Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, looks at the fish in the ocean with press secretary Brooke Buchanan during a tour the Chevron Genesis Oil Rig Platform in the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans, La. Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008
McCain visits oil rig, presses Obama on offshore drilling
CNN
As a dip in gas prices barely registers at the pump, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain continued his pressure on opponent Barack Obama over the politically popular policy of offshore drilling with a visit to an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We need to start drilling offshore,” McCain said Tuesday, standing on a Chevron oil platform that pumps out 10,000 gallons of oil and 15 million cubic feet of natural gas each day. “Sen. Obama opposes new drilling. He has said it will not ‘solve our problem’ and that ‘it’s not real.’ He’s wrong, and the American people know it. I hope he’ll seize the opportunity to come out and pay a visit like this one and I think it would probably change his mind.”
Both McCain and Obama opposed offshore drilling when the campaign began. But as prices at the pump reached $4 a gallon – and polls showed a significant majority of Americans favor the idea — both men shifted their positions.
The Arizona senator has embraced the policy. His fall rival says he remains personally opposed, but would consider legislation that includes a provision expanding the practice if the compromise was required to pass comprehensive energy legislation.
“Americans across our country are hurting, as we all know, because of the cost of energy,” McCain said aboard the rig. “Gas prices are through the roof. Energy costs have seeped into our grocery bills, making it more expensive to feed our families. Now as we prepare for the winter, it’s time for us to be more serious about our home heating oil needs…”
“New drilling has to be part of our energy solution,” McCain said. “When I’m president there will be a whole more like this, not only here in the Gulf, but also off of our East and West Coasts.”
McCain’s original plans to visit an oil rig in the Gulf several weeks ago had to be scrapped because of Hurricane Dolly. During a Wednesday safety briefing on the rig McCain asked if anyone had ever fallen in the water. “Never,” replied offshore installation manager Joe St. Ann. “Knock on wood.”
Wild Thing’s comment…………
“Both McCain and Obama opposed offshore drilling when the campaign began. But as prices at the pump reached $4 a gallon – and polls showed a significant majority of Americans favor the idea — both men shifted their positions.”
But Obama shifted his position much later and only after he saw his poll numbers plummet because he supports the idiotic Dem energy policy. Obama’s shift was “nuanced,” while McCain is visiting the rigs.
I will always give credit to a person when they see what they are doing isn’t working and they change their stand on something. McCain did this and lead the way, Obama was just a copycat.
Bet that open space under the catwalk reminded McCain of the bailout, pucker factor 10.:)
Obama is probably thinking so that’s where oil comes from. I’d love to put Obama on a rig for a week without any of his minions, they’d probably let him feed the crabs.:) At any rate I don’t trust either of them to follow through, electioneering and posturing are the rule of the day.
There is a big difference between a flip flopper and when someone changes their mind for cause. McCain now sees the light of the need to drill for oil big time. Obama, like the Clintons, will say anything to anyone to get their vote.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3135/2646638594_e5a6d30716.jpg?v=0
But the dummys won’t drill. They like the high prices of everything. They want to keep us dependent on them, so they can just keep growing the government until it turns into the blob and forces all of us to be dependent for our very lives on them. It makes them feel good that they’re helping us. No, they’re not. They’re killing us.
Out here, the heating bills are going to skyrocket this winter (they’ve already announced it in the news), so that will definitely leave us exceptionally tight budgetwise. And the dummys love that feeling of pressure on the American people. But then they blame the republicans for it. Drill for the oil, build more refineries and work on the alternative fuels. Do it now before it really is too late.
Jack, ….”Obama is probably thinking so that’s where oil comes from.”…..
ROTFLMAO
Les, I think so, McCain still will not say he would drill in ANWAR, but I am willing to hhold him to the fire to keep his word on the other drilling he finally said he would go for.
Obama on other hand is just a waste on all of this. Useless nothing imo.But still dangerous for sure.
Lynn, I agree, this winter it will be really bad for the States like where you are and others where it is so cold. We use heat here in Florida too but really only to take the cool edge off then we just turn it off. I mostly use the fireplace.