Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Obama's Transparent Lies
Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, held a hearing Wednesday to examine how well Obama has fulfilled those promises. Unfortunately, there is abundant evidence suggesting Obama's promises of transparency and accountability were made with little if any intention of actually keeping them. Take the matter of who is visiting the White House, a key indicator of special-interest lobbyists' influence. Although Obama made much ado about releasing White House visitor logs in 2009, Stearns pointed to a Center for Public Integrity investigation showing that Obama fought their release tooth and nail:
» The new policy was adopted only after settlement of four protracted lawsuits against the government seeking such records. A federal judge repeatedly ruled that, contrary to Obama's claims, White House visitor logs are subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act.
» Even after the much-ballyhooed posting of logs on the White House website, only 1 percent of the more than 500,000 meetings held with visitors during the president's first eight months in office have been made public.
» Many of the entries that have been released do not reflect all the visitors and officials participating in the meetings.
» Approximately two-thirds of the 1 million names released to date were visitors on guided group tours who were not at the White House on official business.
» Thousands of people known to have attended meetings in the White House, including numerous lobbyists, are nowhere to be found in the logs.
Stearns' hearing included testimony from Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, the conservative nonprofit that for years has effectively used the FOIA to unmask wrongdoing by officials appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents. Fitton told the subcommittee that, despite repeated federal court rulings that visitor logs are subject to release under the FOIA, the Obama administration continues to claim otherwise. He also noted that the administration has yet to respond to his organization's FOIA requests concerning thousands of Obamacare waivers issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. Fitton pointed to reports that White House officials routinely skirt disclosure requirements by meeting with lobbyists at a nearby Caribou Coffee shop, and he noted that The Washington Examiner's Tim Carney has uncovered at least 40 Obama administration "ethics waivers" that allow former lobbyists to take key policymaking jobs. In other words, Obama's transparency and accountability might just as well be translated as "smoke and mirrors."
Obama's Energy Policy Destroying Domestic Oil
Randall Stilley has witnessed firsthand the Obama administration’s job-killing agenda. As the president and chief executive of Seahawk Drilling, he had to lay off 632 employees before filing for bankruptcy — a direct result of President Barack Obama’s anti-energy policies.
Someday, you will be pumping gas, staring at the digital numbers racing by, and you’ll wonder: “How could I possibly be paying $6 a gallon for gasoline?”
You also will be wondering why so many of your friends and relatives are still looking for work. Or why America is more dependent on foreign oil than ever before.
If you look back to today, you’ll remember why: President Obama’s de facto moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
You’ll recall how Gulf workers had begged the White House to approve new permits for oil exploration. They were losing their jobs and gas prices were soaring. It made sense to get everyone back to work exploring for oil in the Gulf.
Obama responded from the Bizarro World. He said he wanted to cut America’s dependence on foreign oil. Then his administration effectively blocked U.S. offshore exploration, refusing to approve but a handful of deepwater permits in the Gulf. He said he wanted incentives for domestic drilling, then sought new limits on drilling leases.
Oh, yes, Obama did call for more drilling in 2011… in Brazil. He traveled there to tell Brazil’s leaders that he was looking forward to importing more of their oil. “We want to help with technology and support to develop these oil reserves safely, and when you’re ready to start selling, we want to be one of your best customers,” Obama said.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, meanwhile, told Congress that he was in favor of a “robust” oil and gas industry in this country – but then made it almost impossible to get a new drilling permit.
He told Congress that drilling rigs were not leaving the Gulf of Mexico – but rigs were leaving and drilling companies were going bankrupt. He said oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico was at an all-time high in March 2011 – but, in reality, production had fallen by over 30,000 barrels per day.
Not surprisingly, gas prices skyrocketing, hitting $4 a gallon in the spring of 2011 and then $5 a gallon in the summer. With transportation costs soaring, prices for everything from food at the grocery store to shirts at department store also increased.
---------
"We are on life support right now and there is not a lot of time left. We have had a number of drill ships that have left the Gulf and have gone to other parts of the world. They are likely not to return in the short term and maybe not return at all.
The expertise associated with these operations are also being lost. People are frustrated and giving up. Companies can no longer pay these people without income.
If we can't get relief in the very, very short term we are going to see a change where we start losing this capability. The ramifications on the U.S. in terms of lower production volumes will put more pressure on imports and expose us to a higher balance of payment issues, exposure to more OPEC issues, security and supply issues—it will just get worse." - Gary Luquette, President of Chevron's North America Exploration and Production
----
Jan 27 (Reuters) - Some of the 30-plus deepwater rigs that were in the Gulf of Mexico have moved to other markets, first because of a U.S. halt called last May after BP Plc's (BP.L: Quote) well blowout, and then because of the lack of permits once the moratorium was lifted.
Below are rigs contracted to work in the Gulf of Mexico that have been or will be moved to other regions.
* Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (DO.N) said on July 9 that the Ocean Endeavor, contracted to earn about $290,000 per day from Devon Energy Corp (DVN.N: Quote) in the Gulf of Mexico, would move to Egypt under a new deal with Burullus Gas Co. [ID:nN09154557]
* Diamond said on July 12 it would move the Ocean Confidence, under contract to Murphy Oil Corp (MUR.N), from the Gulf to the Republic of Congo. [ID:nN12212133] The rig is now drilling wells for Cobalt International Energy Inc (CIE.N: Quote) off Angola, but is due to return to U.S. waters in October.
* Transocean (RIGN.VX: Quote)(RIG.N:), the world's largest offshore drilling contractor, said on Sept. 1 that it had moved its Marianas rig, under contract to Italy's Eni (ENI.MI:), from the Gulf to work in Nigeria. [ID:nN01152276]
* Transocean said on Sept. 14 that its Discoverer Americas vessel, under contract to Norway's Statoil (STL.OL:), was leaving for Egypt and was due back in the Gulf in March. [ID:nN14103743]
* Ensco Plc (ESV.N: Quote) said on Dec. 1 that its newly built 8503 rig, under contracted with Cobalt, would work for Tullow Oil Plc (TLW.L:) off French Guiana for three months. [ID:nN01131883]
* Pride International Inc's (PDE.N:) newly built Deep Ocean Ascension, under contract with BP, is moving to the Mediterranean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico in the first quarter, according to the latest Pride fleet update.
* Noble Corp (NE.N:) said on Jan. 27 that the Clyde Boudreaux would move to Brazil for a year at a knock-down rate of $290,000 per day to work for Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L:), starting mid-April, and that it expected more to follow.
----
Faced with uncertainly and a clearly hostile Obama Administration, deep water oil drilling rigs are starting to pack up and move out of the Gulf of Mexico. On Friday, the CEO of Houston area Diamond Offshore, Larry Dickerson, announced, “As a result of the uncertainties surrounding the offshore drilling moratorium, we are actively seeking international opportunities to keep our rigs fully employed.”
Devon Energy Corporation, which had been leasing the Endeavor, paid Diamond a $31 million dollar early termination fee to get out of its commitment. There are currently 33 deep water project which are affected by the ban. It is difficult to determine exactly how many jobs will be lost and if the rigs will ever return to American waters. Each rig generally has over 100 jobs on the actual platform at any one time and a large number of support people on shore.
Estimates have run as high as 10,000 high paying jobs could be lost.
In all likelihood this rig moving to friendlier water is just the first of such announcements. With President Obama pushing hard for a six month moratorium of this type of drilling, many other deep water drilling platforms will likely follow. President Obama, despite having already lost twice in the courts to continue the ban, has said his administration needed more time to review and implement new safety standards. He also wants to form a commission to investigate the cause of the April 20th BP oil spill.
----
Someday, you will be pumping gas, staring at the digital numbers racing by, and you’ll wonder: “How could I possibly be paying $6 a gallon for gasoline?”
You also will be wondering why so many of your friends and relatives are still looking for work. Or why America is more dependent on foreign oil than ever before.
If you look back to today, you’ll remember why: President Obama’s de facto moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
You’ll recall how Gulf workers had begged the White House to approve new permits for oil exploration. They were losing their jobs and gas prices were soaring. It made sense to get everyone back to work exploring for oil in the Gulf.
Obama responded from the Bizarro World. He said he wanted to cut America’s dependence on foreign oil. Then his administration effectively blocked U.S. offshore exploration, refusing to approve but a handful of deepwater permits in the Gulf. He said he wanted incentives for domestic drilling, then sought new limits on drilling leases.
Oh, yes, Obama did call for more drilling in 2011… in Brazil. He traveled there to tell Brazil’s leaders that he was looking forward to importing more of their oil. “We want to help with technology and support to develop these oil reserves safely, and when you’re ready to start selling, we want to be one of your best customers,” Obama said.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, meanwhile, told Congress that he was in favor of a “robust” oil and gas industry in this country – but then made it almost impossible to get a new drilling permit.
He told Congress that drilling rigs were not leaving the Gulf of Mexico – but rigs were leaving and drilling companies were going bankrupt. He said oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico was at an all-time high in March 2011 – but, in reality, production had fallen by over 30,000 barrels per day.
Not surprisingly, gas prices skyrocketing, hitting $4 a gallon in the spring of 2011 and then $5 a gallon in the summer. With transportation costs soaring, prices for everything from food at the grocery store to shirts at department store also increased.
---------
"We are on life support right now and there is not a lot of time left. We have had a number of drill ships that have left the Gulf and have gone to other parts of the world. They are likely not to return in the short term and maybe not return at all.
The expertise associated with these operations are also being lost. People are frustrated and giving up. Companies can no longer pay these people without income.
If we can't get relief in the very, very short term we are going to see a change where we start losing this capability. The ramifications on the U.S. in terms of lower production volumes will put more pressure on imports and expose us to a higher balance of payment issues, exposure to more OPEC issues, security and supply issues—it will just get worse." - Gary Luquette, President of Chevron's North America Exploration and Production
----
Jan 27 (Reuters) - Some of the 30-plus deepwater rigs that were in the Gulf of Mexico have moved to other markets, first because of a U.S. halt called last May after BP Plc's (BP.L: Quote) well blowout, and then because of the lack of permits once the moratorium was lifted.
Below are rigs contracted to work in the Gulf of Mexico that have been or will be moved to other regions.
* Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (DO.N) said on July 9 that the Ocean Endeavor, contracted to earn about $290,000 per day from Devon Energy Corp (DVN.N: Quote) in the Gulf of Mexico, would move to Egypt under a new deal with Burullus Gas Co. [ID:nN09154557]
* Diamond said on July 12 it would move the Ocean Confidence, under contract to Murphy Oil Corp (MUR.N), from the Gulf to the Republic of Congo. [ID:nN12212133] The rig is now drilling wells for Cobalt International Energy Inc (CIE.N: Quote) off Angola, but is due to return to U.S. waters in October.
* Transocean (RIGN.VX: Quote)(RIG.N:), the world's largest offshore drilling contractor, said on Sept. 1 that it had moved its Marianas rig, under contract to Italy's Eni (ENI.MI:), from the Gulf to work in Nigeria. [ID:nN01152276]
* Transocean said on Sept. 14 that its Discoverer Americas vessel, under contract to Norway's Statoil (STL.OL:), was leaving for Egypt and was due back in the Gulf in March. [ID:nN14103743]
* Ensco Plc (ESV.N: Quote) said on Dec. 1 that its newly built 8503 rig, under contracted with Cobalt, would work for Tullow Oil Plc (TLW.L:) off French Guiana for three months. [ID:nN01131883]
* Pride International Inc's (PDE.N:) newly built Deep Ocean Ascension, under contract with BP, is moving to the Mediterranean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico in the first quarter, according to the latest Pride fleet update.
* Noble Corp (NE.N:) said on Jan. 27 that the Clyde Boudreaux would move to Brazil for a year at a knock-down rate of $290,000 per day to work for Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L:), starting mid-April, and that it expected more to follow.
----
Faced with uncertainly and a clearly hostile Obama Administration, deep water oil drilling rigs are starting to pack up and move out of the Gulf of Mexico. On Friday, the CEO of Houston area Diamond Offshore, Larry Dickerson, announced, “As a result of the uncertainties surrounding the offshore drilling moratorium, we are actively seeking international opportunities to keep our rigs fully employed.”
Devon Energy Corporation, which had been leasing the Endeavor, paid Diamond a $31 million dollar early termination fee to get out of its commitment. There are currently 33 deep water project which are affected by the ban. It is difficult to determine exactly how many jobs will be lost and if the rigs will ever return to American waters. Each rig generally has over 100 jobs on the actual platform at any one time and a large number of support people on shore.
Estimates have run as high as 10,000 high paying jobs could be lost.
In all likelihood this rig moving to friendlier water is just the first of such announcements. With President Obama pushing hard for a six month moratorium of this type of drilling, many other deep water drilling platforms will likely follow. President Obama, despite having already lost twice in the courts to continue the ban, has said his administration needed more time to review and implement new safety standards. He also wants to form a commission to investigate the cause of the April 20th BP oil spill.
----
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Difference Between Republicans and Democrats
Or at least ONE of the differences...
Watching this clip is a 'laugh or cry' moment. You can literally see the pain on the face of EPA Deputy Administrator Mathy Stanislaus, a political appointee, as is is forced to say the word 'jobs'. And he refuses to admit there was no consideration of the impact of jobs in their economic studies ("directly" Vs "indirectly"???), and does everything he can to avoid providing a straight answer. I would think the +/- on jobs would be on the list of any first year Econ 101 student when looking at economic impact. If I were a betting man, I would put money on the Democrats putting jobs first on the list if the impact was positive. When it comes to saving fish, owls, or salamanders Democrats has no issue with the negative impact on the economy and jobs. Never mind that green energy is massively expensive and green jobs can't exist without huge amounts of government subsidies. Bio fuels have little impact on the overall pollution from cars, but have created another never ending government funded program and driven basic food cost spiraling.
Gardner is one of the House Republicans swept into office during last year's Tea Party movement. A movement that, according to Harry Reid, is dead. I'd say Gardner may have some life left in him yet.
Watching this clip is a 'laugh or cry' moment. You can literally see the pain on the face of EPA Deputy Administrator Mathy Stanislaus, a political appointee, as is is forced to say the word 'jobs'. And he refuses to admit there was no consideration of the impact of jobs in their economic studies ("directly" Vs "indirectly"???), and does everything he can to avoid providing a straight answer. I would think the +/- on jobs would be on the list of any first year Econ 101 student when looking at economic impact. If I were a betting man, I would put money on the Democrats putting jobs first on the list if the impact was positive. When it comes to saving fish, owls, or salamanders Democrats has no issue with the negative impact on the economy and jobs. Never mind that green energy is massively expensive and green jobs can't exist without huge amounts of government subsidies. Bio fuels have little impact on the overall pollution from cars, but have created another never ending government funded program and driven basic food cost spiraling.
Gardner is one of the House Republicans swept into office during last year's Tea Party movement. A movement that, according to Harry Reid, is dead. I'd say Gardner may have some life left in him yet.
Friday, April 15, 2011
More Broken Promises
From ABC News:
"In a statement issued Friday night, President Obama took issue with some provisions in the budget bill – and in one case simply says he will not abide by it.
Last week the White House and congressional Democrats and Republicans were involved in intense negotiations over not only the size of the budget for the remainder of the FY2011 budget, and spending cuts within that budget, but also several GOP “riders,” or policy provisions attached to the bill.
One rider – Section 2262 -- de-funds certain White House adviser positions – or “czars.” The president in his signing statement declares that he will not abide by it.
“The President has well-established authority to supervise and oversee the executive branch, and to obtain advice in furtherance of this supervisory authority,” he wrote. “The President also has the prerogative to obtain advice that will assist him in carrying out his constitutional responsibilities, and do so not only from executive branch officials and employees outside the White House, but also from advisers within it. Legislative efforts that significantly impede the President's ability to exercise his supervisory and coordinating authorities or to obtain the views of the appropriate senior advisers violate the separation of powers by undermining the President's ability to exercise his constitutional responsibilities and take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
Therefore, the president wrote, “the executive branch will construe section 2262 not to abrogate these Presidential prerogatives.”
In other words: we know what you wanted that provision to do, but we don’t think it’s constitutional, so we will interpret it differently than the way you meant it."
And this from The One in 2008, making promises of how he will hold power:
Exit question: What will he be willing to say in the next 18 months in order to be re-elected and hang on to his power?
Meanwhile, staffers of the Most Transparent White House Ever! continue to meet with lobbyists in a coffee shop away from the White House so they won't have to report the meetings.
"In a statement issued Friday night, President Obama took issue with some provisions in the budget bill – and in one case simply says he will not abide by it.
Last week the White House and congressional Democrats and Republicans were involved in intense negotiations over not only the size of the budget for the remainder of the FY2011 budget, and spending cuts within that budget, but also several GOP “riders,” or policy provisions attached to the bill.
One rider – Section 2262 -- de-funds certain White House adviser positions – or “czars.” The president in his signing statement declares that he will not abide by it.
“The President has well-established authority to supervise and oversee the executive branch, and to obtain advice in furtherance of this supervisory authority,” he wrote. “The President also has the prerogative to obtain advice that will assist him in carrying out his constitutional responsibilities, and do so not only from executive branch officials and employees outside the White House, but also from advisers within it. Legislative efforts that significantly impede the President's ability to exercise his supervisory and coordinating authorities or to obtain the views of the appropriate senior advisers violate the separation of powers by undermining the President's ability to exercise his constitutional responsibilities and take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
Therefore, the president wrote, “the executive branch will construe section 2262 not to abrogate these Presidential prerogatives.”
In other words: we know what you wanted that provision to do, but we don’t think it’s constitutional, so we will interpret it differently than the way you meant it."
And this from The One in 2008, making promises of how he will hold power:
Exit question: What will he be willing to say in the next 18 months in order to be re-elected and hang on to his power?
Meanwhile, staffers of the Most Transparent White House Ever! continue to meet with lobbyists in a coffee shop away from the White House so they won't have to report the meetings.
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