Another McCain Rumor; I Hope!

But with McCain, you never know:

Do it.

I for one can easily retract my support and wait out the 2012 Palin candidacy.

The bill would open up a tiny little smidgen of space on the Outer Continental Shelf for oil and gas exploration — just enough that Democrats who vote for it can claim to be pro-drilling, neutralizing one of the Republicans’ most energizing issues going into the November elections. But the benefits of the bill’s meager drilling provisions would be negated (and then some) by $30 billion in tax hikes on U.S. oil companies, placing our own domestic producers at an additional disadvantage compared to their overseas competitors. In exchange for very little new supply, these companies would pay higher taxes related to the crucial activities of exploration and refinery-capacity expansion. To nobody’s great surprise, the industry is not eager to accept this trade.

...

Perfect. A "drilling" bill which does not actually permit drilling -- thus ending all possibility of expanded drilling in the future. The Democrats will say, correctly, "Well, we voted for a 'drilling bill' last time and supplies did not rise and prices did not fall. So isn't our precious ecosystem more important than expanded drilling, which has been proven not to work?"

It's better to have no bill at all than a phony one which dishonesty "proves" there's simply no point to drilling more American oil.

There are a large number of people that believe this is just the McCain camp trying to throw Obama off. The same way he did when allowing people to think he was going to pick Lieberman for VP. I certainly hope so.

It took me a long time to even consider voting for McCain. I must admit, the Palin pick was what finally brought me to decide to pull the lever for him. If this turns out to be true, he can stick that lever where the sun don't shine.

Follow the link above for Ace of Spade's take and contact info for the RNC.

Biden Is In Trouble

I can't wait to see him debate Palin. Go here and listen to her speak about oil.

She is definitely not a Washington insider. And Hillbilly White Trash has an interesting fact up about her experience here.

Must Read Articles

Busy Day. Here is a few articles you need to read:

What Part of 'Drill Now' do they Not Understand?

Misplaced Priorities

Sarah Palin, The Governor Of Alaska, On ANWR

One would think that the governor of Alaska would have a big say in the question of whether to drill in ANWR, right? I hope so:

What will it take for Congress to enact comprehensive energy policy that includes increased domestic production of oil and gas, renewable and alternative energy, and conservation? It seems to us outside of the Capital Beltway that virtually every effort to accomplish this is met with criticism and failure.

In my opinion, the debate about energy policy is no longer theoretical or abstract. Our failure to enact an energy policy is having real consequences for every American in their daily lives and has begun to affect America's place in the world. Alaska is ready, willing, and able to assist the nation in addressing our acute and expanding energy needs. Like many other states, we would like the opportunity to help.

Congressional approval of responsible petroleum development in the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) - the most promising unexplored petroleum province in North America - would be of incalculable benefit to my state and our nation.

Read the complete post here.

Should the governor of a state have to beg for permission to tap into an abundant resource in there own state? Read the whole post. It is like she is begging.

Call your representatives, let them know how you feel. For contact info go to the sidebar, type in your zip, and then let them have it.

Updated: Bush Lifts Executive Order That Bans Drilling Offshore

From Human Events:

President Bush on Monday lifted an executive order that banned off-shore drilling, increasing pressure on Congress to follow suit.

"With this action, the executive branch's restrictions on this exploration have been cleared away. This means that the only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the U.S. Congress," Mr. Bush said. "The time for action is now. This is a difficult period for millions of American families. They are rightly angered by Congress' failure to enact common sense solutions."

As far as gas prices go, this won't mean a thing if Congress decides to continue ignoring this option. What it does is leaves Congress with no excuses. They can begin discussing this option or let the people know they are willing to bankrupt this country to push their agenda.

Freedom watch's new ad could not have come at a better time.

Update: From the office of Senator Jim DeMint:



H/T: Hot Air

Just How Does Human Contact Effect The Caribou?

From Faultline USA:

Contrary to the popular fiction, ANWR.org tells us that the caribou population

...in the Prudhoe Bay oil field has increased by over 900% and yet caribou in ANWR with no human contact other than Gwich'in Indian hunting have plummeted by over a third.

ANWR.org asks: Do the Caribou Really Care?

Are caribou affected by oil development on the North Slope? It would appear not, based on scientists' observations. The Central Arctic Herd, which uses the area around Prudhoe Bay, has tripled in population since oil development started in the early 1970's.

Please note that it is ANWR.org that did not capitalize the "C" in caribou. I am not being disrespectful.

ANWR.org explains the caribou conundrum:

The 1.5 million-acre tract accounts for just 8 percent of the 19 million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. And rather than the calendar art of the last frontier, the land at issue is a flat, boggy, treeless place where temperatures can drop as low s 40 degrees below zero. The place, therefore, is virtually uninhabitable by animals most of the year.

Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, testified at Congress recently and got down to actual numbers:

The Central Arctic Herd is the caribou herd in the North Slope whose range includes the Prudhoe oilfields. Their numbers have increased from 5,000 in 1977, at the beginning of oil development, to 27,000 in 2000. Alaska Fish and Game has published the most recent census showing the population is now more than 31,000.

Read the rest at the link.

The Caribou that are secluded from human contact have been decreasing , while the ones around the oil fields have increased dramatically.

DRILL DAMN IT!

My Bad Day/ OPEC Warning

Did you ever have one of those days were you should have stayed in bed? Between everything that could go wrong going wrong at work, getting to my car and finding out my tire had picked up a nail and was flat, and a couple of problems at the house when I got there my day has been terrible. So I get everything taken care of, sit down at my computer and the first damn thing I see is this:

The head of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries warned Thursday that oil prices would see an "unlimited" increase in the case of a military conflict involving Iran, because the group's members would be unable to make up the lost production.

"We really cannot replace Iran's production - it's not feasible to replace it," Abdalla Salem El-Badri, the OPEC secretary general, said during an interview.

Iran, the second-largest producing country in OPEC, after Saudi Arabia, produces about 4 million barrels of oil a day out of the daily worldwide production of close to 87 million barrels. The country has been locked in a lengthy dispute with Western countries over its nuclear ambitions.

This is a fine example of why you cannot depend only on countries (especially these countries) to supply you with a much needed product such as oil. It illustrates how our domestic policies intertwine with our foreign policy. We have let ourselves become dependent on some of the countries that hate us the most. You are saying Saudi Arabia is our friends. Right. They tolerate us because we have what they need ($$$/food), just as we tolerate them because they have what we need (oil/oil).

For thirty years we have been cutting the legs out from under American companies as it relates to our oil and other energy production. Now the chickens are coming home to roost.

On a better note, it seems like some of the dems are starting to rethink their positions on drilling OUR oil:

...They're searching the polls, not their souls, and they aren't happy with what they find juxtaposed with their present position on the matter. So, as is typical of the breed, they're easing toward the more popular position.

Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said Wednesday that Democratic and Republican leaders are negotiating a compromise on energy legislation. Kyl declined to say who's doing the negotiating or what results, if any, their discussions have yielded.

But Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), a longtime proponent of increased offshore drilling, said he was seeing "a big shift, a big shift in my direction," and it was hard to find Democrats who disagreed.

Want To Know Where Harry Reid Wants To Take America?

Listen to this:


Any questions? One of the leaders of the democratic party is right there, urging the destruction of the American economy. I have no problem with alternative energy, except that one has not been developed that comes close to the effectiveness fossil fuels. Until one is developed, we can not stop using fossil fuel.

Kudlow Talks Oil With Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin

The video:



Watch it. This is some good stuff.

Alaska's Governor Asks Reid To Drill ANWR

Governor Sarah Palin wants Congress to allow drilling in Alaska and on the Outer Continental Shelf:

In a letter to Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other key leaders, Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin urges Congress to allow drilling for oil on the Outer Continental Shelf and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alaska, an area she calls "the most promising unexplored petroleum province in North America."

"What will it take for Congress to enact comprehensive energy policy?" Palin asks in the letter, dated yesterday. "In my opinion, the debate about energy policy is no longer theoretical and abstract. Our failure to enact an energy policy is having real consequences for every American in their daily lives and has begun to affect America's place in the world."

Of course, the democrats want to fix the problem by raising taxes or imposing a windfall profits tax. Either of which would only make prices go up significantly.

how much of ANWR are we talking about you ask?:

Palin addresses the concerns of environmentalists about drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR.

Oil exploration and development "can be conducted in a safe manner," she writes, pointing out the footprint of oil development facilities in ANWR would take up "less than 2,000 acres" of a refuge roughly the size of South Carolina.

South Carolina has 19,270,000 acres. That is less than 1% of the total area of ANWR.

As a disclaimer I would like to say a few things about this notion that people who support drilling in ANWR, as well as any other place oil is found, hate nature. I do not want to see this countries many beautiful areas destroyed. Too many people in this country think that just because I want to drill oil in places like this, I do not care about the environment. They could not be more wrong. I love nature. I am an avid hunter and fisherman. So I guess I hate animals and fish. Wrong again. I do not want to see land destroyed. I want clean, safe waters. As a matter of fact I believe that I do more for these things than most. I spend more than $300 a year on hunting and fishing licenses. That money is used to develop healthier populations of animals and the restocking of fish. It goes to run fisheries. It goes to plant and maintain food crops. And the list could go on and on.

I don't think drilling for oil in an area roughly the size of my small hometown in an area the size of South Carolina is going to effect the animals as much as people think. The people that talk about the poor, poor animals could not have spent much time around these animals. Too many people think that animals are weak defenseless creatures that must be protected by man. Once again they are wrong. Animals are extremely resilient and capable of adapting to almost anything they encounter. Suppose we put a drilling facility right in the path the caribou use to travel through the area. What do you suppose they are going to do? Are they going to just stop and stand around, waiting to starve to death? No, they will walk around. It may slow them down a half a day or so, but they will go around.

DRILL NOW

Open Debate, Liberal Style

The libs are always throwing up the term "free and open debate". I am not against that as long as that is what it is. Unfortunately, libs have a different definition of it:

James Hansen, one of the world's leading climate scientists, will today call for the chief executives of large fossil fuel companies to be put on trial for high crimes against humanity and nature, accusing them of actively spreading doubt about global warming in the same way that tobacco companies blurred the links between smoking and cancer.

I do not think the oil execs are "blurring the lines" on Climate Change. I think the lines were pretty damn blurry to begin with. They are just bringing it to people's attention.

OK, I will admit that 30 or 40 billion in profits does sound high. But their profit margin is only around 8% and that is lower than many businesses that provide essential products. Over 70% of that money is re-invested in exploration and advanced technologies.

Back to the subject of the post. The liberal perception that an open debate is only allowed if the participants agree with them. Here this guy (Al Gore's science advisor) is accusing the execs of "high crimes against humanity and nature" for expressing opinions that he does not agree with. The reason the execs are doing it may be for personal reasons. But could it not be said that Al Gore is doing the same thing? Somebody has to pay the energy bill at Al's house you know.

If this were the only subject that the libs were doing this on it would be different. If you don't agree with entitlements, these people are not interesting in finding out why. You hate the poor and should be shot. If you do not agree with abortion, then you hate the poor women that have them and you should be shot. If you do not agree with affirmative action, then you are a racist and should be shot. If you believe in the second amendment, then you are a murdering criminal and you should be sh.. oh I mean stabbed. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

People like this are not interested in hearing different opinions. They are not even interested in the truth. They are interested in their own agendas, period. If your beliefs are different than theirs, you are either stupid, ignorant, or just plain evil.

The scariest thing about the way liberals use this tactic is that it seems to be working out great for them. We have two presidential contenders now. One is the most liberal Senator in Washington. The other is a RINO that seems to be more comfortable when he is in line with the liberal agenda.

If you don't believe me, the next time you run into a liberal friend that wants to engage in an "honest and open debate", give him one. Go ahead, see what happens.

Schools, Health Care, Now Oil

Another socia... I mean Democrat wants the government to seize control of a private business:

The itch to control the U.S. oil industry is spreading among Democrats in Washington, with Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., joining in the chorus to nationalize the energy company assets.

"We (the government) should own the refineries," Hinchey said today, according to a Fox News alert. "Then we can control how much gets out into the market.

I wrote about Maxine Waters on this subject back in May. Read it here.

Go here to see the video of Maxine Waters' comments.

Come on now, all of you know the government would run the oil industry more efficiently than anyone in the private sector. Right?

Huge Bakken Oil Field A Myth

A few days ago I posted this about the Bakken Oill field.

It seems I jumped the gun a little:

Reports circulating on the Internet tell of an oil field spanning parts of western North Dakota and eastern Montana where 400 billion barrels of oil supposedly are just waiting to be tapped. However, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) tells Cybercast News Service that those huge estimates are "a myth."

A USGS report issued in April estimates that there are between 3 billion to 4.3 billion barrels of oil in what is referred to as "the Bakken Formation" -- well below the 400 billion barrels discussed on the Web, but up from the previous estimate of 151 million barrels made in 1995.

Richard Pollastro, Bakken Formation task leader at the USGS, said the myth stems from a 1999 draft report -- never published -- by a now-deceased USGS employee, Leigh Price. Price estimated that the Bakken Formation holds up to 400 billion barrels of oil. To put that in perspective, Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, has about 260 billion barrels of known oil reserves.

So it looks like there is not as much there as I thought. The thing about the Bakken field is that we can drill there.

Something to smile about- Bush called for an end to the offshore drilling ban today:

President George W. Bush was to call Wednesday on Congress to end a decades-old ban on offshore oil drilling, as a way to tap new energy sources to combat soaring gasoline prices.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement late Tuesday that, with gasoline now priced at more than four dollars a gallon, the president "will explicitly call on Congress to also pass legislation lifting the congressional ban on safe, environmentally-friendly offshore oil drilling."

Bush was to make his statement Wednesday at 10:35 am (1435 GMT) in the Rose Garden of the White House.

This would open up huge amounts of oil and natural gas supplies. It would also open up ANWAR.

Back For More

I'm back and ready to go again. Sorry about my absence for the past couple of weeks.

I was getting back into the swing of things and the first thing I see is this:

Saudi Arabia will raise oil production to record levels within weeks in an attempt to avert an escalation of social and political unrest around the world. King Abdullah signalled the commitment to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, at the weekend after the impact of skyrocketing oil prices on food sparked protests and riots from Spain to South Korea.

Next month, the Saudis will be pumping an extra half-a-million barrels of oil a day compared to last month, bringing total Saudi production to 9.7 million barrels a day, their highest ever level. But the world's biggest oil exporters are coupling the increase with an appeal to western Europe to cut fuel taxes to lower the price of petrol to consumers.

Make sure and read that last sentence again:

But the world's biggest oil exporters are coupling the increase with an appeal to western Europe to cut fuel taxes to lower the price of petrol to consumers.

It's a shame when Saudi's King Abdullah feels the need to tell Congress to lighten up on it's citizens.

Then I see this on Ace of Spades:

You don't hear too much talk about the Bakken field from democrats these days. I wonder why? Could it be because of this:

...Best of all, the Bakken could be huge. The Geological Survey's Leigh Price, a Denver geochemist who died of a heart attack in 2000, estimated that the Bakken might hold 413 billion barrels. If so, it would dwarf Saudi Arabia's Ghawar, the world's biggest field, which has produced about 55 billion barrels.

Yes that is 413 BILLION gallons.

ANWAR, Bakken, Offshore, and any where else we can find it.

The time has come to drill our own oil. If you agree, go here and sign the petition.

The Oil Executives Are Finally Fight Back

It looks like they have heard enough:

Malone's remarks were echoed by John Hofmeister, president of Shell.

"The fundamental laws of supply and demand are at work," said Hofmeister. The market is squeezed by exporting nations managing demand for their own interest and other nations subsidizing prices to encourage economic growth, he said.

In addition, Hofmeister said access to resources in the United States has been limited for the past 30 years. "I agree, it's not a free market," he said.

The executives pushed the idea that large parts of the U.S. that are currently closed to drilling - like sections of Alaska, the Rocky Mountains and the continental shelf - should be opened.

"The place to start the free market is in our own country," said one executive. [The drilling ban] sets the stage for OPEC to do what we are doing in our own country, and that is effectively limiting supplies."

The oil companies make about 8.4% profit. The average profit margin for American companies is about 7.9%. So while they are a little higher, the numbers are within reason. I find it laughable that Congress (who takes about 18.5% in taxes) are blaming companies that take 8.5%. After all the companies are producing this product. The government is getting more than double what the companies are getting, and they do absolutely nothing for this money.

As a matter of fact, the government is already cutting the oil companies legs out from under them, by not allowing them to use the recourses underneath this country. Let alone allowing new refineries to be built. The Senate needs to open up the areas that can be drilled. I am getting tired of seeing our President beg OPEC for mercy.

Congress needs to take a good look in the mirror to see the real problem with the soaring gas prices.

Drill Our Oil!

A Must Read Post

From Gateway Pundit:

Over the past 30 years:

Which party blocked the development of new sources of petroleum?-- Democrat
Which party blocked drilling in ANWR?-- Democrat
Which party blocked drilling off the coast of Florida?-- Democrat
Which party blocked drilling off of the east coast?-- Democrat
Which party blocked drilling off of the west coast?-- Democrat
Which party blocked drilling off the Alaskan coast?-- Democrat
Which party blocked building oil refineries?-- Democrat
Which party blocked clean nuclear energy production?-- Democrat
Which party blocked clean coal production?-- Democrat

Read the rest at the link.

We need to become more energy independent. How is this so hard to understand? We have a lot of this resource right under or feet, and oil companies are not allowed to get it. Oh, I know the big bad oil companies are evil. Right. I look at it this way. They are producing a product that allows me to drive to the store and pick up almost any product I want. If they were not there, not only would I have to walk to the store, but there would be no products there.

This country runs on oil. It will until someone discovers a better product to use. No, using our corn supply is not a better solution. Not only is it less efficient than oil based products, it is driving food costs through the roof.

Drill our oil!

Deroy Murdock: "More Oil Drilling, Please"

And I whole heartedly agree:

How much more pain must Americans endure before our masters in Washington let oil companies punch a few holes in the Alaskan tundra? Must we shiver pennilessly in the dark before we may extract new domestic petroleum deposits? Or shall we simply keep buying $114 barrels of oil from people who want us dead?

Of course, we all know that it is the oil executive's fault for being so greedy:

Exxon’s $40.6 billion profit for 2007 is dwarfed by its $404.5 billion revenue and $199.5 billion crude-oil expense. Of course Exxon’s sales have swelled: Americans pay more for gasoline as OPEC charges record cartel prices for crude, and rising global demand exceeds stagnant supplies. While Exxon’s 10-percent profit outpaces the oil industry’s 8.3 percent average gain, Coca-Cola’s 20.7-percent profit margin and Microsoft’s 27.5 percent turnover should make Exxon’s executives jealous. When will Congress denounce Coke and Microsoft’s “corporate pillage?”

Read the rest at the link.

We need to drill in Alaska as well as offshore. And anywhere else we can supply ourselves with our own oil.

As for the caribou:

...Environmentally friendly techniques direct numerous drill bits sideways, like covert tentacles, from a handful of surface holes. The allegedly fragile caribou seem quite aroused by all this; their Central Arctic Herd has quintupled from 6,000 in 1978 to 32,000 today. Meanwhile, petroleum development hums at Alaska’s nearby Prudhoe Bay.

Mr. Murdock finishes up his article with a great question:

Will we finally grow up and harness our resources, or will we childishly weep over imaginary threats to wildlife, dispatch supertankers of cash to the Middle East, and watch our petrodollars sponsor bomb belts and exploding aircraft?

It is time. Our economy is being strained to it's limits by the high price of fuel. Airlines are shutting down. Food prices are going through the roof. Many hard working people are losing their jobs. Many more are having trouble keeping up with their finances.

Drill already.

Just What We Need

More bans on offshore drilling:

The House passes bill that protects the CA coast from offshore drilling and extends the banned area:

California moved a step closer to permanently protecting its shores from offshore oil drilling Monday when the House approved legislation to ban development in federal waters along all 76 miles of Sonoma County’s coastline and off the southern tip of Mendocino County’s coast.

The measure would more than double the size of two existing National Marine Sanctuaries near San Francisco and Marin - Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank. The newly protected zone would stretch from Bodega Bay to Point Arena and would extend about 50 miles off the coast - 2,093 square nautical miles, an area roughly the size of Delaware.

Oil Drilling In Alaska?

If we are lucky:

A controversial land swap proposal could open portions of an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling, dividing Alaska natives and stoking opposition from environmentalists seeking to protect the bears, moose and birds that live there.

Supporters of the plan to exchange land in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, which lies just south of the more-famous Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, say they would like the plan to be approved by the administration of President George W. Bush before the election in November.

"The window is the election," Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, a staunch backer of the plan, said at an Anchorage news conference. "We'd like to have an executive order out of the administration before they leave office."

With the rising cost of gas this could be a very positive step forward. Of course this article is slanted against the proposal. I am not. We should take advantage of OUR natural resources. The amount of oil we could drill could really help the price of gas. Any attempt to utilize our oil is a step in the right direction.

Oil Prices Are Not Going To Improve

One thing is for sure; oil prices are not likely to improve with the next President. None of the three candidates have been willing to discussed the issue in detail. As this article from Michael J. Economides describes:

The first proof of trouble to come is that none of the three US presidential candidates, Senators John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have paid much attention to the fact that oil, gas and coal -- the sources that provide 87% of US energy – can, through better use of the latter two can be taken advantage of to help free us from the “tyranny of oil.” Their lack of interest is breathtaking considering that whoever gets elected will probably be confronted with $120 per barrel oil.

The candidates have mentioned energy occasionally but their preciously rare pronouncements contain only the trite mantras of conservation (something that has never played any major role in US total energy demand), the most unrealistic “alternatives” such as solar and wind and the negative-energy-balance biofuels. They have talked about technology and used allegories of sending a man to the moon, but no one showed how technology, admirable as it may be, can break the basic laws of thermodynamics: energy cannot be generated from nothing.

Second proof -- even more daunting -- is that all candidates have been Gored, accepting the most outlandish and easily discountable environmental gobbledygook and alarmism as facts and all have promised “solutions” to global climate change, carbon dioxide emissions reduction and the clearly whimsical carbon trading. The most radical and preposterous environmentalist ideologies of yesteryear have been mainstreamed, endowed with neckties and pantsuits.

Read the rest at the link.

He is saying what I have been saying for a while. We need to aggressively pursue the use of our own resources.

In the article he states that drilling in ANWR would lower oil prices by at least $25 a barrel. I think it would be a lot more than that.

Our economy is showing serious signs that the current slowdown will continue. A big part of this is the mortgage crisis. But the rise in oil prices is also contributing to this mess. The Gore bots deserve their fare share of the blame also. With the cost of food rising because of ethanol production (which is actually worse for the environment than using oil) we are shooting ourselves in the foot, in order to appease the "Global Warming/Climate Change" crowd.

The next President will not do anything to change the course we are on. Prepare for the cost of oil to continue rising.

What can be done to stop this? Elect someone who will roll up his/her sleeves and get to work on real solutions. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait till 2012 for the chance.