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Economy
Everybody Loves ObamaOil
2010-04-02
Efforts to drill 50 miles off Virginia's coast have garnered unusual bipartisan support here, with both Democratic U.S. senators behind it as well as eight of the state's 11 congressmen. It will be up to those congressional representatives to lead the way on securing royalties from the production of oil and gas.

Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte, R-6th, introduced legislation in the House of Representatives last Thursday to clear regulatory roadblocks to drilling. Seven members of Virginia's congressional delegation joined as co-sponsors.

Governor McDonnell said he wants Virginia to get the 37.5 percent state's share of revenues that the Gulf Coast states get but indicated that Midwestern states could seek a portion of that money. Congress will decide the percentage of royalties.

McDonnell disputed estimates by environmental groups that there is scant oil or gas and said it is likely that more is out there.

"Whether it's a year's worth of oil or whether it's a hundred years worth of oil, whatever we can find offshore is that much less that we have to depend on Iran, Iraq, Venezuela and Russia and other countries that don't always support the United States of America," said McDonnell, flanked by his secretaries of commerce and trade and natural resources at the South Portico of the state Capitol.

Environmental groups strongly criticized the decision by Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Offering the Virginia lease sale as soon as 2011 "represents a horrible rush to judgment that trumps thorough environmental study with politics as usual," said Eileen Levandoski, Hampton Roads coordinator with the Sierra Club.

"Despite the fact that information on the possible effects of Atlantic drilling is '30 years out of date' as Interior Secretary Salazar points out, Virginia's offshore areas will be leased to Big Oil in little over one year and the bull allowed into the china shop."

Virginia is first in line because it was included in an offshore plan proposed by the Bush administration for 2007-12.
Posted by:Bobby

#15  Great show. Used to be on Saturday morning, right after Highway Patrol re-runs and just before the Israel infotainment.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2010-04-02 20:37  

#14  Actually, I think it's a wacky episode of "The Big Picture"...
Posted by: tu3031   2010-04-02 16:36  

#13  Not so sure that was Shipman's message. I saw it more as an allusion to Obama blowing psychoactive smoke up our @$$ in regards to drilling. In that sense, Teh One hopes we're on drugs.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2010-04-02 16:29  

#12  I guess that's SHip's asshole way of saying we're all on drugs.

I guess he thinks we shouldn't listen to the people we know in the industry up in the Intermountain West who are suffering because a large amount of the new leases there have been delayed or outright cancelled.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2010-04-02 16:02  

#11  Fight against offshore drilling for twenty years, and then argue that the environmental impact studies you've been using to delay the drilling are now "thirty years out of date" and demand a new series of impact studies.

Repeat as necessary until the heat death of the universe.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2010-04-02 15:52  

#10  I'll echo Keeney. Obama - drill? Pure BS. It'll never happen to any meaningful degree. OTH, Utah sez it's about to go ED on the feds to recover it's territory. hmmmmmmmm - one can hope. I need a drink.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2010-04-02 15:41  

#9  At the end of the day Obama's "support" of offshore drilling is about as meaningful as his executive order to ban federal funding of abortion. Just another ill fated ruse concocted to convince an increasingly hostile public that Mr. Obama isn't really thw worst thing that has happened to our country since 9/11.
Posted by: Keeney   2010-04-02 13:58  

#8  ...a horrible rush to judgment

I really should get to work on my Moonbat Catchphrase and Buzzword manual.
Posted by: tu3031   2010-04-02 13:58  

#7  represents a horrible rush to judgment ...

Because we've been moving at such breakneck speed to drill offshore these last forty years ...
Posted by: Steve White   2010-04-02 13:50  

#6  "Or is it that they are special, but it's just fine for the little people to suffer."

Got it in one, Glenmore.

But don't think of it as us little people suffering; think of it as us "doing our part to help Mother Gaia." >:-(

**spit**
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2010-04-02 12:45  

#5  Midwestern states get a portion of Virginia royalty money? Ya mean like Illinois?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2010-04-02 12:09  

#4  Those who are unwilling to have wind turbines in their back yard should be unwilling to use electricity. Even though this is fly over country, many who live here in west Kans. love our scenery and appreciate mother earth.
Posted by: bman   2010-04-02 11:13  

#3  Well...as long as the Evil Bushitler isn't doing it, I guess it's okay.
Posted by: tu3031   2010-04-02 10:17  

#2  Virginia is first in line because it was included in an offshore plan proposed by the Bush administration for 2007-12.

An "offshore drilling plan" Barry .... "inherited from the previous administration."
Posted by: Besoeker   2010-04-02 10:14  

#1  Those who are unwilling to have oil drilling 'in their back yard' should be unwilling to use oil. If drilling is such a bad thing for them, it would be a bad thing for everyone. Or is it that they are special, but it's just fine for the little people to suffer.
Posted by: Glenmore   2010-04-02 10:09  

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