This is a substantive debate on the issues, with the moderator (Brunswick News reporter Jess Davis) sitting between the two candidates and pitching real questions.
Jack seems peeved to have to be on the same forum as some upstart; sound like certain other debates? Bill was the keynote speaker at the Valdosta Obama office opening.
Bill Gillespie wants to get us out of Iraq by handing over to the Iraqis, preferably within 18 months. Jack Kingston wants any timetable to be decided by the general in Baghdad.
Jack Kingston promotes himself as a champion of renewable energy (although local students don't agree) but then gets off on offshore drilling.
Everyone knows that current gas prices are punishing working families in Central and Southside Virginia (just like the rest of the country. Here in Virginia's 5th District, our Congressman Virgil H. Goode Jr. has adopted the Drill Here Drill Now rhetoric and shown a remarkable ability to pivot any question to the benefits of drilling.
The other day, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann told us that we don't need Nancy Pelosi to save the planet. Jesus has it
covered. Here's what she said:
"[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she's just
trying to save the planet. ... We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet - we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that."
Conservatives are excited that Democrats like Eric Massa are bucking the party on the energy crisis. Massa is calling for Congress to stay in session to address the energy crisis, echoing Al Gore's request. And American Solutions for Winning the Future is apparently encouraging town hall appearances.
Drill Here, Drill Now -- But What Are The Oil Companies Planning?
Nationally, Drill Here, Drill Now seems to be the only issue where Republicans are gaining any traction with voters during 2008. For those who don't know, Drill Here, Drill Now started on the website www.americansolutions.com. A couple of mouse clicks on the American Solutions website will take you to a screen with friendly welcome from none other than former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
Though I don't think Obama should have caved on drilling for political reasons, there are two significant differences between his shift on this issue and his shift on FISA. The first difference is that on drilling, when he puts forward the concept of a compromise, it's actually a real compromise. While it opens up some new areas for drilling, it also does the following.
Normally on opening the day I try to figure out what other people are saying and make that the headline. Today I'm a bit surprised that the compromise that both McCain and Obama are inching towards on opening up more lands for oil leases isn't getting more traction, as this will help both Obama and McCain solidify the narrative that both are reasonable people trying to do the right thing for the country across party lines.
Obama is siding with the 'Gang of 10' in the Senate who want to break the impasse on oil drilling. Ian Welsh at Firedoglake has the explanation.
Interestingly, now John McCain is signaling that he too wants to compromise on drilling.
The wealthy are getting hurt in the downturn as well.
Brookings Senior Fellow and former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs SUSAN RICE, UT Austin LBJ School of Public Policy Dean and former Deputy National Security Advisor JAMES STEINBERG. Willams & Connolly trial lawyer and former special counsel to President Clinton GREGORY CRAIG, and lastly, Washington Institute for Near East Policy counselor and former Clinton Middle East envoy and negotiator DENNIS ROSS.
Obama is liberal and corrupt, says another anti-Obama book. Movement conservatives are arguing about the right line of attack, but the thesis in this latest book seems to be losing.
"I don't think you beat Obama by saying that he's Paris Hilton," said Freddoso, a reporter for the conservative magazine National Review, referring to McCain's latest advertising campaign. "The more important thing is really to look at is he who he says he is? Is he really this great reformer?"
Nancy Pelosi is still pushing Chet Edwards for VP. I don't get it. Nice conservative guy in R+17 district does not make a good VP pick.
Drew Westen offers some advice for Obama on how he can handle race.
Obama has a new ad out hitting McCain on gas prices and his ties to oil executives. It's a standard DC Democratic ad, with sad music interloped over a narrative against McCain and his contributions from oil executives as gas is pumped into a car (and the price register increases), followed by an upsurge in music and Barack Obama's plan. It's the same ad we've seen a million times before.
Obama said he might support more drilling if it were paired with comprehensive energy conservation measures and alternative energy development. So what's the headline?
I'm sure the Republicans are going to praise Obama for his flexible stance now that he's decided to push a compromise with their oh so practical agenda. There's no way they will use this to push the idea that he's unprincipled. They wouldn't dare set up a web site called http://www.bothwaysbarack.com/
Awesome. And awesome position that he's put Pelosi in, who has refused to allow a vote on driling in the House.
