It certainly caught us by surprise to see President Obama announcing that he wanted to pierce America's sacred no-no spots and withdraw that sweet, sweet liquid. Oil. We hardly relish the idea of the entire Eastern seaboard being swamped with all sorts of oil industry apparatus, what with oil drifting into vacation spots and the fishes and lobsters being forced to make hast to safer climes. We assume that Obama is being selective and that the technology is sufficiently benign and industrial doom won't happen.
Others have wondered why Obama is giving this "gift" to the Republicans, with speculation leaning toward the idea that a comprehensive energy policy can better be had if everyone has a little something worthwhile to gain.
Our view is that it's a trap for Republicans. Given previous intransigence, the Obama Administration is hardly deluded into thinking that Republicans will vote for what they want (oil drilling), if voting for what they want means someone else--the great, socialist Satan--gets what he wants. They will say no.
But by announcing all of this, Obama immediately gets those on his left more engaged and ready to put up a fight, while rather freezing those on his right, who cannot claim to dislike something they have been requesting, even if this version is more limited than their desire. Republicans will say "no". Obama knows they will say "no".
At the end of the process he can say, "I tried to work with them, but they did not want real change," and he will do some version of whatever he wants, but with greater inoculation from false charges. Given his opportunity in power, he is determined to do something and leave a mark, however perfect or imperfect.
Other News:
Californians openly scared drilling off East coast is a Trojan horse for drilling off the West coast.
Skanky, nasty women are outraged over whoring, two-timing Tiger Woods. Vanity Fair spices up the nasty-cakes and gives you a bite (via New York Mag).
Is morality a genetic process? Here doctors find moral judgments are influenced by magnetic pulses, where the same sample group changes their assessment of a situation after being pulsed. This can take us in interesting directions. On the other hand, if we are creating a temporary 4-year old type mental state, a type of transitional retardation, it may not be that surprising at all. If some of those with special disabilities lack higher level moral functioning, inducing a slowed, mental state in a standard person ought to have similar outcome.
Eric Brown, a consultant for the Republican Party, spent nearly $2000 at a night club filled with things your moms, wives, and fellow conservatives might frown on.What's worse, or amusing, is that Brown was just covering a bill by an RNC staffer whose credit card would not accept the charge. The RNC's recruiter of young donors, Allison Meyers, was dismissed for her role in asking Brown to cover her bill and for seeking reimbursement for the charge.
Ricky Martin is proud to be gay. He is telling us now. We knew this. Ages ago. Sometimes you don't know who is gay. This was not one of those times.
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