He’s against it, and with good reason.
His words below.
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There has been a lot of discussion over the last week about offshore drilling, so I’d just like to say a few words about that before I open this up for questions.
I understand how badly folks are struggling to pay gas prices that have reached well over $4 in many places. I still remember the man I met in Pennsylvania who just lost his job but can’t even afford to drive around and look for a new one. Along with the skyrocketing cost of health care and college and even food, it is a crushing burden on working families that we have to relieve. That’s why I’ve proposed taxing the record, multibillion-dollar profits of oil companies and using the money to pay for a $1,000 middle-class tax cut that would go to 95% of all families. It’s also why I’ve proposed a second fiscal stimulus package that would mail another round of rebate checks to the American people.
These steps would ease some of the short-term pain of these gas prices. But what wouldn’t do a thing to lower gas prices is John McCain’s new proposal to open up Florida’s coastline to offshore drilling.
In what is becoming a bit of a regular occurrence in this campaign, Senator McCain once had a different position on offshore drilling. And it’s clear why he did – it would have long-term consequences for our coastlines but no short-term benefits since it would take ten years to get any oil.
Well, the politics may have changed, but the accuracy of his original position hasn’t. Offshore drilling would not lower gas prices today. It would not lower gas prices this summer. It would not lower gas prices this year. In fact, President Bush’s own Energy Department says that we won’t see a drop of oil from this proposal until 2017. It will take a generation to reach full production. And even then, the effect on gas prices will be minimal at best.
Believe me – if I thought that there was any evidence at all that drilling could save people money who are struggling to fill up their tanks by this summer or this year or even the next few years, I would consider it. But it won’t. And John McCain knows that.
The fact is, Senator McCain’s decision to team up with George Bush on offshore drilling violates the bipartisan consensus we’ve had in place for decades that has protected Florida’s pristine coastline from drilling.
Just like Senator McCain’s gas tax gimmick, this is a proposal that will only worsen our addiction to oil and put off needed investments in clean, renewable energy. And it’s not the kind of change the American people are looking for. They’re looking for leadership that moves this country forward and actually offers real solutions to the serious challenges we face. That’s why I have unveiled an aggressive and comprehensive energy policy that raises our fuel standards and invests $150 billion over the next ten years in clean, affordable, renewable sources of energy – a policy that promotes realistic energy conservation. And when I am President, I will keep the moratorium in place and prevent oil companies from drilling off Florida’s coasts. That’s how we can protect our coasts and still make the investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and bring down gas prices for good. And that’s what I intend to do as President.
Of course It would be nice if we had a cleaner alternative to oil all together but it’s going to take a LONG TIME to convert everthing that uses oil to a different source not to mention the cost to consumers. do you really think taxing the oil companies is going to do anything positive? You do know they will just transfer that cost the consumer. That what everyone else does. Obama certainly has a more positive demeanor that the current republican slate. Historically I have voted republican, not because I thought the candidates were “all that” but it’s always been more of a “hold my nose” kind of vote in hopes somewhat of a conservative voice will be there but I haven’t seen a true conservative in a long time. Obama has a lot of positions that I can’t support. I do agree however this country needs someone who will break with the status quo of doing things as they have always been done and get the nation on a “moon shot” kind of goal of finding a better and less dirty form of energy.
I think this might be a political ploy. I’ve heard people suggest that he changed his stance on drilling to get the people who do want to drill to vote for him, also he does not ever say how long it will take to get that oil. Before I knew that it would take 10 or 20 years for us to start using the oil we find off our coasts, I thought that this would be good to keep oil prices from rising too much before we can find our alternative energy sources. And this article I read called The Oil “Melt-Up†and Why the U.S. Economy Won’t Run On Windmills Alone… explains why we need oil until then. And if we don’t find those alternative energy sources within 20 years then I am positive its not because we can’t, its because we were bogged down by bureaucratic factors. We just need to get out of own way. I understand there are many views and opinions for what’s right in alternative energies but I don’t see why we can’t have a think tank with the leading experts on the topic and decide what the best plan is. We did it in World War II, what’s stopping us now? Check out that article it really gives you a good perspective of our current energy situation and what the reality is now. Its easy to say we need to change but the real question is how.