Obama’s oil oratory — Katrina, drill baby drill, boom and shave
President Barack Obama, in his first formal press conference in almost a year (since July), answered questions about his handling of the oil spill.
There was the one about Katrina comparisons. (Slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina turned into an albatross for former President George W. Bush).
“I’ll leave it to you guys to make those comparisons … and make judgments on it, because what I’m spending my time thinking about is how do we solve the problem?” Obama said.
But it turns out he did have an opinion about future judgment about past actions. “I’m confident that people are going to look back and say that this administration was on top of what was an unprecedented crisis.”
Did he regret calling for expanded offshore drilling before the spill? Obama said he continues to believe that “domestic oil production is an important part of our overall energy mix,” but is insufficient to meet future needs, which is why investment in clean energy is needed.
Then, the president, himself, without any prodding, brought up the phrase that Sarah Palin made famous.
“Extraction is more expensive and it is going to be inherently more risky,” Obama said. “And so that’s part of the reason you never heard me say ‘drill, baby, drill’. Because we can’t drill our way out of the problem.” (If someone wanted to get technical, he actually did say it to make the point that he never said it).
Palin to take on Obama on energy in New Orleans
Sarah Palin, who made “drill baby drill” a 2008 campaign slogan, isn’t too pleased with President Obama’s new energy plan as laid out today.
Palin, the former governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008, said on her Twitter page that she agreed with House Republican leader John Boehner that Obama’s plan is aimed at getting his “job-killing, energy-depleting, burdensome” cap and trade legislation through Congress.
A source who is close to Palin said Palin believes Obama is trying to use his drilling plan as a sweetener to get some Republicans to support cap and trade as part of comprehensive energy legislation, and that meanwhile, the review process for getting new drilling operations approved would be lengthy.
“It’s not so much drill baby drill, but stall baby stall,” the source said.
Photo credit: Reuters/Joshua Lott (Palin)
Palin, whose home state would see some coastal areas off limits to energy exploration out of concern for the environment, plans to address Obama’s energy plan directly in a speech April 9 at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans.
“She will specifically respond to the president’s proposal,” the source said.
All you ever DO is complain, why is that so surprising?
I think the president is sincere however, every effort should be made to solve the problem. This spill will impact not only the gulf, it will affect the entire nation and ocean currents will carry it beyond our shores.
NASA has great photos showing the movement of the oil, noting that the under current could be more severe than what is on top. They also lists books available on line priced at less than 50 dollars that explain the dangers and the impact on the environment oil catastrophe produce.
At the present time it can be seen being draw and surrounding the Mississippi Delta.
Volunteering ideas is fun, but we need people to get on board and clean up the mess and political leaders with resources and wit, and financial means to engineer an answer to stop the spread of the oil.
Hilary spoke today about smart power…? Does she realize she is speaking the will of the people for green energy?