new drilling in the U.S

Not sure I like the move but at least it's better than drilling ANWR.

Are you serious? You do know that Virginia Governor can't actually permit sea drilling right? Sure, he can write and grant whatever he wants but that doesn't mean there is any teeth behind it. Read the Constitution.

The reason the gov. was moving foward on this is because Bush lifted the ban back in 2008. Gov. Timothy Kain a Dem. backed the idea and started moving foward to start drilling a couple years back.

The difference between what Bush did and what Obama is doing is that Bush's move was just a lift on an executive ban, it wasn't law; it had no legislative or federal authority. In other words, it was largely symbolic.

Today's move by Obama will, at some point, go to Congress for a vote and has specific perimeters on what regions are authorized for drilling.
Well then what did this sentence mean.
"In September, the Democratic-controlled House and Senate decided not to renew a separate, congressional moratorium on offshore drilling that had been in place for more than two decades. "

Sounds like congress let the ban run out so it was allready open for drilling.

Saden this is what was in the article about Bush lifting the ban in 08. So it looks like congress let it run out all ready.

More radical liberalism from Obama. Seriously, I think there's some common sense politics and economics at play here.

I think the president is willing to bend on a campaign promise to make America less oil dependent and hopefully garner some bi-partisan support on his energy policy. The left will see this as him caving in (folks are fuming this morning), and the right will hopefully see this as an olive branch. We'll need more oil in ten years whether we drill or not, so why not go for it.

Drill, baby, drill!!

Noooo, really? :)

Are you serious? You do know that Virginia Governor can't actually permit sea drilling right? Sure, he can write and grant whatever he wants but that doesn't mean there is any teeth behind it. Read the Constitution.

No need to get all in a tizzy Mr. Saden. I was responding with my tongue in cheek guess on FD's response, but again, the Constitution, last I checked doesn't specifically mention off-shore drilling, and so an elastic clause/10th amendment debate is just too much for me this morning.

The reason the gov. was moving foward on this is because Bush lifted the ban back in 2008. Gov. Timothy Kain a Dem. backed the idea and started moving foward to start drilling a couple years back.

Like 12thMan Bush's lifting of the executive order ban was merely symbolic. There are federal laws on the books that need to be relaxed or reversed for anyone's to do any sort of ocean drilling. Congress has the power to do something. Not the president, not the governors, not anyone but congress.

No need to get all in a tizzy Mr. Saden. I was responding with my tongue in cheek guess on FD's response, but again, the Constitution, last I checked doesn't specifically mention off-shore drilling, and so an elastic clause/10th amendment debate is just too much for me this morning.


It mentions who has admiralty and maritime jurisdiction and that's all the Constitution needs to do. It doesn't have to talk about fishing or drilling or anything else. Save your energy, no need to debate Section 2 of Article III (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article03/).

I think it's a good move.

I could really care less who initiated it or all the particulars. I mean really, the fact that it's happening is all that really matters.

Like 12thMan Bush's lifting of the executive order ban was merely symbolic. There are federal laws on the books that need to be relaxed or reversed for anyone's to do any sort of ocean drilling. Congress has the power to do something. Not the president, not the governors, not anyone but congress.

Well then what did this sentence mean.
"In September, the Democratic-controlled House and Senate decided not to renew a separate, congressional moratorium on offshore drilling that had been in place for more than two decades. "

Well then what did this sentence mean.
"In September, the Democratic-controlled House and Senate decided not to renew a separate, congressional moratorium on offshore drilling that had been in place for more than two decades. "

Sounds like congress let the ban run out so it was allready open for drilling.

That statement is correct. Once the current moratorium expires, it won't be renewed but replaced with actual policy reversing the ban. I guess to put it more concretely, it's currently not U.S. policy to drill offshore. Lots of talk, lots of orders, bans and reversals, but no legislation has actually been enacted to permit drilling specifying what regions will be tapped.