Obama was against ending the current ban on offshore drilling, but now he’s sort of open to it, if it’s part of a bigger energy-independence deal. This has upset a number of his supporters who desperately want a president who will adhere firmly to his positions, even when they become totally irrational. While McCain was never violently opposed to offshore drilling, he has now embraced it as if it is not only the solution to our energy problems, but also the key to eternal salvation. Really, it’s a little scary. You can’t help wondering if he’s been captured by some kind of drilling cult.

Tags: 2008 campaign cult drilling energy mccain nytimes obama oil scary on 08-07-2008 -Cached -About Shared by:Jeff Johnson

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The Department of Energy estimates that it would take more than 20 years for either production levels or prices to be affected by a repeal of the ban on offshore drilling. Because the amount of oil at stake is so tiny (about 19 billion barrels, equivalent to around seven months of global consumption), it won't do much at all to ease jitters or help deflate a bubble in oil markets.

Tags: 2008 bush drilling energy mccain offshore oil politics on 08-07-2008 -Cached -About Shared by:Jeff Johnson

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