They're Just Charts, People

The Tax Plan we all want.

 

People gotta eat right?

 

Job Gains & Losses

 

 Welfare Spending or

Just give them money and they'll shut up.

 

I'm sure Nancy, Princess of Pineapples could explain this.

Right Your Highness?

We won't deny that Obama has set several records in the past 4 years:

US Unemployment rates

 And in case you're wondering why gas is at 3.75 a gallon:

HANSON: Drilling is a win, win choice for U.S. - Washington Times

HANSON: Drilling is a win, win choice for U.S. - Washington Times

When the summer driving season starts soon, and tension heats up about Iran, gas may reach $5 a gallon. Nothing bothers voters more than paying an extra $20 or $30 every time they fill up. In times like these, they soon might prefer even an oilman in the White House to an ideologue whose opposition to new oil development seems more religious than empirically based.

All presidents, of course, usually get the blame when the price of gas skyrockets and praise when it plummets, just like they own a bad or good economy, or a successful or failed war.

Presidents can affect gas prices, at least in the long term, by exercising budgetary discipline resulting in a currency that buys more oil per dollar, by approving or rejecting federal oil leases, and by adding or curbing regulations that affect oil exploration and development. In all of these cases, Mr. Obama has supported policies that contribute to higher gas prices.

Stuff You May Have Missed

Because the VLWM won't report it. Doesn't suit their agenda of disinformation and outright lies.

The Old Democrat Party: FDR Expanded US Domestic Oil Production

The "Drill, baby, drill!" mantra of the 2008 Republican National Convention was cynically answered by Barack Obama supporters at the Democratic Convention with: “You can't drill your way out of the problem.”

To address what President Obama called the worst worldwide crisis in living memory, the President promised hundreds of thousands of new green jobs if America abandoned its reliance on oil and gas, which he contemptuously refers to as the “fuel of the past”.

During President Obama’s term in office he will have escalated the federal debt by $6.4 trillion, 31.6 times the $202.6 billion debt the Franklin Roosevelt Administration issued to deal with the greatest worldwide crisis of all time, defeating Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. But unlike Obama, FDR achieved victory by expanding domestic oil and gas production and delivery.

In spite of the Obama Administration, a rag tag assortment of small “wildcat” oil and gas entrepreneurs have proven that America has over 100 years’ supply of natural gas and over 50 years’ supply of oil. With Obama’s green initiatives in tatters, his new strategy seems to be taking credit for drill, baby, drill achievements, but remains fearful of the political consequences to build the pipelines to pump, baby, pump all that oil and gas to markets.

With war looming, FDR appointed Harold Ickes, former Secretary of the Interior, to select 72 leaders of America's oil industry to serve on the Petroleum Industry War Council. Ickes would later describe in his book, Fightin Oil: “as one of the great coincidences of history”, the first meeting of the PIWC was scheduled for Monday December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Within weeks, the PIWC had mobilized America’s 1,500 oil companies, great and small, to work amicably with the government to win the war. With full involvement of the oil industry, America began massive drilling and quickly developed the technical capabilities to refine huge quantities of gasoline, including the 100-octane grade needed for aircraft.

To get energy supplies from Texas to the East Coast refiners to fuel Atlantic supply convoys, the industry in one year built the two largest diameter pipelines in the history of the world, the Big Inch and the Little Big Inch. During the war, U.S. oil companies delivered 6 billion out of a total of 7 billion barrels of oil consumed by the Allies. The Army-Navy Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote a letter to the PIWC in 1945 stating that “at no time did the Services lack for oil in the proper quantities, in the proper kinds and at the proper places.” Field-Marshall Von Rundstedt, commander of Germany’s Western Front, attributed Germany’s defeat to three factors involving oil: (1) Allied bombing (2) Allied naval bombardments; and (3) Germany's gasoline deficiency.

For three years the Obama Administration energy policy focused on pouring $60 billion into alternative energy; while limiting U.S. drilling off the Atlantic Coast, Florida Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and federal lands in the Rockies. Due to these policies, the average price per gallon of gas just hit an all-time-high for this time of year at $3.84 a gallon.

I may be waxing nostalgic, but in 1972, I was paying $0.36 a gallon for high test gasoline for my '66 Mustang. My grandaddy used to bitch about the price because he paid $0.25 a gallon for his '54 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery. In 20 years, the price of a gallon of gasoline at the pump only increased $0.11.

In 20 days, the price of a gallon of gasoline at the pump has increased twice that.

If Gasoline Were Food, Obama Would Be Starving Us to Death.

These Gas Prices Are Obama's Gas Prices

Barack Obama has spent his presidency finding scapegoats and fleeing responsibility. For example, our massive deficit is not his fault. Rather, it’s George W. Bush’s fault. Our painfully high unemployment isn’t his fault either. Rather, it’s due to the fact that “the economy is so automated.” He’s even tried to assure us that we can’t blame him for the sharp rise in gasoline prices we’ve seen under his watch either. Rather, he boasts that he’s expanded domestic oil production to its highest point in the last eight years.

Here’s what he said in a speech on March 15: "Do not tell me that we're not drilling. We're drilling all over this country. There are a few spots we're not drilling. We're not drilling in the national mall. We're not drilling at your house. " He then grinned like the cat that just ate the mouse, as if saying these thing takes him off the hook for the fact that the price of gasoline has jumped over 100% on his watch.

That’s right—over 100%.

Here’s the problem, as with almost everything this administration tells us, there is a small sliver of truth in what Obama said, and he’s using that small sliver to hide the ugly reality behind it. For example, domestic production is currently up by 120,000 barrels a day. But Obama has cut foreign intake by 1,000,000 barrels a day. In other words, the ugly reality is that Obama is forcing us, as a nation, to make due with 880,000 less barrels of oil a day that we were used to having prior to his presidency. Take away that much oil a day in a situation that isn’t static—a situation where demand is constantly growing—and it’s no wonder our gas prices are through the roof.

Read the rest here

Its Too Soon To Lower Prices At The Pump

Related article from Heritage Foundation's The Foundry

The Senate on Tuesday blocked an amendment to pending transportation legislation that would have mandated a huge expansion of offshore oil-and-gas leasing, opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling and approved construction of the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline.
Sen. Pat Roberts’s (R-Kan.) amendment, which failed 41-57, would have also extended several energy efficiency and renewable fuels tax incentives and extend a pay freeze for federal workers, among other provisions.
“My amendment addresses the rising cost of gasoline,” said Roberts in support of his amendment prior to the vote. “It cuts red tape, opens up more federal land for oil-and-gas exploration and drilling, it would approve the Keystone XL pipeline and extend renewable tax provisions.”

H/T ConservativeByte

It needs to be done closer to October, so we don't get to comfortable between now and November. My goodness, what would happen if Americans had inexpensive gasoline through the whole summer. They might have the means to actually travel around and gather with friends and discuss issues and, "GASP Heaven forfend", actually drive cars to DC to demonstrate their displeasure with the current administration.

It Will Make For Some Cheap Gasoline, Too

Oil trade groups: Drilling deregulation could create 190,000 jobs

Published: 12:04 AM 07/12/2011
Updated: 2:34 AM 07/12/2011

Almost 190,000 jobs could be created by 2013 if offshore drilling returns to pre-spill levels, according to a study sponsored by two oil trade groups, the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API).

The study, conducted by Quest Offshore Inc., found that if permits for exploration and drilling returned to historic levels, and if backlogged requests were granted, 400,000 jobs could be supported across the United States with a GDP increase of $45 billion by 2013.

“The president says he wants ideas for putting Americans back to work right now,” said Jack Gerard, API president, during a conference call today. “So we urge him, again, to take a look at policies that will encourage oil, and domestic gas development.”

BigBambu and Co up in de Massa's house don't want American oil going into American companies. Where's the fun in that? Their idea of maximum fun is to make every American as bad off as, say, a resident of a suburb of Mexico City. They want us BROKE Folks. How else do you explain it? If he's so effing smot (ess em oh tee smot), why is it that he keeps promoting policies that will take us all down the rabbit hole?

He's not smot: he's clever, devious, pernicious, insidious and evil and he has the best interests of NO ONE EXCEPT HISOWNSELF.

Read more:

Drill-Jobs-Drill-Jobs-Drill-Jobs

Governor Bob McDonnell Calls for Virginia Offshore Energy Development
As Gas Prices Continue to Rise, Governor Offers Strong Support for Congressional Legislation That Would Open Commonwealth to Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration and Production

RICHMOND – During his visit to a Richmond-area gas station this afternoon, Governor Bob McDonnell discussed rising gas prices and the need for more domestic energy production, including production of oil and natural gas off of Virginia’s coast. The Governor specifically highlighted two bills before Congress that would restart offshore energy exploration and production: H.R. 1230 and H.R. 1372. Governor McDonnell was joined at the event by Delegate Jimmie Massie (R-Henrico), small business owners, and representatives from the energy industry.

Speaking about America’s domestic energy policy, Governor McDonnell commented, “America has an energy policy problem. Today, Virginia businesses and families are paying, on average, $3.88 per gallon for gasoline. That’s up $1.00 from a year ago. The Energy Information Administration estimates that gasoline will cost the average U.S. household $1,210 more this year than in 2009. That is money that could be spent by families on education, groceries and vacations. Instead it is money being spent at the pump. The pain at the pump is the result of many factors, one of which is the result of our ongoing dependence on foreign sources of oil. That is why I strongly support increasing domestic energy production from every possible source, including wind, solar, biomass, nuclear, oil and natural gas. A key part of that effort should be the environmentally responsible development and production of oil and natural gas off of Virginia’s shores.”

Governor McDonnell continued, “Last month I sent a letter to President Obama outlining the steps we can take now to ensure we have a stable and reliable supply of oil and natural gas. The House of Representatives will soon be considering two pieces of legislation that will restart offshore energy production in Virginia and in the Gulf, and I have urged the President to support this legislation. By allowing for offshore energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, and requiring the lease sale off the Atlantic Coast to move forward, we will be well on our way to restarting offshore energy production which will create jobs, lower energy costs, and generate revenue to help pay down the national debt. This legislation is essential to getting American energy production back on track. We must move forward in developing our own domestic resources to their maximum potential. America cannot afford to keep turning a blind eye to rising gas prices, which are detrimental to job creation, economic growth, and most importantly, our national security. When it comes to domestic energy production we must have an “all of the above” approach. That is why I strongly support efforts to develop our offshore wind resources, bring more nuclear power online, continue to utilize our vast coal deposits, and carry forth the ongoing research and development of renewable energy sources like solar power and biomass. When it comes to energy we must utilize every resource available. We know that oil and natural gas is available off our coast and we know we can develop those resources in a safe, smart and environmentally responsible manner. We should act immediately.”

Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), who is carrying H.R. 1372, noted, “Virginians understand that a major component in lessening energy costs is to produce more energy. I believe that Virginia should have every tool available to access its energy supplies. That is why legislation like the one the Congress is considering today, that would provide for access to Virginia's energy supplies as well as legislation that I have introduced that would provide for revenue sharing with the Commonwealth for its energy resources are vital to the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition to helping us become energy independent, access to these resources will help create thousands of jobs for Virginians and infuse the Commonwealth with new capital growth.”

Delegate Jimmie Massie, who is also a small businessman, added, “Last week I had dinner with other business leaders and I ask them: ‘How is business? How are your sales doing?’ Their response last week was not good. Every one of them told me they had seen a noticeable drop in their sales over the past month as gas prices have been increasing, and, as a result, consumer’s disposable incomes have been constantly declining. We must act now to lower gas prices and develop a comprehensive energy policy, to curb our increasing gas costs that are creating a severe cash flow squeeze and destroying jobs.”

Randy Seibert, President & CEO of Manchester Marketing, Inc, remarked, “Just like rising oil prices affect our customers, even gas stations are impacted because we have to pay more for gas too. For example, one year ago it cost me about $23,000 to purchase a truckload of gas. This morning, that same delivery to this station cost us about $33,000. This is creating cash flow problems for businesses like ours across the Commonwealth.”

Mike Ward, Executive Director of the Virginia Petroleum Council, concluded, ““The oil and natural gas industry stands ready – and waiting – to do more to help grow the economy, create American jobs, and provide the energy this country needs. The energy markets are constantly looking for signals to guide today’s investment strategies for producing tomorrow’s energy. Regrettably, the signals this administration has been sending encourage less investment in future domestic energy production. Our economy will still need oil and natural gas for decades to come. America must pursue policies that encourage responsible development of our resources instead of relying on imported energy from unstable parts of the world.”

Mike O’Connor, President & CEO of the Virginia Petroleum, Convenience and Grocery Association, said, “Our members are impacted in much the same way as our customers. The only real difference is in the size of our tanks. A year ago it cost $54,000 to supply a station with 20,000 gallons of storage capacity. Today that same delivery costs the station owner $76,200. As a result, credit lines are stretched to their limits, which has brought new investment in the petroleum marketing industry to a halt.”

The letter Governor McDonnell sent to President Obama is attached to this press release. To read Governor McDonnell’s op-ed in today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch outlining the critical need to develop our domestic energy resources, please visit: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/may/05/tdopin02-mcdonnell-americas-energy-insecurity-ar-1017440/

Jobs-Drill-Jobs-Drill-Jobs-Drill

Heritage Morning Bell
Obama's Anti-Energy Policies Are Bankrupting America

Randall Stilley has witnessed firsthand the Obama administration's job-killing agenda. As the president and chief executive of Seahawk Drilling, he had to lay off 632 employees before filing for bankruptcy -- a direct result of President Barack Obama's anti-energy policies.Stilley's company owned and operated 20 shallow-water rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. The lack of energy production -- a consequence of Obama's drilling moratorium and subsequent "permitorium" -- led to Seahawk’s demise. Now he's speaking out, sharing Seahawk's story in a new video from Heritage and the Institute for Energy Research. (Click to watch.)

It's an unfortunate example of how policies in Washington are harming American jobs and also squelching energy production at a time when consumers are paying $4-per-gallon for gasoline.Fortunately, not everyone in the nation's capital is content with higher prices and fewer jobs. Today the U.S. House considers the first of several bills that directly addresses energy and jobs. Lawmakers will vote today on legislation that requires the Obama administration to conduct oil and natural gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and in the waters offshore Virginia.

It's a welcome change from the anti-drilling policies first imposed by the Obama administration one year ago. On May 6, 2010, the first moratorium on Gulf drilling took effect, followed by a longer ban that lasted until October. But even after it was lifted, few deepwater permits have been issued.

The long-term implications are disastrous for America. That prompted House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) to pursue a remedy through legislation. Today's vote would ensure that companies continue energy development by requiring lease sales. Two other bills would speed up the permitting process and craft a long-term plan for offshore lease sales."What we're proposing is to lower gas prices, create American jobs, which ironically will help drive up government revenues, and ultimately, in the wake of all the turmoil we've seen in the world, create an environment in which we are energy independent or on a path to energy independence," Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) explained yesterday.

Even without the president's signature, the legislation has already had a positive impact. After it passed in committee, the Obama administration promised to hold one lease sale in 2011. (Ever since 1958, there has been at least one lease sale every year.) But while one lease sale is better than none, Hastings isn’t satisfied. He wants the Obama administration to hold four lease sales before June 2012 -- including one off the coast of Virginia.

Aside from creating new jobs and discovering new sources of energy, the lease sales contribute a substantial sum of revenue for the federal treasury. In 2008, the offshore industry paid $9.4 billion for bids on new leases. Last year, that figure dropped to $979 million in lease bids.

The drop in revenue is a reflection of the Obama administration's anti-energy policies. And lease sales are only part of the equation. According to the government's own Energy Information Administration, production in the Gulf of Mexico will drop by 190,000 barrels per day. That means less money from royalty payments on offshore rigs as well.

Faced with mounting criticism, the Obama administration has defended its policies as a safety precaution following last year's oil spill. But one year later, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is issuing drilling permits at such a slow pace that it's hard to swallow the explanation.

At the same time, the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress are seeking new ways to penalize energy businesses. As Curtis Dubay and Nick Loris write on The Foundry, a proposal from Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) would significantly increase taxes paid by U.S. oil and gas companies competing abroad -- exactly the wrong approach with gas prices on the rise.

Meanwhile, job creators like Leslie Bertucci and Randall Stilley continue to bear the brunt of the Obama administration's misguided policies. Bertucci, who told us last month about her company's struggle to survive, has dipped into personal savings to avoid layoffs.

Stilley didn't have that option at Seahawk. And he's not optimistic about what the future holds under this administration."As an American," he told us, "you never want to look at your own government and say they’re hurting you personally, they're hurting your business and they're doing it in a way that's irresponsible. I'm not very proud of our government right now and the way they handled this."

Unfortunately, thats exactly what this administration is doing.

Oil Jobs in Virginia On the Line

H.R. 1230—Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act

FLOOR SITUATION

On Thursday, May 5, 2011, the House is scheduled to consider H.R. 1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, under a rule. A summary of the rule, and any amendments made in order under the rule will be distributed when it becomes available.

H.R. 1230 was introduced by Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA) on March 29, 2011, and was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. On April 13, 2011, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup of H.R. 1230 and ordered the bill to be reported by a vote of 29-14.

Summary

H.R. 1230 would require the Department of the Interior (DOI) to auction offshore oil and gas leases in the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico, as well as in an area off the coast of Virginia. Specifically, H.R. 1230 would require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct offshore oil and gas lease sales as follows:
1. Lease sale 216 in the Central Gulf of Mexico “as soon as practicable,” and no later than four months after enactment of the Act;
2. Lease sale 218 in the Western Gulf of Mexico “as soon as practicable,” and no later than eight months after enactment of the Act;
3. Lease sale 220 on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore of Virginia “as soon as practicable,” and no later than one year after enactment of the Act; and
4. Lease sale 222 in the Central Gulf of Mexico “as soon as practicable,” and no later than June 1, 2012.
The bill would prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from making any tract available for leasing if the President, through the Secretary of Defense, determines that drilling activity on the tract would create an unreasonable conflict with military operations.

H.R. 1230 would state that, for purposes of lease sales, the Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2015 five-year OCS Plan and the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement satisfies the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

The bill would define “Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2015 five-year OCS Plan” as the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2007-2010 (April 2007), prepared by the Secretary of the Interior.

The bill would also define “Multi-State Environmental Impact Statement” as the Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Western Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales 204, 207, 210, 215, and 218, and Proposed Central Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 222 (September 2008), prepared by the Secretary of the Interior.

BACkground
According to House Report 112-068, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) provides a system for offshore oil and natural gas exploration, leasing, and development in federal waters. The federal government develops five-year plans to determine where and when offshore leasing and energy production will occur.
The current five-year plan (2007-2012) included a lease sale off the Virginia coast in 2011 (#220), two Gulf of Mexico lease sales (#216 and #218) in 2011, and another Gulf of Mexico lease sale (#222) to have taken place in 2012. All of these sales have been either canceled or delayed by the Obama administration, threatening to make 2011 the first year without any lease sales in the OCS since 1958. As a result, the President's budget predicts that OCS revenues from bonus bids and rents will be only $150 million, approximately 1.5 percent of the $9.85 billion in revenue generated by OCS sales in FY 2008. This loss of billions in revenue will have a real impact on the federal budget and delay America’s domestic energy production.
In 2008, the Congress and the President lifted the decades-long ban on offshore drilling. This opened an additional 500 million acres to offshore drilling--including areas off the Atlantic coast. Lifting the ban allowed the scheduled Virginia lease sale in 2011 to proceed. However, in 2010 the Secretary of the Interior delayed the Virginia lease sale until 2012 and announced that areas off the Atlantic coast would not be available for leasing and energy development in the next five-year plan (2012-2017). In 2010, the Secretary of the Interior also canceled two scheduled Gulf of Mexico lease sales from 2011 until 2012. H.R. 1230 will reverse the administration's delays by validating the existing completed Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), prepared for these lease sales under the National Environmental Policy Act, ensuring these lease sales move forward in a prompt, timely and safe manner. H.R. 1230 expands American energy production, creates jobs and generates revenue for taxpayers.
It is important to note that the EIS work for the Gulf lease sales is complete, thorough, and sufficient to safely and responsibly conduct lease sales. The EIS for the Virginia lease sale is to be completed within one year. Furthermore, each lease undergoes an environmental assessment along with additional environmental reviews of the submitted Exploration Plan. In totality, before an oil and natural gas project on a lease in federal waters takes place, there will be at least four separate environmental reviews to determine the overall environmental effects of development down to the site-specific review of impacts. The EIS for the Virginia lease sale is to be completed within one year.
Cost

According to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimates, enacting H.R. 1230 would affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would reduce net direct spending by $25 million over the 2011-2016 period and about $40 million over the 2011-2021 period. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.

In addition, CBO estimates that DOI would spend about $2 million to implement the legislation (completing environmental assessments, etc.), assuming the availability of appropriated funds.

Staff Contact

For questions or further information contact Sarah Makin at 6-2302.

If Something Isn't Done Soon....

...we'll be working to drive instead of driving to work. I have come to the conclusion that the government is deliberatly attempting to break the working middle class. Eliminate our disposable income by jacking up the cost of making a living.


Block, Delay, & Tax: Hastings Outlines the White House Approach to Stop American Energy Production
by Don Seymour

With gas prices on the rise and job creators plagued with uncertainty, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) writes in Roll Call that “House Republicans have heard the American people’s demand for increased American energy production and we’re ready to act.”

The Obama Administration, on the other hand, “has never missed an opportunity to block access to our American energy resources,” says Hastings. He says the White House approach to stopping American energy production is to “block, delay, and tax” – and the result has been higher prices and fewer jobs:

BLOCK: “When President Obama was elected,” Hastings says, “nearly all of our offshore areas were open to offshore drilling. Since then, President Obama has systematically locked-up the entire Atlantic Coast, the Pacific Coast and much of Alaska — preventing the creation of over 1.2 million jobs.” CNN released a survey showing seven in 10 Americans back expanded offshore energy production.

DELAY: “The Obama administration has delayed permits for renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar, on public lands,” and “first delayed and then significantly altered the oil shale research, demonstration and development (RD&D) lease program.” It is also “slow-walking permits for production in Alaska’s north slope.” A recent Congressional hearing showed job losses continue to mount due to this de facto moratorium on energy production.

TAX: The Administration “was out front and center pushing for a job-destroying cap-and-trade national energy tax” (which, he notes, even the president said would make energy prices “necessarily skyrocket”) and is “advocating for increasing taxes on American energy producers.” Hastings notes that “the White House has admitted this will do nothing to lower gasoline prices.” (emphsis mine)

Read the whole op-ed by Chairman Hastings here.

Click to learn more about the American Energy Initiative and here for legislation on the House floor this week that will help address rising gas prices, increase energy production, and create new jobs.

Cutting Oil Deals That Won't Help Americans

Speaker Boehner Challenges President Obama on Support for New Energy Production – In Brazil

March 21, 2011 by Don Seymour

In an interview with RedCounty.com, Speaker Boehner called it “breathtaking” that the Obama Administration would back more job-creating energy production in Brazil while continuing to threaten job growth and drive up gas prices at home by blocking new American energy production.

You see, instead of lifting the de facto moratorium on American offshore energy production, the House Natural Resources Committee caught President Obama promising “to help with technology and support to develop” Brazilian oil reserves so that America could become one of Brazil’s “best customers.”

The new House majority is taking a different approach. With rising gas prices causing “big pains” at the pump for American families and small businesses, and American energy production in decline, Speaker Boehner said, “Americans are wondering, ‘well why aren’t we developing our own resources?’”

That’s why House Republicans recently launched the American Energy Initiative -- an ongoing effort to help address rising gas prices and create jobs by increasing American energy production. Here is how Speaker Boehner explained the initiative to Red County:

“One, it’s our all-of-the-above energy policy. Let’s have more oil and gas exploration, let’s use most of the royalties to help develop alternative sources of energy, but it’s clean coal technology, it’s nuclear energy. In addition to that, let’s look at what the Administration is doing that’s stopping the development of our natural resources. And if you look at the EPA, you look at the rest of these government agencies, they’re doing everything they can to put a moratorium in the Gulf, to make sure that we can’t drill in Alaska, to make sure there’s no development in the intermountain west. There are policies coming out of this Administration that are causing the price of energy to skyrocket. We need to expose this and hold them accountable for what they’re doing.”

Meanwhile, we're bombing another Muslim country and have no clue who will be in charge when we're done.

Statement From Speaker Boehner

Speaker Boehner:
Facts Simply Don’t Match Obama Administration Statements on American Energy


WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement after President Obama held a press conference on energy and gas prices:

“Rising gas prices are a major burden for American families and small businesses already dealing with a tough economy. While the Obama Administration claims to be committed to American energy production, the facts and its own actions say otherwise. Yesterday, the new House majority announced the American Energy Initiative, an ongoing effort to stop Washington policies that are driving up gas prices and expand American energy production. To address rising gas prices, reduce our dependence on foreign energy, and help create American jobs, we invite President Obama to join us in turning this plan into action.”

NOTE: Under the Obama Administration, domestic oil production has dropped by 16 percent versus projected levels, and future projections show continued decreases in domestic production. The Administration has also shut down energy production in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Is It Deliberate?

Understanding the liberal mind and playbook as I do, I would have to say "Yes"; because the solution to this is drilling and it's the 800-pound gorilla in the room and they refuse to acknowledge it.

Government & Politics
Obama Indigestion Causing Gas Pains

The national average for gas is approaching $4 per gallon, once again causing pain at the pump. According to the U.S. Energy Department, the average yearly cost for an American family to fill up the car with gas will rise 28 percent from last year, or about $700. A family can't lose that much money without also losing the ability to buy other goods or services. The price of gasoline has skyrocketed by 67 percent since Barack Obama took office, but, needless to say, he isn't letting this crisis go to waste.

The fact is that Obama's energy policy is working exactly the way it was designed to work. His intent is to drive up the price of fossil fuels in order to make alternative energy sources seem more appealing. Alternative sources have been heavily subsidized for years and yet still can't rival fossil fuels, so, Obama reasons, prices on the latter must be driven higher.

In 2008, now-Energy Secretary Steven Chu said, "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe." Obama began work on that less than one month after taking office in 2009 by reversing George W. Bush's expansion of offshore oil drilling. When the BP Deepwater Horizon spill occurred in April 2010, the administration took this as a golden opportunity to enact a moratorium on offshore drilling. Despite multiple court rulings against that moratorium and even being ruled in contempt, however, the administration persists with its policy.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar put up the Left's favorite straw man, saying, "[W]e don't believe that the 'drill, baby, drill' program is the way that's going to get us to the energy independence that we need for America." No one says that domestic drilling on its own would achieve energy independence, but putting so much of our own oil off limits or underutilized -- offshore, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the Bakken Formation to name but a few examples -- certainly doesn't help.

The White House has countered by floating a proposal to release some oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to bring down prices. This is a bad idea for two reasons. First, it doesn't replace domestic production, and, second, it would need to be replaced as expediently as possible, thus merely kicking the can down the road. In essence, the administration is admitting that supply must increase to offset price hikes, but in every other way, it's working against supply increases. Such rank indifference to the plight of ordinary Americans has become a White House hallmark.

I Hate To Keep Repeating Myself

Not really. Hopefully, if enough people hear it and realize just how independent we COULD become, they'll stand up and demand the Bambi Administration allow drilling.

What Country Is Sitting On The World's Largest Untapped Oil Reserve?

The United States is again, for the second time in less than three years, being reminded of its absurd dependence of foreign sources of energy, most notably, oil. The upheavals in the Middle East have driven up the cost of a barrel of oil into triple digits as it was in 2008. The increasing demands of countries such as China and India and the deliberate devaluation of the dollar by the Federal Reserve and the Obama administration are steadily pushing up oil prices in dollars.
The country's dependence of foreign sources has increased to 52% of the daily requirement as compared to 45% just 15 years ago. Over half of that amount comes from countries that are inherently unstable or ruled by despotic regimes whose interest it is to de-stabilize the United States.

More after the jump

There Is Only One Solution

DRILL BABY DRILL!!!!

How Obama Is Making Gas Prices Higher

Yesterday, for the first time since September 2008, the price of a barrel of crude oil topped $100 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. But while the recent unrest in the Middle East has had some marginal effect on rising prices, the most significant factor has been increased oil demand worldwide. That is why, long before the recent protests even began, analysts were predicting $4 a gallon by this summer and $5 a gallon by 2012. Anyone could have predicted that the recovering world economy, coupled with the continued growth of India and China, was going to push oil prices higher. So if an Administration wanted to keep gas prices down, they could have mitigated increased oil demand by increasing domestic oil production. But that is not what the Obama Administration has done. Instead of increasing domestic oil supplies, the Obama Administration has cut them at every opportunity, and Americans are now suffering because of those choices.

Back in February, when the protests in Egypt were first unfolding, Energy Secretary Steven Chu was asked what the Administration could do to combat rising world oil prices. Chu responded: "The best way America can protect itself against these incidents is to decrease our dependency on foreign oil, in fact to diversify our supply." It is now one month later and the Administration has not updated its talking points. Pressed on gas prices yesterday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said: "We are also, as you have seen over the past two-plus years, very focused on the need precisely to develop other energy sources so that we are not as dependent on foreign oil as we have been in the past." So what are these "other energy sources" the White House has been developing? How does the White House plan to "diversify supply" to reduce gas prices? The answers are corn, wind, sun, and electric cars. And they won't help a bit.

According to Heritage analysts Nick Loris and John Ligon, Obama’s energy policy consists of: increased biofuel production, increased electric vehicle production, and increased renewable power production. These are all terrible public policies. The major source of biomass production, corn-based ethanol, produces less energy per unit volume than gasoline, contributes to food price increases, costs taxpayers $4 billion to produce 2 percent of the total gasoline supply, and has dubious environmental effects. The electric cars the Obama Administration has invested in are prohibitively costly, do not fit the needs of the American consumer, and are also environmentally suspect. The other sources of energy the Obama Administration is subsidizing and promoting—wind and solar—not only make up a minuscule 1 percent of America’s electricity generation but are entirely irrelevant to gasoline supply in the transportation sector.But not only has President Obama failed to diversify our energy supply in any meaningful way; he has actually proactively moved to cut our own domestic energy supplies:

First, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar canceled 77 leases for oil and gas drilling in Utah in his first month in office. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management, there are 800 billion barrels (a moderate estimate) of recoverable oil from oil shale in the Green River Formation, which goes through Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. This is three times greater than the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia.

Then last summer, President Obama needlessly instituted not one but two outright drilling bans in the Gulf of Mexico. The Energy Information Administration estimates that President Obama’s offshore drilling ban will cut domestic offshore oil production by 13 percent this year.

Last fall, Interior Secretary Salazar announced that the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast, and the Pacific coast will not be developed, effectively banning drilling in those areas for the next seven years. At least 19 billion barrels of easily recoverable oil lie off the currently restricted Pacific and Atlantic coasts and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

President Obama has also failed to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where an estimated 10 billion barrels of oil lie beneath a few thousand acres that can be accessed with minimal environmental impact. Those 10 billion barrels are equivalent to 16 years’ worth of imports from Saudi Arabia at the current rate.

"The Obama Administration is repeating the mistakes of President Jimmy Carter’s failed energy policies, which marred his term and stigmatized the 1970s. They are leading us straight into another national energy disaster," Steve Forbes warned in Politico yesterday. And what would that "energy disaster" cost the American people? According to The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis, an increase in the per-barrel price of imported crude oil by $10 in the first quarter of 2011 and by $20 in the second quarter would reduce gross domestic product by $20 billion, drop potential employment by nearly 100,000 jobs, and increase gasoline prices by 18 cents per gallon in 2011 alone.Yesterday, Carney said that "the president is extremely aware of the impact that a spike in oil prices can have on gasoline prices and therefore on the wallets and pocketbooks of average Americans."

If that is true, and if Energy Secretary Chu really has recanted his belief that Americans ought to be paying $8 a gallon for gas, then the President must completely reverse his entire energy policy so far by allowing Americans to develop our own natural resources, issuing permits in a timely manner, and removing regulatory and litigation delays on energy projects.

Contempt

"An administration that has no respect for Congress, the courts or the Constitution has been found in contempt for reissuing a drilling moratorium that a U.S. district judge found overly broad. The Obama administration's trouble with the courts has continued with a judge's ruling last week that the Interior Department's reinstating of a drilling moratorium followed by a de facto moratorium via an overly restrictive permitting process constituted contempt. The administration had issued a drilling moratorium in May in waters deeper than 500 feet after the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig off Louisiana that resulted in the spill of more than 4.1 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. In June, Martin Feldman of the Eastern District Court of Louisiana struck down Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's original moratorium, saying it was overkill based on flawed reasoning. ... So the administration went back, rearranged a few words and a few deck chairs, and reissued its moratorium. That one was officially lifted in October, although the permitting process, which mysteriously includes shallow-water wells, has had the effect of continuing the moratorium. Feldman was not amused.

'Each step the government took following the court's imposition of a preliminary injunction showcases its defiance,' the judge said in his ruling. 'Such dismissive conduct, viewed in tandem with the reimposition of a second moratorium ... provides this court with clear and convincing evidence of its contempt.' ...

It is not so much that the Obama administration differs with the law, but that it considers itself above it -- even above the Constitution." (emphasis added)--

Investor's Business Daily

I Think He's Just Contemptuous of America

Obama Administration Found in Contempt of Court, Media Silent
By Kyle Drennen February 04, 2011 12:46

On Thursday, Louisiana Federal District Court Judge Martin Feldman found that the Obama Interior Department was in contempt of his ruling that the offshore oil drilling moratorium, imposed by the administration in 2010, was unconstitutional. After Feldman struck down the initial drilling ban, the Interior Department simply established a second ban that was virtually identical.

While the story was reported on Thursday by wire services like the Associated Press and picked up by frequently cited internet news sites like Politico, the television media, including ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN, all ignored the story.

In his ruling, Judge Feldman forcefully admonished the administration's attempt to circumvent his 2010 decision: "Such dismissive conduct, viewed in tandem with the reimposition of a second blanket and substantively identical moratorium and in light of the national importance of this case, provide this Court with clear and convincing evidence of the government’s contempt of this Court’s preliminary injunction order."

As Politico further explained: "Gulf state lawmakers have criticized the Obama administration for stopping drilling last summer, and accuse Interior of continuing a 'de facto' ban on permits, saying it cost their states thousands of jobs."

Read more:

A Hard Backhand Return

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News Alert: Administration intends new moratorium on drilling after judge strikes down existing one
08:43 PM EDT Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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Hours after a federal judge blocked a moratorium on deepwater drilling from taking effect, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday night that he will issue a new order against such drilling.

For more information, visit washingtonpost.com:

Federal Judge Protects the Oil Workers

Word just came down that a Federal judge has blocked the 6-month moratorium on off-shore drilling. White House will appeal the decision.

10 Things Him Could Have Done, but Chose Not To

Hey Barack, You Should’ve Done This...

President Obama addressed the nation on the Gulf oil spill, and told the American people how he has been doing all he can to “plug the damn hole” and whose behind he might kick.

Since his strategy dealing with the spill seems lacking thus far, Redstate editor Erick Erickson has compiled a Top 10 list of things to alleviate the disaster that Obama could have done but didn’t.

1. Accepted help from the Netherlands when they offered it shortly after the accident. The Dutch, experienced in the oil business, offered prompt help for oil skimming booms and plans to create barriers to stop the oil from infiltrating into wetland areas.

2. Suspended the Jones Act, as President Bush did after Katrina, to allow foreign vessels into American waters to assist with recovery without having to swap ships and transfer equipment onto American flagged vessels.

3. Suspended the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage laws, as President Bush did after Katrina, to allow rapid deployment of new workers to help with containment efforts.

4. Suspended FEMA contracting and bidding rules, as President Bush did after Katrina, to allow a more rapid assignment of contracts to assist with the recovery effort.

5. Allowed coastal governors to immediately begin dredging to create barrier islands.

6. Talked to BP's CEO to establish initial metrics for progress to gauge BP's response so the federal government would have ascertainable metrics to determine when federal intervention was needed. Heck, he should have talked to BP's CEO period.

7. Not imposed a blanket deep water drilling moratorium, further crippling economies in coastal communities.

8. Talked to experts about how to fix the problem instead of trying to figure out whose "ass to kick."

9. Not waited to act lest he be seen as owning the situation. Guess what? He owns it now so why is he still on the golf course?

10. Not have wasted time trying to blame the accident on George Bush before diving in to take responsibility.