On Meet the Press, Sen. Graham flopped on his original positions on off shore drilling in his neck of the woods and Sen. Biden laughs at his phony argument at about the 2:40 mark of the clip and cuts his flipped positions into itty, bitty pieces. Most of us know that we can't drill our way out of the problem, but McCain and Graham are turning into Wall Street Zombies that now believe ANWR and off shore drilling will be the answer.
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MR. WILLIAMS: Senator Graham, this is what people are talking about. Myrtle Beach Sun News, "The Senate ... may consider lifting bans on exploring for oil and natural gas along the East and West coasts of the [U.S.] ... `I feel terrible about that,' Graham said. `The worst thing we can do as a nation is taking the easy way out. ... If you start opening up offshore drilling, then you are buying time and you are not addressing the fundamental problem with fossil fuels.'" So you see the argument, you made it.
Biden: hahaha
Goober Graham says that the price increases on oil and gas have changed his mind and position. Why should it? Before he didn't want to take the "easy way out" on our energy crisis, but know....well...McCain needs his help. The prices reflect badly on conservative principles that have governed our country under Bush. Since Graham is a co-conspirator to the Bush administration---why should we even consider his views on energy and oil at all? They have no credibility and should be ignored. At least they should be challenged by the media instead of having two different camps debating about it. Change in leadership and political philosophy is needed not Lawrence Kudlow talking points.
If only the media would take the time to explain the issues to the peeps instead of reading press releases. As Biden said---it'll take ten years to even begin getting any oil. And why didn't Williams ask Graham to explain himself after Biden's answer? He went to another topic. Full transcript below the fold via MSNBC:
MR. WILLIAMS: Senator Graham, The Greenville, Greenville News, September 20th, 2005, "Objections to drilling off the Carolinas center on the impact of tourism and the environment."
SEN. GRAHAM: Mm-hmm.
MR. WILLIAMS: "Said Senator Lindsey Graham: `All of our coastal communities I've talked with believe offshore drilling would be a detriment to our economy along the coast. I tend to agree with that.'" What changed?
SEN. GRAHAM: Four dollar a gallon gas.
MR. WILLIAMS: And what about the future 10 years down the road?
SEN. GRAHAM: Right. Right.
MR. WILLIAMS: You mentioned energy independence, where does that conversation come in?
SEN. GRAHAM: Well, what you do is you have a supply-demand problem. The more domestic supply, the better we are off as a nation. But to get away from fossil fuels in general is a goal of Senator McCain. One thing you do on the power side is add nuclear power. We cannot address climate change without replacing oil and coal-fired plants with nuclear power. But when it comes to domestic supply, we're talking about 50 miles off the coast of South Carolina with the consent of the legislature where the state gets half the revenue. I think in an environmentally sound way we can extract deep sea exploration oil and gas off our coast that will allow us to be more energy independent. John is for that. I am for that. And I believe the state of South Carolina will be for that.
SEN. BIDEN: We already can do that. Let's get the facts. You're entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts. Forty million acres leased offshore, number one. Number two, the first well to be dug from the time they lease, if Lindsey gives them access to more area, it'll take 10 years from the time the lease is let to the time oil comes out of the bottom of the sea in the new leases.
MR. WILLIAMS: Senator Graham, this is what people are talking about. Myrtle Beach Sun News, "The Senate ... may consider lifting bans on exploring for oil and natural gas along the East and West coasts of the [U.S.] ... `I feel terrible about that,' Graham said. `The worst thing we can do as a nation is taking the easy way out. ... If you start opening up offshore drilling, then you are buying time and you are not addressing the fundamental problem with fossil fuels.'" So you see the argument, you made it.
SEN. GRAHAM: Yeah, and, and here's the honest--well, here, here's my answer. At $4 a gallon, time is not on our side. It is affecting food prices, it is affecting the quality of life in America. I have a lot of low-income people in South Carolina who drive the most inefficient cars. We're talking about allowing exploration in a deep sea area off the coast of South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina with state consent that will enhance dramatically our supplies. I am willing to do that in an environmentally sensitive manner. Yes, $4 a gallon has changed my view of this; $135 dollars a barrel has changed my view of this. I think the economic impact of not adjusting now is going to be devastating in the--to the country short and long-term, and therefore I have changed my position.
SEN. BIDEN: No short-term consequence of additional leases, period, 10 years minimum. Two, better to invest in windmills offshore, alternative energy offshore, give those people a break. And three, the change is called an election.
