Hotline After Dark -- Let's Make A Deal
There continued to be talk about Barack Obama saying he's open to offshore oil drilling if it's part of a comprehensive package. There was also reaction to Obama's 8/4 energy speech in Lansing, MI.
McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer, on whether John McCain and Obama have both changed their minds on drilling: "I've tried to figure out where Senator Obama is on this. It doesn't sound to me like he's changed his position. He's pretty strongly against drilling and against domestic production. He gave an energy speech that I might point out is two months after Senator McCain led out the Lexington Project in five separate speeches on this issue, but he seems to be pretty firmly against drilling even now" ("NewsHour," PBS, 8/4).
NPR's Liasson: "I think Obama was smart politically to kind of blunt the advantage that McCain had on drilling by saying as part of a compromise, I'm happy to do that. He's not a rigid ideological politician. He's willing to make a deal" ("Special Report," FNC, 8/4).
Politico's Simon: "I think Obama is willing to take positions which will offend some groups that have rigidly supported rigid positions in the past. But as long as he can expand and reach to new groups, he's going to go for it. Off-shore oil drilling has never been popular in the Democratic Party, but I think the Obama campaign has seen that he's got to reduce the pain at the pump, at least to get him through the summer driving season" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 8/4).
More after the jump.
(KATHERINE LEHR)
GOP strategist Ed Rollins, on whether Obama has flip-flopped: "I don't think it's a flip-flop. I think, at the end of the day, these are complicated issues. And, if they're going to basically do as they say they are, have a comprehensive energy plan or a comprehensive war plan, they have to have bipartisan support. They're now down to fighting for the independents. Each side has got their Democrats or their Republicans, and it's this large segment in the middle that's getting larger and larger has not yet made up its mind. And that's the battlefield from now until the election" ("AC 360," CNN, 8/4).
CNBC's Harwood: "We've got to cut these guys a little bit of a break. If you're going to make a bipartisan compromise, you do have to accept stuff that you're not for. ... Let's not forget, if we're talking about a flip-flop, John McCain flip-flopped on this same issue" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 8/4).
FNC's Barnes: "Barack Obama does change his mind, that's for sure -- and in rather short order -- on taking some oil out of the strategic reserves. Look, this windfall profits tax he is proposing is amazing on several grounds, because, one, I mean, it is really cheap political demagoguery. We're going to take money from the oil companies and we're going to give it to people -- exactly the kind of politics that Obama has said over and over again he doesn't play. It is politics at its crassest possible form. And then, of course, it's bad economics and bad policy" ("Special Report," 8/4).
Truly, the substance of the race for President DOESN'T MATTER IN THE LEAST if the GOP continues to trivialize and marginalize serious debate.
This election is a referendum on leadership of the Republican Party -- George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Senators and House Reps -- and their collective utter failure on the economy, on jobs, on energy, on the War in Iraq, on the War in Afghanistan, on the War on Terror, on upholding the Constitution, on basically every single issue.
While energy is a top issue, let's not forget the connection of oil and gas to:
The economy, jobs, the War in Iraq, the War in Afghanistan, the War on Terror, pollution, health, climate change, and much more.
If we are going to talk about energy, we should discuss all of these issues or we are doing our country a great disservice.
75% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track.
Let's get down to issues that matter. If the GOP wants to frame the discussion about energy, let's see them talk about energy as it relates to these issues:
The economy, jobs, the War in Iraq, OPEC, the War in Afghanistan, the War on Terror, pollution, health, climate change.
They are ALL connected to energy.
Discuss.
Dear CNN,
I couldn't find where I could send in my comments on the escalating problem we are having with oil. I'd like to share the following idea with someone, say Wolf Blitzer or Jack Cafferty.
One way I was thinking we could slow down our dependence on foreign oil was for us, ourselves, to use a lot less gas/oil until solutions are put into place.
Why not limit the driving of our cars to, say, 4 days a week per citizen using the digits in our license plate number to determine when it was our turn or not? On the days when we couldn't drive our car we'd be forced to ride with someone else, take public transportation, use a motor scooter, ride a bike, walk, etc.
Although, we Americans have a "love affair" with our cars and hate to give them up, wouldn't this be a helpful solution, for the GOOD OF ALL?
We'd cut our oil/gas consumption many fold, there'd be a lot less traffic on the crowded freeways, there would be more parking space, accidents would be greatly reduced, car related medical expenses would be reduced, there would be a lot less expense in auto repairs, and maybe too, the auto insurance rates could be reduced, polution would be a lot less, there'd be a lot less stress, anxiety, and road rage, less deaths, and maybe if we rode with someone else we'd start talking to each other again.
I think that we have to all pull together, sacrifice, until we solve this problem.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
john b.
(Wm. John Boyer)
I enjoy Mr. Caffety's serious side -- he seems "real" to me.
Both parties are trying to appeal to the voters.Obama's plan makes the most sense to me. It irritates me when McCain TRIES to be funny. It just doesn't work. He keeps talking about the comment made by Obama to inflate the air in the tires. Every little bit helps - no matter how little!
McCain really think the American people are stupid, his V.P.pick was out of touch, the people of the free world are hurting, and for him to put her out there to take the people off their pain and to put us looking at this womans family issues is crazy, Palin put her daughter under the bus not the Media nor the Dem., McCain need to help the people or take his V.P. and go home, because he has made her family issues the concern of the hurting American people, a good mother would have never threw her daughter to the pit bulls of the world, Americans need help not a distraction go home Palin and let the Dem. help America.