012 Miss USA at Planet Hollywood
- US Navy hopes stealth ship answers a rising China
- Photos: Derek Hough celebrates 27th birthday at Tabu Ultra Lounge
- More than 43,000 have voted early in Clark County
- Learning about fans of the Electric Daisy Carnival will help Las Vegas court them long-term
Everything Under the Sun
Blogs
The Kats Report
Las Vegas Philharmonic says search for new music director to begin 'immediately' (1 Comment)
With Shenandoah project stalled, Wayne Newton hits back legally (7 Comments)
Where does a Playmate play when she turns 21? Vegas! (3 Comments)
Ice Ice Billy
The road to six-toed cats and Mayor Bubba
The Kats Report
David Itkin tells L.V. Philharmonic officials he's on his way out (14 Comments)
Diamond Dave sells it well as Van Halen pours out the power at MGM Grand (2 Comments)
Entering debut at Tryst, Nick Hissom is a model for a rapid rise to prominence (3 Comments)
- Locally owned and independent since 1950; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, best news website in the nation & DuPont Award for broadcast journalism
And then when that runs out, it will tell the world what it has come to learn this past few decades: that Americans are wasteful and shortsighted, and must have a terrible education system for so many to be so lacking in critical thinking skills, and to keep falling for the same nonsense. I'll be voting for the Democrat for president.
When WILL it run out, "teacher"?? WHEN exactly WILL the greenie alternatives REPLACE oil and gas in America.
Liberals are choking and constipating and to have SO many daily instances of "lacking in critical thinking" on this issue - they just keep falling for the same old nonsense.
You'll be voting "Socialist" for President!
http://obamaism.blogspot.com/
I won't be voting Socialist, I'll be voting for the Republican. I have a wonderful education, that's why.
Read about how Barry would lead America into worse economic times:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12172876...
And YOU had better wake up to the fact that even if McCain wins, he will have a Democratic Congress that will stalemate him for 4 years. How do you plan to handle that? More letters?
LOL, thanks for the tip??
Democratics stalemate, whether in or out of the majority.
Democratics clog, constipate, corrode and are a cancer on the body politic.
Your response just cinches this overwhelming and accurate opinion of mine about the corrosiveness and clogging (or, in your words; "stalemate him") of the "LSD" in American politics; thus a degrader of America and a friend of America's enemies.
ALL, for a few seats more. Loyalty ONLY to the Party!
The coming ACTUAL recessions and perhaps depressions caused BY the liberal - if elected like Barry OR ongoing corrosions as in the lib-led Congress - WILL be the same as in previous Democratic Administrations.
Still voting for a Socialist like Barry??
The race is tied now. Barry is getting more examiniation by the electorate and he's leaking support.
IMO, we'll see more of the recent successes by the Republicans, especially over oil issues - like how the House Republicans ran San Fran Nan out of town this last week. That was nice to see!
NVMakz who is Barry???
NVMakz, you are not familiar with recent history, or you choose to ignore it I guess?
There were three bills to help us with high energy prices in the House and Senate. When the republicans had a chance to help, what did they do?
NOTHING!
They prevented everyone from voting, even though all three bills would have passed!
They were selfish and kept saying that the only way to relieve high energy prices is to drill! Nothing else, just drill!
No tax breaks on our energy costs, just drill!
No laws on cracking down on oil speculators, just drill!
The republicans even rejected a bill that would stop giving billions of dollars to the oil companies in tax breaks! They made 51 billion dollars in three months and still want tax breaks!
When Harry Reid finally told them they could amend the bills, they refused and said "WE WON'T VOTE! WE DON'T WANT TO HELP!"
Then they waited like cowards until congress was over and had a party! They had bullhorns and their interns there so that they would clap for them!
And you say that is a success? For shame! When the Democrats tried to pass real relief, the republicans stood in the way.
That is fact, and no one can argue it.
To Jon Porter and the rest of the republicans, we will remember your failure to act in November!
IF drilling doesn't drop the price of gas but just replaces foreign oil with American jobs and infrastructure, wouldn't that be enough reason alone not to give Chavez the means to buy 30 billion in advanced arms from Russia to protect his poor people from the war like countries of Brazil and Bolivia?
Why are the leftist Fascist so intent on denying us oil, nuclear, coal, and environmentalist have now stopped BLM from doing solar in the desert until the full environmental impact on the sand is studied. I am not kidding, no solar in the desert on government ground for the next 2 or 3 years due to ruling from a federal judge the panels may impact the desert.
The Soviets forgot to shut down the third echelon when the cold war ended. The old communists are still here and running the Democrats in Congress.
Their names are Pelosi and our Reid.
You are right.
We have trillions of dollars of oil and gas that have been locked down by Democrats.
It is not smart to send trillions of dollars to foreign countries when we have the assets here.
for the above poster. Barry is the name Obama used in Kansas, Hawaii, Indonesia (where he was listed by his adoptive fathers last name) and in college until he found his black roots and then embraced Liberation Theology and became Barrack. This was when he helped and endorsed the militant Islamic rebels who keep blowing up the oil pipelines in his families native Kenya. Oh are we in for a fun 4 years if he is elected.
"nance":
"Barry" is how one Barack H. Obama was referred to in his life for a VERY long time.
Black Liberation Theology and immersion in very liberal Chicago politics, but BLT being basically religious Marxism imo, brought out the inner Barack in him.
He sat in the pews of Trinity from his mid-to-late 20s until the Church disowned him in the last several months. Sometime in that period, I think?
Barry, for me, is also a statement of his fundamental basic political empty-suited nothingness and political puppy-hood in seeking this office.
That is funny.
Just the republicans trying to scare people.
I guess if you don't believe in your own candidate, all you can do is smear the opponent.
The problem is: that doesn't win elections.
What is also funny? They are saying that every time Obama is slandered, his donations spike.
So I welcome these baseless nonsense. You are only sealing John McCain's fate!
Not only has John McCain adopted Bush's failed policies, he's adopted Bush's politics!
Bush/McCain 08!
Obama has adopted Bush policies.
He was against FISA but now voted for it.
He has said that he will keep troops in Iraq. His key advisor wrote a memo to him recommending to keep up to 80,000 troops.
He was against offshore drilling but now is considering changing his mind.
I see Barry these days as George W. Obama for the head-long rush to the center (hear that crash?) so he can APPEAR less Socialist and Uber-Liberal.
See for yourself what Barry's runnin' from:
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles...
and:
http://obamaism.blogspot.com/
Obama, like Kerry, Gore, Dukakis, Mondale and of course, McGovern before Barry - he is a most liberal fella trying desperately to make himself SEEM centrist. When he loses his fall, he'll go back to representing Illinois 40% of the time.
"I guess if you don't believe in your own candidate, all you can do is smear the opponent."
Truth hurts, so the alternative is the lib's natural state of being - in denial!
"What is also funny? They are saying that every time Obama is slandered, his donations spike."
As his numbers head south...
Face facts, the summer lead the media confers the liberal, er, Democrat fades as the fall approaches.
Barry, the no-gravitas empty suit, has less experience to weather the natural tide of public opinion going away from him. ALL Republicans need to do is tell the truth about his Socialism, while Barry lies and slithers through the campaign.
1. No Democrat has prevented drilling for oil. The oil companies have chosen not to drill on lands already leased. The President and the Republican leaders in congress and the senate offered only expanding oil leases in ANWR and off-shore as a response to the ever-decreasing world-wide supply of oil. Did you forget Chenney's closed-door energy strategy meeting in 2001? They didn't even include the two largest drilling companies in North America in the meeting.
2. We import more oil from Canada than Saudi Arabia. That oil is derived from shale in a program that the United States should have joined in 1992. But your beloved Newt killed that program after intense lobbying from Exxon and Mobile, et al.
3. Even if we increased the oil available from any source by 1%, U.S. refineries would not be able to handle the flow. And while the Republicans blame environmentalists for the complete lack of new refineries in the U.S. (Save for one that the States of La. and Miss. funded in a joint project after Mobile advised them in 1989 that this refinery would go off line in 2008 as obsolete, a refinery that the State of Mississippi tried to weasel out of the funding the month that Haley Barber was sworn in as the Guv of Miss.), the Republican Congress granted over 100 million dollars in tax incentives and credits to expand refining capabilities and then allowed them to use that money to build new offices and replace a private air field in Alabama. Exxon knew with cold-blooded certainty that the price of oil would spike this year and they want nothing more than to see it go higher. In fact, they have a duty to see it go higher for their shareholders. And I bet for all your Republican/conservative blah-blah, you never thought to buy one share of Exxon or Mobile 5 years ago.
4. Obama has offered to allow some off-shore drilling but already the Republicans are working to prevent an accounting of the use of new and current leases.
5. What has the old poop from Panama offered? Stammering blibberblabber with a touch of feeble on the side. He ought to get Bill Frist as a VP. At least Frist might try to resuscitate him. Then again, Frist is a Republican, so you can only be sure he'd help himself.
NV, you offer up an editorial and a blog as some kind of evidence. All I've ever seen you do is post derision after derision re "libs" and "socialists" and blah blah blah.
And you wonder why no one on these boards takes you seriously. LOL.
As I told you once before, stew in your ignorance. It's all you have.
Oh and BTW, that IS my point .... that you have nothing of any substance to say.
“1. No Democrat has prevented drilling for oil.”
ANWR was veto by Clinton. After that veto, Democrats have filibuster both ANWR and expanding offshore drilling.
“3. Even if we increased the oil available from any source by 1%, U.S. refineries would not be able to handle the flow”
Oil is a global product. If more supply is added then it could help return a safe margin of excess supply capacity over peak summer demand. If that occurs then the price of oil would fall significantly.
“4. Obama has offered to allow some off-shore drilling”
I am glad that Obama, kicking and screaming, has abandoned his silly refusal to allow more offshore drilling.
I guess he saw the poll that said over 75% Americans want more offshore drilling.
Hey, jf ...
1. "...After that veto, Democrats have filibuster[sic] both ANWR and expanding offshore drilling."
Would LOVE to see a citation for that because to be honest, for the entire time the Republicans were in control of Congress, I waited and waited for a Democratic filibuster of SOMETHING.
3. "..."
Um, what? You didn't actually respond to the point being made.
4. "...75% Americans ..."
You're constantly spouting this one. Got a citation?
And before you reply, know this: I'm willing to listen to ANY reasonable ideas, assertions, etc. from a REPUTABLE source. But if you come back with, e.g., a WSJ editorial or someone's blog or (OMG) Fox "news" (like NV does), expect to be summarily dismissed.
There ya go Patricia! Slap down this repugnant rancantour, this odious obfiscator, this purveyor of pulsimanious pap, this glad-handed gadfly of geological gobble-dee-guk (Whew!), this.....uh... nasty man.
Don't you get it yet, Mr. Smarty Pants. Drilling alone won't solve the problem. A comprehensive plan was prevented by Dick Where's My Shotgun Chenney. So instead the Republicans turn to Lindsey Yes-I-really -am-a-form-of-cracker Graham. If we have more oil today, it won't lower gas prices because we can't turn it into gasoline. You could wrestle in it with NVMakz. And where will you get the drilling rigs? The only derecks you guys are interested in spell it differently and have spotted careers as extras in gladiator movies.
Do you think that those 75% you speak of just happen to be the 75% NOT living in a coastal state, with a smattering of others who fancy duck a la sludge?
And where is the old poop from Panama? Honing his rapier wit? Gearing up to tell another rape joke? Trying to find his socks?
Awww esquared, don't be so hard on the man!
Besides, McCain's obviously more coherent and capable now than he'll ever be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfkKk2C1W...
Good video! Makes you wonder why Obi Wan doesn't debate him every week. Probably because it would seem like elder abuse.
McCain reminds me of this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69ujLvxLi...
I love how the radical right is hiding from the article in Sunday's NYT.
I would hide, too, if I clamored and whined about more land for oil drilling, only to find out they're not drilling for oil, they're drilling for natural gas:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/us/03d...
"But while those hoping to lower prices at the pump are clamoring for new oil, most of the new onshore drilling of the past seven years has produced natural gas, not oil."
"The Bush administration, in its effort to expand energy production, has issued more than three times the number of well-drilling permits on Western lands as in the Clinton administration’s last six years. But oil production in that region during the Bush years is 12 percent below average levels from the Clinton era, according to federal data."
"Oil production declined over all to an average of 97.9 million barrels annually from 2001 through 2006, compared with average levels of 111.5 million barrels during the Clinton administration."
In other words, give them more land, get less oil.
Oh, and all that new natural gas we're discovering?
"Natural gas production has increased by 34 percent during President Bush’s term in office, compared with the annual production levels during President Bill Clinton’s term."
"The wellhead price of natural gas is about five times higher than it was in the 1990s."
Yeah, it's not helping.
Obama some times have trouble speaking to...
Obama said Iran posed a tiny threat when comparing it to Soviet past threat no even though its leaders have repeated said they want to wipe the USA and Israel off the face of the planet and it seems that Iran is hell bent on building nuclear weapons.
Obama said there were 57 states, that his parents met because of the Selma tragedy even though he was born before the Selma event, he stated that Hugo Chavez came to power during Bush’s term even though Hugo came to power in Clinton’s term, he said that the death toll of tornados in Kansas were 10,000 when it was 11, when giving a speech on deceased soldiers he said, “……of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today”., he referred to the president of Canada when Canada does not have presidents.
At least McCain did not cast a large portion of the voters as bitter people who cling to guns and religion.
Dear Obama:
Please stick to your little to no new oil drilling position.
Also, thank you for the insane plan that says in 10 years the USA will not purchase one drop of oil from foreign countries.
We are waiting for you to say that Santa Claus has been living with you.
Your friends,
The Republicans
"At least McCain did not cast a large portion of the voters as bitter people who cling to guns and religion."
Uh, that's his base. Why would he?
BTW, still waiting for those citations ..... oh and you can add sources for the post from whence came the above quote, too.
I love how Nance keeps subtly changing his argument. First, the Dems were saying "NO NEW DRILLING!" In fact, he repeated this myth on almost every comment area of the Sun.
Then, after that was debunked, he switched it to "Democrats have locked down trillions of dollars of gas and oil." And that was spread around.
Now that his latest one's been debunked, it's "your litte to no new oil drilling position."
Your argument is dwindling, Nance.
I have not changed by position....Obama has.
He is having a Kerry moment.
He is against offshore drilling but is OK if it happens a little bit but he is really against it.
That is what he is saying....not me.
So is he for it or is he against it?
You tell me.
"He said at the weekend that he continued to believe that “we can’t drill our way out of the problem”. But, he added, he was “open” to accepting some things he did not like in order to achieve “a genuine bipartisan compromise” that would include raising fuel efficiency standards and developing alternative energy sources."
As long as the Republicans hold our energy policy hostage, he'll compromise. He'll also hold out for tight environmental standards for any new drilling... something the Republicans would not have included in any off-shore drilling bill.
So, what's better? The Dems' policy, which can ensure progress and a smarter energy policy, or holding a frat party after you've blocked any progress whatsoever on energy like the Republicans?
Yeah, that's why the Dems are up 11.4% in Congressional tracking polls.
I think that a majority of Republicans in the Senate will come out in favor of the Gang of 10 plan.
I think it is the best we can get of a Democratic control house and senate.
It will be curious what Reid will do.
I think Pelosi will say, "Hell no" and that will trigger Reid to kill it too.
Of course, neither Reid nor Pelosi would ever allow a straight up and down vote on offshore drilling because it would pass both the senate and the house.
Pelosi has cojones, but if Barack has come out in favor of the Gang of 10 plan, that's how it will go.
He's the nominee, and what he says, goes. Reid and Pelosi will fall in line.
I think that the gang of 10 plan will start out OK then somebody..Reid...will change a major part of it and part of the gang of 10 will revolt and that will kill the plan.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/080...
I changed my theory.
Pelosi and Reid will play games and wait until next year to try to pass an energy bill.
Hmmm... is now one of those times where someone says, "I told you so?"