Trent Lott on defending McCain's oil policy, including off shore drilling from his interview today on MSNBC:
Is it going to hurt him?" During the subsequent discussion, Lott said: "It's time we quit fighting in America about having an energy policy. We have got to have an energy policy, and let's do it all. Let's do drill. Let's do nuclear power. Let's do clean coal. Let's do alternative fuels. Let's do solar, wind. Let's do conservation. Quit arguing over whether we produce more or conserve more. Let's do it all. That's the solution."
As Media Matters points out, neither Trent Lott nor MSNBC divulged that Lott is currently employed as a lobbyist for oil and gas companies. BTW, when you think of oil or gas companies, think oil, think oil shale, think coal, think nukes etc. because energy companies are diverse in their energy portfolios. Some also have a small percentage of wind or solar in their portfolios.
Meanwhile, the energy companies themselves say they cannot drill for more oil because drilling ships and other necessary infrastructure is in use or otherwise unavailable.
There are a couple more interesting things to consider, and this suggests that prices will not be stabilized, regardless of time, through more off shore oil drilling and in fact will rise.
For those in New Jersey, this suggests McCain's support of offshore drilling could whack the legs right off other GOP candidates (especially those foolish enough to support McCain's vision).
In California, well, forget it. It ain't gonna happen.
The real offense here, really, is that McCain and others are lying about about the whens and whats of drilling in terms of price effects, time frames and benefit. In a drive-through nation of we-want-it-cheap-and-now, we spoiled and (sorry!) generally uneducated Americans need to stop allowing ourselves to be pulled around by our political noses. It doesn't matter who suggests a bad idea. If it's a bad idea, it's a bad idea.
Offshore oil drilling is a BAD idea. Republican or democrat, it is bad. And for Americans, the majority of which live along the nation's coasts, the environmental, economic and political consequences are real and a really bad idea.
It is amazing, actually, that McCain fell on this sword. But then again, the oil lobby, which spends millions daily to influence oil in all it's political dimensions, is well moneyed and very powerful. Apparently, it is also very seductive. Seductive enough to derail McCain and a few wishful Americans.
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