Cheney oil comment attacked

GOPUSA ^ | June 13, 2008 | H. Josef Hebert (Associated Press)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney's office acknowledged on Thursday that he was mistaken when he asserted that China, at Cuba's behest, is drilling for oil in waters 60 miles from the Florida coast.

In a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Cheney said on Wednesday that waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, long off limits to oil companies, should be opened to drilling because China is already there pumping oil.

''Oil is being drilled right now 60 miles off the coast of Florida,'' the vice president said. ''We're not doing it, the Chinese are, in cooperation with the Cuban government. Even the communists have figured out that a good answer to high prices is more supply.''

He cited his source as columnist George Will, who last week wrote: ''Drilling is under way 60 miles off Florida. The drilling is being done by China, in cooperation with Cuba, which is drilling closer to South Florida than U.S. companies are.''

Congressional Democrats pounced on the vice president's remarks and were backed up by independent energy experts, who called the assertion hyperbole at best and a falsehood at worst.

Cheney's office said in a statement to The Associated Press that the vice president had erred.

''It is our understanding that, although Cuba has leased out exploration blocks 60 miles off the coast of southern Florida, which is closer than American firms are allowed to operate in that area, no Chinese firm is drilling there,'' according to the statement.

Cuba clearly is interested in developing its deep-water oil resources, estimated at more than 5 billion barrel, including areas within 60 miles of Key West, Fla., energy experts said.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING!

[Brilliant]

So they aren’t drilling yet, but they will be very shortly. How does that help the Dems?

[Slapshot68]

Yup...and the Dems would NEVER use hyperbole to further their causes. /s off

[Cold Heart]

Why do we have a CIA?

[griswold3]

They aren’t ‘drilling’ now. But there’s alot of preliminary work being done for it!

[RetiredArmy]

No, RED China is probably drilling in the Panama Canal.

[cardinal4]

Ok, so they havent sunk the first well yet, but they are preparing for it!! Whats the difference??

[weegee]

Congressional Democrats pounced on the vice president's remarks and were backed up by independent energy experts, who called the assertion hyperbole at best and a falsehood at worst.

Where were they 20 years ago when Ted Danson claimed that the oceans would be DEAD in 20 years if we didn't adopt the changes he advocated?

Where were they 35 years ago when John Kerry claimed that he witnessed and participated in war crimes?

Both now claim their comments were merely hyperbole to draw attention to their issues.

Funny how that works when the Left lies to congress.

[alecqss]

It is complete falsehood to say that I’m eating at this restaurant. Waitress just took my order a minute ago!

[JamesP81]

Oh, so it’s not the ChiComs, it’s the Cubans. That’s so much better. /sarc

[TigersEye]

So they aren’t drilling but they will be drilling? O Keeeeee Do Keeeeee.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Probably more like the Brazilians, actually.

[bugseye]

Did George Will cite the May, 2006 edition of the New York Times as his source that drilling was already underway? After all, drilling was to commence in 2006:

>>May 9, 2006
Cuba Plans Offshore Wells Banned in U.S. Waters
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY
WASHINGTON, May 8 — In 1977, the United States and Cuba signed a treaty that evenly divided the Florida Straits to preserve each country’s economic rights. They included access to vast underwater oil and gas fields on both sides of the line.

Now, with energy costs soaring, plans are under way to drill this year — but all on the Cuban side...<<

PLANS...UNDERWAY...TO...DRILL...THIS YEAR...(2006)!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/washington/09drill.html

[WOBBLY BOB]

More predictions of impending disaster:

“...civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind,” biologist George Wald, Harvard University, April 19, 1970.

By 1995, “...somewhere between 75 and 85 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct.” Sen. Gaylord Nelson, quoting Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, Look magazine, April 1970.

Because of increased dust, cloud cover and water vapor “...the planet will cool, the water vapor will fall and freeze, and a new Ice Age will be born,” Newsweek magazine, January 26, 1970.

The world will be “...11 degrees colder in the year 2000 (this is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age),” Kenneth Watt, speaking at Swarthmore University, April 19, 1970.

More fearsome prognostications:

“We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation,” biologist Barry Commoner, University of Washington, writing in the journal Environment, April 1970.

“By 1985, air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half...” Life magazine, January 1970.

“Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make,” Paul Ehrlich, interview in Mademoiselle magazine, April 1970.

Source: Press Release, “Earth Day 2008: Predictions of Environmental Disaster Were Wrong,” Washington Policy Center, April 22, 2008.

For text:

http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/pressroom/pressreleases/4_22_2008.html

[Libloather]

The Maha's idea -

Post the price in the mouths of Democrats. It'll work.

Rush Offers Quick Fix for Prices
June 13, 2008

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: I have a fast fix for energy, a fast fix for the energy prices. There is no instant cure, as we know, for rising energy prices, but as your host, I, El Rushbo, have a plan to get on the right track sooner rather than later. As close to a quick fix as humanly possible. It all starts with our gas stations. We do have gas stations out there. And these gas stations pump regular gas, and they pump premium gas. Some of them pump diesel. On every pump, every pump that distributes regular gas, we post a picture of Harry Reid with the price appearing in his mouth. On every premium pump, we post a picture of Nancy Pelosi with the price upticking in her wonderful smile; that you could drive up to any station and ask for a tank full of Reid or you could ask for a tank full of Pelosi. We would explore, we would drill, we would refine faster than a liberal can attack a Republican.

You gas station guys, you want to turn the profit in your business? Go out and get some pictures of Reid and Pelosi, stick 'em on your pumps, put the price in there. And then when the self-serve people come up just make 'em say they want to fill up with Reid, fill up with Pelosi.

[RightWhale]

So that’s they story. If the Republicans were retailing this they would be damaging themselves since everything is blamed on them.

[Liz]

LOL. Great idea.

Maybe Pelosi can get some lip botox to help her carry it off.

LOL.

[Popman]

It is complete falsehood to say that I’m eating at this restaurant. Waitress just took my order a minute ago!

Very true, but you will need to give your food to the guy next to you if it is a democrat controlled restaurant.

You need the food, but you might dirty the plate if you drill into it with your fork.