Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Offshore drilling

The Nightly Build...

Why Not Let Oil Companies Be Oil Companies?

Rodger Jones is at it again, wondering why Barack Obama is picking on the oil companies by supporting the federal ban on offshore drilling. "Why not let oil companies be oil companies?" asks Jones.

Barack Obama is only trying to shift the balance just a teensie bit away from our overwhelming dependence on oil. The oil industry already gets plenty of benefits. The US spends more on the Pentagon every two days than it spends on alternative energy research in a year. Much of that military spending goes to protect our supply of oil. It's time we finally give others a little attention, too.

Jones accuses Obama of either-or thinking. But it's not those who promote alternative energy development who are guilty of either-or thinking. It's the oil industry who are obsessed with where to drill next and Americans like Rodger Jones who think that somehow the oil industry is the victim of political posturing and not running the show in Washington.

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