What's Wrong With "All of The Above"?

Dean Barnett tackles Paul Krugman.

Comments

[Thomas Collins]

My favorite line from the Krugman column is this:

"What about the experts at the Department of Energy who say that it would take years before offshore drilling would yield any oil at all, and that even then the effect on prices at the pump would be “insignificant”?"

Of course it would take years, Mr. K., because folks such as you have been successful in stopping drilling all these years. As far as the impact of drilling itself, those arguing in favor of drilling view it as one piece of the puzzle (along with nuclear, natural gas and development of other energy sources).

The Democrat Party has really become the party of the effete elite. Stopping energy exploration and higher taxes hurts those at the bottom rung of the income chain the most, because these policies dampen economic growth. The Paul Krugmans of the world, with their cushy chattering class positions, will do fine. Others not as fortunate depend on economic growth which these so-called "green" policies would hinder.

[Sara]

"What about the experts at the Department of Energy who say that it would take years before offshore drilling would yield any oil at all

That is a lie. Here is a snippet I posted the other day that everyone ignored:

Via Powerline on how soon we could pump oil in mind:

Today the Institute for Energy Research followed up with more information about misuse of that report. I want to focus on this point:

EIA’s analysis assumes that leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017. Yet, off the coast of California, some of these resources have already been leased. A report from Wall Street research house Sanford C. Bernstein says that California actually could start producing new oil within one year if the moratoria were lifted. The California oil is under shallow water and already has been explored. Drilling platforms have been in place since before the moratorium.

One year, folks, one year. Drill Now!

[Danube of Thought]

Much of the delay in bringing offshore oil online has to do with preparation of Environmental Impact Reports, negotiation of leases, and other paperwork that typically takes five or more years now. Congress could drastically reduce those delays with the stroke of a pen.

In any event, there are a number of offshore areas in which all that preparation has been done already, and indeed platforms are in place. They could come online in less than a year. Krugman is misinformed.

[kim]

There is little cognitive dissonance in the world like believing that man is warming the world while in fact, the world is cooling. There is much madness on the left about energy.
==============================================

[Neo]

What I mean, instead, is that know-nothingism — the insistence that there are simple, brute-force, instant-gratification answers to every problem, and that there’s something effeminate and weak about anyone who suggests otherwise

That $1000 rebate that Obama is touting by taking the profits from the oil companies fits the bill precisely .. short term gratification by giving away the "seed corn."

[BobS]

Nice going, Sara...I was going to cite that as well...California, hmmmmmmm.

[Sara]

Georgia has declared martial law and the Georgian president has called their troops home from Iraq to defend own country.

[Ranger]

Georgia has declared martial law and the Georgian president has called their troops home from Iraq to defend own country.

Posted by: Sara | August 08, 2008 at 05:06 PM

BBC online has a picture of a burning Russian tank to go with its lead story. This is serious warfare now.

[Danube of Thought]

Krugman, like everyone I've heard on this issue from the Left, raises the straw man that drilling is supposed to solve the problem, and not only that, it is supposed to solve it immediately. I have not heard a single voice suggesting any such thing.

Of course drilling, in and of itself, won't solve the problem. But it is very clear to me that the problem cannot be solved without drilling--that is, without further production of oil from domestic US sources (and nuclear generation of electricity as well). Anyone who thinks that solar or wind power, or hybrid autos, or battery-powered cars, or hydrogen-powered cars, are going to solve the problem any time soon is insane.

[bgates]

Ranger, it can't be that serious. Bush hasn't been blamed for it.

Wait, how hard could that be?

By creating a world in which immediate resort to violence was deemed acceptable, Bush made it inevitable that other world leaders would take the easy path as he had done. In the conflict between Russia and Georgia, both sides have merit - the only guilty one is Bush. Guilty, guilty, guilty!

And where is Bush while his policies lead to even more violence? Vacationing in China. Watching sports.

...that's all I got. Really, though, armed conflict without American involvement? Who's bothered by that?

[Sara]

This is serious warfare now.

Yes it is. But not to Fox, they just interrupted a live report from Georgia to spend another hour on John Edwards, like the two were comparable.

[Sara]

immediate resort to violence was deemed acceptable, Bush made it inevitable that other world leaders would take the easy path as he had done.

What the heck are you talking about? 12 years and 14? UN resolutions is not an immediate resort to violence. Good lord.

[Neo]

battery-powered cars, or hydrogen-powered cars

You mean those "coal powered" vehicles, as coal produces more electricity that anything else.

[BobS]

I know Sara. Fox News goes tabloid all the time. Soem poor producer probably worked their ass off to get that journalist from Ossetia. He got dropped after what? Maybe two sentences. I just blogged about it.

(This writer's real world begins again Monday-Teachers report)

[BobS]

Sara....naturally Lanny Davis is going to condemn the media....

[BobS]

What a pompous hack he's become

[BobS]

Lanny Davis.....last of a hopefully dying off gang....the Clintonista's

[sammy small]

Bubba Clinton vetoed the 1994 bill (passed by a Republican Congress) to lift the ban on drilling in ANWR. One of the top reasons was because it would take 10 years to see any results. I can't believe people are using the same tired excuse again.

It reminds me of the old ditty about the man fixing a hole in his roof because its raining, then deciding not to act when it stops raining.

[Sara]

BobS: Yeah, she even told him to hang on, then they never went back to him. It is all so high schoolish.

I'm already angry with them about the completely irresponsible reporting they've been dong on the Casey Anthony case and her missing toddler. No one is even looking for the child, all they want to do is tell us how the mother is a liar, liar, liar and what a horrible mother she was, even though there is no indication at all that prior to the child going missing, there is anything to indicate she was a bad mother. The child's room is adorable.

When they say someone is uncooperative, they don't mean with the police, they mean with them. Like if you don't tell a reporter all you know, then you are somehow you must be the guilty party.

[bgates]

Sara - it's unsettling that you thought I was being serious.

DoT - my position on energy is that it should be mostly nuclear, with some geothermal.

The bulk of power production should take place at a safe distance from populated areas. Wireless transmission of that power could foster the creation of large, complex organic molecules (sequestering carbon), which over time will work their way under the earth's service, where geothermal energy can convert them into an energy-rich storage of some sort.

Of course, returning these fusion products to the surface will require an enormous jobs program. I predict that the effort will bring unprecedented wealth to struggling farmers in middle America, provide the major source of income for many Third World countries, and may well end up funding everything from university endowments to major art museums.

Ah, who am I kidding. That would never work.

[BobS]

Sara: I've sadly been fascinated by the Anthony story. Doesnt it remind you of that Sandra Levy story from a couple of years ago?

[BobS]

Chandra(?sp)

[BobS]

bgates: channeling Star Wars and Star Trek again?

[Sara]

John McCain:

Today, news reports indicate that Russian military forces crossed an internationally-recognized border into the sovereign territory of Georgia. Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory. What is most critical now is to avoid further confrontation between Russian and Georgian military forces. The consequences for Euro-Atlantic stability and security are grave.

The government of Georgia has called for a cease-fire and for a resumption of direct talks on South Ossetia with international mediators. The U.S. should immediately convene an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to call on Russia to reverse course. The U.S. should immediately work with the EU and the OSCE to put diplomatic pressure on Russia to reverse this perilous course it has chosen. We should immediately call a meeting of the North Atlantic Council to assess Georgia’s security and review measures NATO can take to contribute to stabilizing this very dangerous situation. Finally, the international community needs to establish a truly independent and neutral peacekeeping force in South Ossetia.

Plus I just heard that the pipeline thru Georgia, 1 million bbls. a day, is at risk.

[Sara]

bgates, sorry if I misinterpreted your remarks.

BobS: yes, in some ways it does.

I'm very disturbed at how irresponsible Fox is being in covering the story, especially on their morning and early afternoon shows.

It reminds me of Marcia Clark on a Friday afternoon ending court with a big bombshell with the introduction of the shovel found in OJ's Bronco that "proved" OJ buried the knife and bloody clothes. Only to find out on Monday, that the Bronco he drove came with a shovel and his was still in its original pristine packaging the way it came from the manufacturer. But all weekend it was proof positive that OJ buried the knife and clothes.

[Rick Ballard]

Jeez, bgates, we would have to have started a project like that millions of years ago. That's a really sci-fi type solution.

Windmills with PV propellers are the only logical way forward - one windmill for every human on earth. Miniaturized to the size of baseball caps so that they can provide instant energy anywhere a person goes. Here's a prototype.

[BobS]

Uh oh...we may have troops inside Georgia.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/07/21/international/i104353D78.DTL

[BobS]

Sara: Well, I think the granparents of the missing little girl are protectng their daughter. But I couldnt believe how incredulous the Fox reporter, Orlando Selenis, became wheh the father snapped on the media in front of their home this morning. Geez o pete.

[Sara]

I saw that BobS. I thought, "it is about time he went off at their intrusions."

The grandparents are caught between a rock and a hard place and I'm glad it isn't me.

[BobS]

I have to apologize about Lanny Davis. Here's what he said during the Mark Foley scandal:

There's no comfort, there's no joy in this tragic situation, and no Democrat should exploit this whatever. No press releases, no extrapolation, no rhetoric, we ought to get out of the way and let the facts come out as well as they can.

[BobS]

DOD says US personnel still in Georgia

[Danube of Thought]

We should be generated one hell of a lot more of our electrical power from nuclear reactors. If Belgium, France and Japan [!] can produce half or more of their electricity through nuclear, why can't we? There has not been a nuclear power plant constructed in this country for the past 30 years, and the biggest single reason for that was the movie "China Syndrome." It's sheer madness and legislative cowardice.

[Danube of Thought]

*generating*

[Sara]

France even recycles its nuclear waste:

The French have reprocessed spent nuclear fuel for 30 years without incident. There have been no accidental explosions, no terrorist attacks, no contribution to nuclear proliferation. Their facility in La Hague has safely processed more than 23,000 tons of spent fuel, or enough to power the entire country for 14 years.

The U.S. pioneered the technology to recapture that energy decades ago, then banned its commercial use in 1977. An energy plan that does not involve continued and even increased use of nuclear power is no plan at all. And even if we closed all nuclear plants tomorrow, the waste problem would remain.

Link

[Porchlight]

I see what you mean, BobS, but anytime anyone brings up Chandra Levy I get the shivers. That's what the country was gossping about in the summer leading up to 9/11. Thinking about that case gives me a feeling like we're all driving down a road and the bridge ahead of us is out and none of us knows it.

[Pagar]

1977-How long will this nation suffer from the damage done during the Carter years? How much worse will it be if Obama is able to con enough Americans into voting to make him President?

[Sara]

pagar: when I first read about this recycling technology, I was livid that we weren't allowed to use it. No one wants a nuke waste dump in their backyard, and here we have a technology that would not only give us enough power for years while we develop other alternative energies, but is gives a way to get rid of the waste safely.

I wonder if any of our politicians even know about this technology and how valuable it would be to implement.

[anduril]

Rush had a monologue on the Gang of Ten that's trying to cut the whole GOP drilling issue off at the knees. He quoted extensively from Kim Strassel in the WSJ, then offered this observation:

We've got a bunch of Republicans who have been trained by the presidential nominee of their party that the way to advance yourself with the media and in Washington social circles is to agree with Democrats. This is just mind-boggling. We'll keep you posted on any further developments. BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: So we've got Lindsey Graham, we have John Thune -- I'm just stunned at this. Saxby Chambliss, Bob Corker, and Johnny Isakson, along with five Senate Democrats, unnamed. Doesn't matter who they are, they always hang together. They've gotten everything they want here. As Kimberley Strassel writes, "McCain, who had been commanding the energy debate, was left to explain why he, of all people, wasn't more enthusiastic about a 'bipartisan' effort on energy."

[Pagar]

My guess is most of the politicians are too worried about the next election or the NE, and have no time for any thing that would help America. IMO, what we get in most of these laws is what ever the leftist staff members want to put in them. There probably isn't a single politician that has ever read and understood a 500 or 600 page bill, but they are perfectly willing to pass it into law.

I offer this article as an example.

"Hidden deep in Senator Christopher Dodd's 630-page Senate housing legislation is a sweeping provision that affects the privacy and operation of nearly all of America's small businesses. The provision, which was added by the bill's managers without debate this week, would require the nation's payment systems to track, aggregate, and report information on nearly every electronic transaction to the federal government.
Call Congress and Tell Them to Oppose The eBay Reporting Provision in the Housing Bill: 1-866-928-3035
FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey commented: "This is a provision with astonishing reach, and it was slipped into the bill just this week. Not only does it affect nearly every credit card transaction in America, such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, but the bill specifically targets payment systems like eBay's PayPal, Amazon, and Google Checkout that are used by many small online businesses. The privacy implications for America's small businesses are breathtaking."

LUN

A 630 page bill and everyone that voted to pass it knew what was in it and approved of it? If anyone believes they did, I have a small amount of beachfront property in ND that I would be willing to let go at a good price.

My suggestion to eliminate many of these problems: (1) allow only one staff member per politician and (2) each politician must sign each bill saying they approve or diapprove. (by hand and in front of witnesses so that Americans will always know
who is responsible for what.)

If you note the article comes from Freedom Watch, which is one of the groups targeted by the leftist Accountable America group.
This article shows why the leftists are so eager to keep these groups from exposing their attempts to destroy America.

[Danube of Thought]

"We've got a bunch of Republicans who have been trained by the presidential nominee of their party..."

Really? I thought they all had nothing but contempt for him. Now it turns out he's been their Drill Instructor. Hard to tell whether Rush is off his meds or back on them...

[Danube of Thought]

Peggy Noonan's concluding WSJ paragraph:

"There's a thing that's out there and it's big, and latent, and somehow always taken into account and always ignored, and political professionals always assume they understand it. It has been called many things the past 50 years, 'the silent center,' 'the silent majority,' 'the coalition,' 'the base.' The idea of it has evolved as its composition has evolved, but the fact that it's big, and relatively silent, and somehow always latent, maintains. And watching that McCain event—vroom vroom—one got the sense it is perhaps beginning to pay attention to the campaign. I see it as the old America, and if and when it reasserts itself, the campaign will shift indeed, and in ways you can even see from 10,000 feet."

[narciso]

The interesting thing, is that we were working with Georgia, to stop Islamic extremism in the Pankisi Gorge. Russia's
"soft touch" in this matter; see Chechnya including the assasination of Chechen opposition leader Zandarbichev in Doha, right under the American's nose, hada strong
blowback, Nord Ost & Beslan# 4. Some have even argued the IED intensive phase of the Iraq War really prevailed in Chechnya. This
in addition to the Russian supplying fuel to the Bushehr reactor; nothing can go wrong at a reactor at the other end of the Persian Gulf; right in the middle of a pesky faultline.
The situation eerily resembles the opening scenes of that mid 90s film; Crimson Tide, where a Russian attack on the Caucasus, triggers an uprising by a rogue Russian leader. except Putin is both the Russian president and opposition leader Radchenko (loosely based on Zhirinovsky) Besides the morality of the thing, isn't Georgia, smack in the middle of the new Baku (Azeri)Tblisi
(Georgia)Ceyhan,(Turkey) oil pipeline, which had just recently come on line.

[JM Hanes]

Putin is all about oil and always has been.

[BobS]

Pagar; Thanks for your comments. I'd hoped Newt's appearnace this week on Capitol Hill would signal a Republican effort not unlike the Contract with America. Bring all the Rep candidates in for a signing and nationalize the issue locally. It won the house then and it can hurt DEm leadership terribly while getting a McCain win

[BobS]

The American Energy Act LUN

[BobS]

JMH: Putin wants to go bak to the old Soviet way

[Sara]

Putin and Bush are sitting next to each other at the Olympic opening ceremonies and every time the camera has flashed their way, they have their heads together. My son says they are having a summit of two.

After Bush's remarks in Thailand yesterday about China, I'm surprised they let him in the country.

[BobS]

I'm hoping that Putin is telling Bush just how far he is going to have to go in Georgia, then he will shut it down. Krauthamer said he felt that the Russians were wreckless and would limit operations to establish control of this region.

[BobS]

I still hate our troops are in a fire zone and cant really defend themselves

[BobS]

sorry...CK said the Russians were NOT wreckless.

[BobS]

Geez. What a smorgasborg of crap my blog has become......John Edwards......the loonie lefty trying to fail fraud right-wing donars....something about Obama's oil bs......Ah, yes: I told Brett Farve to get his sorry Mississippi ass into camp....some Met fluff.....that kerfuffle between the Ruskies and the Georgians.....again....and then the ummmm old shit our guys are over there angle and panic.....more mets suck up....mets bashed for letting their dominican kids plunge needles with steroids into their Buttocks.......and finally how the new sovt's feel about pimp slapping their Georgian neighbors....what a freekin reniassance man I've become

[BobS]

Damn.....story of my life....my best rant goes cyber and everyone's gone to bed. Upper case "L" placed on forehead. Where's my rum?

[Sara]

BobS: LOL. And a darn good rant it is.

[altast]

CIA agent Rob Maguire?

Thailand, Philippines and the others have lots of coups.

[altast]

CIA agent John Maguire?

USIP has Afghanistan and gets a memorial.

[BobS]

Rum in had...I thought it was CIA agent John Clark. I'm a Tom Clancy guy to the last

[BobS]

"one ping only, Mazelli"

[Pagar]

Good Morning to All!
It's going to be a beautiful day and will be even better if John Edwards has had his 15 min of fame and left the scene.

Atlas Shrugs has figured out how to beat the American leftist blackmail attempt.

"This would be funny if it weren't so dangerous. Why funny? Because major donors on the right do not donate to the army of right leaning blogs and grass roots efforts that are doing all the work in exposing Obama for what he is - the corrupt, marxist Nation of Islam candidate. We work for nothing. We have no George Soros, no moveon. org NO ONE giving us dough ! That's how the left operates, like a greasy corrupt political machine (think Obama and Chicago ). We are working for free for the greater good (how's that for marxism turned on its ear?).

Individuals, like me, are working our tails off fighting to save America and the free world from the manchurian candidate. There is no dough. That's the problem with the right! Major donors give to conservative think tanks who, by and large, don't do jack and have become so politically correct, they've rendered themselves useless and ineffective.

Wanna piss off the left? Contribute to Atlas and help me expose the fraud that is Obama "

LUN

[Jane]

my best rant goes cyber and everyone's gone to bed.

Aloha Bob,

It's just as good in the morning.

That was one hell of an Olympic Opening Ceremony last night. Today we find random Chinese men murdering American tourists. And if you are up early enough you can see badminton on MSNBC.

Meanwhile back at the National Enquirer...

[PaulL]

Sara: ****It reminds me of Marcia Clark on a Friday afternoon ending court with a big bombshell with the introduction of the shovel found in OJ's Bronco that "proved" OJ buried the knife and bloody clothes. Only to find out on Monday, that the Bronco he drove came with a shovel and his was still in its original pristine packaging the way it came from the manufacturer. But all weekend it was proof positive that OJ buried the knife and clothes.****

I guess you and your virtual jury showed that incompetent Marcia Clark what you thought of her when you found Simpson not guilty.

[Neo]

the biggest single reason for that was the movie "China Syndrome."

The biggest reason was Three Mile Island, followed by Chernobyl.

A little known fact about the movie "China Syndrome" was that a large part of the market for the video was from the US nuclear industry. As it turns out, the movie was great propaganda for the nuclear industry to use with utilities .. seems that even though there was an accident in the movie, the damage was contained in the plant .. exactly what is supposed to happen.

[hit and run]

Good Morning!

[hit and run]

McCain on the weekly Republican radio address:

“As you may know, the Democratic National Convention is just a couple of weeks away,” McCain begins. “It was four years ago, at the same gathering, that America heard a fine speech from an Illinois state senator named Barack Obama. He's done pretty well for himself since then. And the smart money in Denver is on another celebrated performance.

“But even the most stirring speeches are easily forgotten when they're short on content. Taking in my opponent's performances is a little like watching a big summer blockbuster, and an hour in, realizing that all the best scenes were in the trailer you saw last fall. In the way of running mates, Senator Obama should consider someone with a knack for brevity and directness, to balance the ticket.

“In the meantime, let me take a stab at a plot summary of the Obama campaign: America is finally winning in Iraq, and he wants to forfeit. Government is too big, and he wants to grow it. Taxes are too high, and he wants to raise them. Congress spends too much, and he proposes more. We need more energy, and he's against producing it.”

Distraction!

[Sue]

Bernie Mac died.

[Pagar]

Sue, your LUN says Edwards admits.

[Sue]

Pagar,

Sorry. I didn't take it off from last night. I don't have a link to the Bernie Mac story. Saw it on Fox.

[Pagar]

Sue, wasn't fussing, just wanted to read the story. Got to run.

LUN

[Danube of Thought]

Neo, I stand corrected. But it's worth noting that at Three Mile Island there were no deaths or injuries to any plant workers or people in the nearby communities. It's also worth noting that the reactor at Chernobyl was a seriously flawed Soviet design, and it could never have been built or operated in the US. Neither incident provides any rationale for the cessation of nuclear power plant construction in this country.

The US Navy has been operating nuclear reactors for half a century with not a single death or accident. Neither has there been a death or, to my knowledge, illness caused by any of the nuclear reactors operated by US public utilities.

My recollection of the public reaction to the China Syndrome must be flawed--I seem to recall it was Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon hell bent on scaring the bejeezus out of the public, and succeeding.

[BobS]

Mornin, Gang!

[BobS]

Awful about Bernie Mac....he was a young guy

[BobS]

DOT: Thanks for those tidbits. It will take a Republican president and congress to get us back to nuclear power. There is hope though as the Greens and many Dems are starting to realize the technolgy is safe

[MarkO]

And, just who is not afraid of Jack Lemmon?

It's almost as if the Democrats were the true friends of foreign oil. Their policies and restrictions have sent a ton of Benjamins (not yet Baracks) overseas.

What gives?

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[Andrew Reynolds]

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