The Drilling Endgame

The Hill reports that Nancy Pelosi has become willing to accept a vote on offshore drilling. She's really following the lead of the presumptive Presidential nominee here.

Republicans, reacting to high gas prices, have demanded a vote on additional oil exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf, where drilling is currently blocked by a moratorium. Until now, Pelosi (D-Calif.) has resisted the idea as a “hoax.” But in an interview on CNN’s Larry King Live, she indicated that she was open to a vote.

“They have this thing that says drill offshore in the protected areas,” Pelosi said. “We can do that. We can have a vote on that.”
She indicated such a vote would have to be part of a larger package that included other policies, like releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which she said could bring down prices in a matter of days.

“But it has to be part of something that says we want to bring immediate relief to the public and is not just a hoax on them,” Pelosi continued.

Here's the transcript. Staffers are claiming that this is not a change in position, but I agree with Stoller - Pelosi and Obama are setting a trap.

Here's Pelosi on Larry King Live.

King: Do you expect -- do you suspect the oil companies of having a lot of clout here, influence over the Republicans?

Pelosi: Of course. Yes, they rule. And that's what we'll find out.

And she is saying that a vote for drilling is possible, but only if it includes renewable energy standards, wind, solar, and biofuel incentives. And in all likelihood, the vote will include removing the subsidies for oil companies, which McCain will not do (he calls it raising taxes).

So basically Obama and Pelosi are going to try to put McCain and the Republicans in a box. They can have their drilling, but only if oil company subsidies are removed to pay for renewable energy programs for the long-term.

Their hope is that the public can see Exxon John and the Republicans unwilling to do anything for the future energy needs of the planet but drilling. Even this highly misleading Fred Hiatt op-ed acknowledges that drilling won't help with gas prices and won't be sufficient without strong investments in alternative energy. So they're hoping that this can be a teachable moment in November.



I'm a little skeptical, just because Republicans are masters of the hissy fit and they'll shriek that Pelosi is playing games and they won't allow a clean shot. Plus McCain won't show up to vote, which might be helpful in its own right, but doesn't hammer the point home. I don't have a lot of faith in Democrats to carry this message off, even though it should work in theory.

As for the SPR, I would agree to releasing some of it, but of course that's just a delay, because Republicans will then argue that we need more drilling to replenish the SPR. So that's not really an answer.

Republican House candidates are starting to use the drilling messaging, so if you're going to embarrass the GOP as whores to Big Oil, do it soon.

UPDATE: This of course won't work because, in the words of Michelle Bachmann, Jesus saved the planet, not Nancy Pelosi.

This woman is in the United States Congress.

UPDATE II: Calling Exxon John out on his position on wind energy is a good start. He actually has the nerve to feature wind turbines in his ads despite opposing tax breaks for wind developers in the latest farm bill.