Pundits Skeptical on Obama Drilling Plan

Some doubt that the legislative strategy will pay off
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 31, 2010 11:04 AM CDT
Pundits Skeptical on Obama Drilling Plan
President Obama will allow more offshore drilling.   (AP Photo/Diamond Offshore drilling, ho)

President Obama's plan for more offshore drilling has critics on the left and right quick to weigh in:

  • Rick Klein, the Note: "It has the looks of a classic Obama first step that leaves no one satisfied—and irks some allies."
  • Matthew Yglesias, Think Progress: "I don’t understand this at all. Increased coastal drilling would be a small price to pay in exchange for actual congressional votes for an overall energy package. But any price is too high a price to pay in exchange for nothing at all. This isn’t the greatest environmental crime in human history, but it sure does seem like poor legislative strategy."

  • Moe Lane, Red State: "Try again, Mr. President. Start with rescinding your interference with the Bush drilling permits, and expect to give up more. A lot more: your opponents are not interested in indulging the Greenies’ quaint, somewhat primitive religious sensibilities."
  • David Dayen, Firedog Lake: "Either Obama thinks the climate bill is dead and he’s handing out a couple of the goodies he already promised, or his team has assessed that these tracts won't be cost-effective enough for oil companies to actually do the drilling, so it’s a low-cost hedge toward moderation."
(More President Obama stories.)

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