CNN

The Republicans are idiots. How can anyone take their short-term political calculating seriously.

Did the US during WW II take over some factories to help in the effort to fight the war? Maybe the US Gov should take over the Oil Companies because we are fighting two wars and the American People need help.

Also, with the price per barrel up from $32 in 2004 to $146 in 2008...how come a quart of oil has not gone up 3 to 4 times compared to 2004 prices? Do I hear price fixing by the BIG OIL COMPANIES...hmmmmm....

Before you start posting ideas first Google

"Oil Capped Wells "posted by Len In Washington

THATS EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE...LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS FOR ENERGY..!!!

Drill Drill Drill! The world is run on oil, and it will be in the foreseeable future. If there are feasible alternative fuels, the free market will take care of it... leave the marketplace alone.

ANWR is nothing special... it is a barren wasteland. None of you people have been there, and probably never will.

And do you people even know what market speculation is? Speculators do not drive the price of anything. It's simply a bet on what they think will happen to prices in the future. If they bet prices will go higher and they do, they win. If not, they lose. Their actions have no effect on the spot price of the commodity.

You guys need a lesson in ECON 101 so you can lose your Socialist mentality...

Maybe while they are up there they can look at the melting polar ice cap that hasn't happened before in known human history. But I'm sure they wouldn't dare call it global warming

How many of John McShame lobbyist and his colombian & Mexican drug cartels gonna be on the trip?!....

more tax breaks to oil companies to in drill ANWR, then sell to americans at sky rocketing prices and make record breaking profits.....while McSame = Gdubya and Dchanney Halliburton smile to the banks with our billions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

McBush = 4 MORE YEARS OF FAILED GEORGE BUSH ECONOMIC POLICIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, this is a nonissue. It's not going to matter what happens, either way, we' re not getting any oil price reduction.

There are other ways to improve the economy... Republicans.

There's only ONE environment... if you screw it up, there's nothing you can do.

Obama '08

These republicans are rediculous..No new drilling. Thats not the answer. Give Ford and GM government grants to build hybrid cars and sell them cheap.

Wouldnt it be nice to only have to fill up once a month?

This an indoctrination session for the newbies masquerading as a political stunt on OUR dime!

Gotta make sure those future dissemblers toe the party line!

Even the announcement is double-speak: WIND and SOLAR are CURRENT technologies that can be expanded NOW. They make the difference between black-out or full power in California NOW, not in the "longer-term".

What does "longer-term" mean, anyway? Maybe longer than the next quarterly dividend from Big Oil oligarchs in Houston.

If some of you democrats saying wgat a waste of time would keep up with wrold affairs you might learn somethimg and you wouldn't be brain dead from american idol or rap music. Anwr has a minimuin of 10 years of oil, the coast has a lot of oil. The chinese has already made a deal with mexico and will be drilling 50 miles of off the coast lines of texas, florida, lousianna. The technology they will use will not be as safisticated as ours but still good enough to get the oil right up to the u.s. beaches.Somebody is going to get it. You can put americans to work and supply our on oil or you can pay the chinese and whoever else decides to cut the deal.The republicans wanted to drill off the coast and anwr 20 years ago and guess what the democrats have always blocked it. So when you pay that high price for your gas tank or for that food and everything elsa , thank the democrats..

Take a close look at the lawmakers in Washington , they drive SUV's , fly private planes and as most of them are wealthy , it doesn't hurt them financially to fill up their tanks.
It has been 3 years since I was last in Europe , but I remember seeing such an abundance of new windmills and I was impressed with the increase of solar panels on so many buildings.
An election is coming up and it is your chance to ask your candidates some tough questions and yes , do demand some decent answers.
So far McCain is the only one who is trying to come up with some solution and explore other venues , Obama has become a total flip flopper and it is insulting that he thinks he can get away with it.
He is arrogant and has started to believe his own hype.

I agree with the republicans . Go to Anwr and take pictures and come back to the states and show where they are wanting to drill. I have hunted since i was a young boy. I have never seen an animal run into something or a tree and kill itself. Animals adapt to objects placed in the wild. Now I have seen or heard of a lot of two legged dumb animals killing themselves on objects or out in the wild. The liberal democrats are wrong on this as they are with most things. Drill the heck in anwr and off the coast and drive the prices down and simultainously start working on alternate energy resources in the meantime.

No comments critical and truthfull about CNN's candidate Obama are allowed to be posted. So much for a Free Press.

I voted Republican all my life, and I contributed to McCain's campaign, but no longer. Drilling in ANWR? That's part of the "comprehensive approach to help lower gas prices"?

It's time for us PUMAs to rally for Obama. We need a change we can believe in. With 18 million PUMAs voting for Obama, we can send a message to McCain and the other party sell-outs: Not this time!

– PUMA 4 Obama

Quick, BHO, time for a speech. Instead of sitting at a town hall meeting and debating McCain on issues, please go out and make a speech about the environment. While you are at it, how about a few speeches about the nut running Iran?

Just another free paid vacation. Leave the area alone. There isn't enough oil to warrant the drilling. The oil companies just want to have more oil to ship over seas instead of leaving it in our country. It will be nothing more than a drop in comparison to the US needs. Wind, Solar and Electric cars, that's what we need. Where's the tax incentives and billion dollar subsidies for these kinds of energy ... the government doesn't seem to have any difficulty supporting big oil. Republican or Democrat!

I think it is a bit hypocritical of the Republicans and McCain to want to grab landleases in sensitive areas when they haven't even used their 68 million acres already granted. It's not about saving Americans money by lowering gas prices...it's about grabbing all the land they can without regard for the consequences to future generations. If the Bush mentality were in effect last century...we wouldn't have our National Park system, it'd all be run by coporations ala Disney-like, exploited and made useless instead of something of beauty and pride in our more natural places. That includes the beautiful coastlines off Florida and California. Besides...by the time they get the oil out...we should be onto more renewable energy or domestic souces by then, like ethanol and methanol, or liquified coal. Our vast stores of natural gas (LNP) can also power cars without a drop of middle east oil. Let's get to it!!!

GOP take Cheney and all other oil barons with you. Drilling in ANWR IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE OUR ENERGY CRISIS.
BECAUSE;
Global demand for oil is going up and up.(China and India)
even if they drill in ANWR, it is going to be 10-12 before we get any oil production

We have to reduce our consumption. (If you want to drive gas guzzlers 6-8 miles a gallon) ANWR is not going to help

Wow, these guys just keep helping out those oil companies. What good guys, I mean we all know oil companies are having a tough time of it while we all just breeze along. No wonder they hand those good republicans all that money to run campains. geez thats, so good for America

What time is it .....Election Time ........Americans are not STUPID !!

Don't you get the feeling that the republicans are watching
a marathon of the Twlight Zone! Over and Over again!

Who owns the Refineries? Duh

There are millions of acres to drill on & Exxon and the bush
crime family are crying about ANWAR! Pitiful

Siphon from the Oil Reserve for immediate relief! Duh again!

Beam them up Scotty!

They better not start drilling in ANWR. It's not going to get us anywhere.

Pushing to drill in ANWR is another PRIME example of the Republicans biting the hand that feeds them.

I'm not a Republican and I'm not a Democrat but this is BS for sure. We can't drill our way out of this AT ALL.

Man up and come up with a real solution already, legislators!!!

Maybe this issue should be solved by experts and the citizens of Alaska...not the feds!

Dems have no clue about ANWR. Research the SIZE of the area compared to the entire state of Alaska that they want to drill in. There is no lush mountainous wilderness that they want to drill in. It is a barren wasteland that offers nothing to the environment nor the animals.

Please do some research. I don't care about ANWR anyway. They need to start drilling offshore.

Dems, what beats 5-10 years out? Hydrogen cars? LOL! More hybrids? LOL! Solar? LOL!!! Please enlighten us with your plans...

CONSERVATION is the answer!

Not more drilling!

It is time for Americans to stop being so spoiled–you don't need three or four cars per family!

America's young have NO CLUE what cutting back means.

Here's a hint: Learn how to keep a huge pot of soup cooking on the back burner. That is an old Depression idea that kept families alive.

What was in the soup? Everything that we normally toss in the garbage or down the disposal.

I haven't voted for a Democrat for President since Jimmy Carter, and in the end probably won't this cycle. But I am really fed up with the GOP who have been in power and done not one thing to improve alternative energy sources or more fuel efficient vehicles. Instead, they have taken money from big business to maintain the status quo.
So, when I see this minority mouthpiece say what he would do, it's only because he is in the minority now. He is still flapping his lips
hoping somebody will buy what he is trying to sell.

Problem is, so is Obama. He is already changing his positions on "change" and doesn't have the least idea of what he and his cronies will do on any issue. Just selling notions and hoping people will buy them.

It is a sad state of affairs when the best this country can come up with for the office of President is a junior Senator without any track record and a worn out old man. If McCain wants to improve his chances, see if he can get Democratic Senator Jim Webb to run as his VP.

Sounds like the republicans want the last cookie in the jar to go along with all the others they have stolen!

The congressional republicans need to get back to work and do the job we are paying them for, finding solutions to the problems instead of grandstanding.

We have a country of gas guzzling cars and for the past 30 years the republicans keep telling us that American manufactures can't afford to design a more fuel efficient car and truck. Well the Japanese manufactures have done it and now our dollars and jobs are going overseas.

Stop the GRANDSTANDING REPUBLICANS!

Who cares where the Republicans go it is sad that the tax payers have to pay for this a waste of time and money. They are a bunch of Morons just like the president.

Just a question Whats with all the counting lately? Are all the so called educated showing us they can count and a
5-4-3-2-1-

You have my one finger salute Boneheader.Yes drill there and sell it to the Japanese,makes sense to most morons.

How abut burning garbage at high temps? It's cheap, it works, and there's no pollution. They are doing it in Florida already, where there is no room for piles of garbage that sit for 50 years decaying...is this the answer? No more drilling!

Why is it that the oil company's are not drilling the millions of acres that they all ready have the mineral rights for?????

Brian – and all the liberal environmentalists love to sit around and complain but do nothing to really solve the problem; the reality is , we won't have enough alternative energy to meet the demand for a long time. I suggest all the anti-oil drillers live like the Amish and hopefully there are enough of you so the demand for oil can be met. How's that for putting your money where your mouth is? Shortage solved.

liberal hate oil but need oil

Here the GOP goes again. By reframing and asking the same question over, and over again into a newer question. They are insulating themselves from any kind of failure, by pretending that they have not been siting on there hands. In the 1970 President Nixon started the first energy policy to rid the U.S. of dependance on imported oil. This policy was followed and expanded by both President's Ford and Carter. Reagan and the GOP came in and dismantled these policies. And the Saudis rewarded us with $12 a barrel oil. President W signed two energy bill to kick start & fast track nuclear power plants. Shortly after this, 2005, Constellation Energy withdrew it's approved application to start a second reactor at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power plant in Md, and two years later raised electric rates by %72 in 2006, and an other 7% in 2008. These companies are profit driven and do not care about the greater economy or national security. Just like the GOP taking a field trip to Alaska.

Republicans have leased out America, borrowed money from our foes like China, and are allowing foreign Arab nations to buy up American property like the Chrysler building in New York. EMBARRASHING to say the least. They are ruining our Country and putting us in a sink hole. Whatever they are doing, we should run and go the other way.

Blame the democrats, not the republicans on this one folks. In the past 2 years the price of oil has more than doubled. What has the democrat led congress done about it? Nothing. Their solution? Let's just tax our way out of this. If you raise the taxes on an industry that is already on of the highest taxed industries, who will pay the tax? THE CONSUMERS! The other part of their solution makes sense: find alternative clean fuels. But in the meantime, American families are going deeper into debt while the democrat led congress twiddles their thumbs and argues over which energy plan should we go with. The Republicans are more than willing to work with them if they will only allow more drilling as a way to buy us more time. Whatever energy source we move to, we have to build the infrastructure to support that source. More than 1.4 million citizens have signed the Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less petition. This petition calls for more drilling here in the U.S. in order to bring down gas prices while the country develops alternative fuels. Have the democrats listened? When have they ever listened to the people? They are too busy getting money for their pet projects or getting unnecessary money for people who won't go out and get a job. Electing Obama this fall will mean only the rich like Obama will survive financially. He's just in this for power, nothing more. Nothing less.

This is unbelievable. I guess everyone is so freakin' gullible they will let these pigs have their cake and eat it too. The science to get off of oil dependence exists now, and has for so long it's crazy. These companies will suck every last drop out of the ground with the help of the government despite the enviromental and economic impact before conveniently switching us over to new technology. What about "Industry's" big conversions to war time mode during World War 2 & Kennedy's Space Race with the Russia, OUR GOVERNMENT COULD'VE HAD US OFF OIL AFTER SEPT 2001 – BY NOW- IF WE WERENT SO LAZY AND BRAINWASHED INTO NOT DEMANDING CHANGE. Obama-maniacs why can't you get this man to say and do more on this issue?

The Republicans won't learn a thing about reality in their little trip. They want to rape the ANWR and are just looking for an excuse, despite the fact that it would take years to harvest a drop of oil and the shale isn't cost effective to work. Time to get rid of the Republicans and their wars, debts and ineptitude...

The Truth, tells it like it is

Maxine – read the whole article before you spin off.

Sean – What are the long term consequences?

Some of you folks have bought into Gore's "convenient lies".

Chris K – Are you still using any kind of petroleum products? If so, you are being hypocritical along with all the other gas guzzlers (or sippers for that matter!) Go Amish if you're going to complain

Maxine – read the whole article before you spin off.

Sean – What are the long term consequences?

Some of you folks have bought into Gore's "convenient lies".

Chris K – Are you still using any kind of petroleum products? If so, you are being hypocritical along with all the other gas guzzlers (or sippers for that matter!) Go Amish if you're going to complain.

As a Democrat, I can respect a Republican who is honest with voters about what he believes and what he would do in office than I ever could respect a failed Democratic leader like Pelosi or whatever Obama is.

I've been unenthusiastic about candidates fielded by the Democratic Party before, but I've never been as ashamed of the leadership of my own party in my whole life so much as I have been this year.

NFIL

So, I guess this falls into McCain's clean renewable energy resources. Who needs nature when there's all that oil to be had! Wildlife?!? pfft!
Hydro? Solar? Wind? HELL NO!!! We need more depleted uranium and potential targets (Nuclear Towers) for evildoers to attack.

What's wrong with the oil wells we already have, but are inactive? How about the record stockpile of oil that bush is sitting on? I did the math. It's worth a trillion dollars by today's barrel prices. Is bush going to sell us back our own oil at the pump that we paid for, or is someone else holding stock on the u.s. oil reserves?

McCain's plan is to keep doing things that put us hardworking folks into financial limbo. Work to live?

If we had drilled back when Clinton vetoed it, we would be reaping the rewards. Ten years from now we will be even more dependent on foreign oil. What a disaster! Even the die hard Dems I know are questioning the refusal to drill.

Just because an area is leased DOESN'T MEAN IT HAS OIL! Oil companies picked up millions of acres of leases before they did seismic surveys on them back in the 80's. They found that much of these leased acres had no oil under it.

The quantum leap in 3-D seismic technology back then enabled us to drill directly into the oil deposits, thus eliminating all the "dry holes" one used to hear of in the earlier days. Couple that with the directed well drilling (from one platform, an entire oil field can be drilled) and the environment will remain relatively untouched in ANWR.

Let them go. I'm sure the bears are hungry.

I have no problems with oil exploration and extraction from ANWR. Just as long as the following things are true:

(1.) Darth Cheney and all his oil & energy buddies are not allowed to have anything to do with the ANWR enterprise.

(2.) All profits from ANWR must be returned to development of new energies and/or the Nation's transportation infrastructure.

(3.) The GOP is 'NOT' to have any say regarding ANWR policies and future enterprises UNTIL Darth Cheney provide the GAO all notes and information requested in the Decider's first term.

Darth Cheney held a meeting with his oil buddies to help set future U.S. energy polices. 7-years later we see the resulting utter disaster of that strategy meeting. The GAO rightfully requested only information related to U.S. policies on energy, but Darth played hide-and-seek with the information.

(4.) No established oil company is to run ANWR, and that includes Exxon, Shell, Texaco, etc. However the government can contract oil companies to help explore, extract, refine and distribute oil & gasoline; but only to the lowest bidding contractor. Also contracts must be renewable after an established period.

Until the above items are met, , , NO DEBATE IN CONGRESS ON ANWR.

INDEPENDENTS FOR DEMS IN '08

We should table the idea of finding resources that will only come on line ten years from now. We'll wait 10 years and decide that'll it'll take 10 years and decide to table it again...We've done that with global warming, thinking that it would be decades away.

I say use every possible solution. Oil, renewable, whatever else we haven't thought of.

One final note (actually a question), if we went solar or wind, how long will it take before we realize REAL benefits?

I would love to get real details and take the politics out of finding ways to keep our society going (in terms of energy). I abhor the politicizing of all this as it slows us down further. There's enough common interest here.

These clowns are just making tax payers foot the bill for their vacations. The McCain campaign should be billed for this trip because it has no purpose other than to make political hay.

Leaveit to Republicans to have a myopic, one dimensional solution to our energy problems. The stop at the renewable energy lab is just a token gesture.

Let's try to remind the Republicans of one major fact; oil is a finite resource. It will run out, sooner or later. Why wait until oil is $200, 300, 500 a barrel until pushing alternatives? Republicans are just wasting good air.

If you do drill for oil in Alaska and find it , I really hope you don't think you're going to put a pipeline through Canada to the U. S. to transport it. The Canadian people will never allow it. When we dammed James Bay to transfer water to you over l0 thousand elk drowned in the first migration. I will never forget that sight as long as I live.
You better get yourselves a lot of ships.

Drill, drill, drill. I listened to McCain's speech today and he attacked Barack for not wanting to drill. Hmmm...seems Barack has the right idea on not wanting to drill off shore and in places like the wildlife reserve.

My family has an oil rig on our land, it has been proven the oil is there and yet the rig is just sitting there. No pumping going on there. We are willing to let them pump, have authorized the pump on the land and yet, it just sits like so many hundreds others around the country.

Lol Boehner

It is so sad that most of you bloggers know so little about the oil industry.

And y'all lack any common sense at on the subject..

And the down right LIES that most of you are stating, or is it shear ignorance?

If it were left up to most of you, we'd be paying $9 a gallon for gas just like in Germany.

Before you continue down your paths of destroying this country, you need to take a look all around you a see what all is made from oil.

Sad, so Sad.

Obama would prefer us not to drill and us our own resources so we will continue to be dependent on foreign oil?
Sarah Palin of Alaska is for drilling its her own state??
She would make an excellent vice president...she's no Hillary but she would serve Mc Cain well.

Since Pelosi, Reid., and the rest of the majority party have been in control, the average price of a gallon of gas has tripled.

Way to go Dems! Keep blaming Bush for your own lack of initiative.

Oh wait, you are already threatening to sue OPEC. I forgot about that genius strategy. I'm sure the sheiks are shaking in their sandals.

Whoever does not want to search for more oil should be the first to quit using it. The price is cheap as it is.
We also need to find alternative energy sources and do it in a serious way.
Quit buying import merchandise, that drives up oil prices.
Blame both democrats and republicans when you blame, its been since 1973.

I would love to take a trip to Alaska too. Boy, I am sure glad our tax dollars are giving them a nice vacation. Great way to beat the heat.

Since when have Republican Congressmen and Senators become Oil experts.

Conserve, Reuse, Recycle...

OBAMA '08

The party of distraction is at it again, of course ........ it's election time. Bring out the homo-phobes, religious radicals, corporate facisim, etc. Here comes the right wing circus. To bad the number one clown will be off stage and out of a job Jan 20, 2009. Mabe Banher will cry for us again. It's always been better for us when the republicants "do" sit on their hands.

Republicans are determined to destroy the fragile ecology in ANWR for a year's worth of oil instead of investing in the future of the nation and the world. Fossil fuels are a dead end. Blindly refusing to invest in renewable energy sources is shortsighted and foolish. As demand increases and supplies dwindle, desperation will only lead to more wars for control of what little oil and coal remain. We're already late in seriously seeking alternatives and future generations will curse us for our selfishness and greed.

What will they say about a record that reveals that our leaders knew, had the scientific evidence in their hands, and intentionally altered reports to avoid public pressure to act responsibly?

Give it up Pelosi. You are just totally out of touch!

Drilling is essential now. We need to explore every avenue. Obama will soon follow McCain in his drill position because it is the wise thing to do.

Why don't they go visit the THOUSANDS of square miles that are ALREADY open to drilling and have NOT been drilled. If they had started using the land that they already had available SEVEN years ago, then they wouldn't be so far behind. But that's just the republicans, never do anything with what they got, simply look for more stuff they will never use.

This 'offshore drilling' ploy is nothing but pure horsecrap by the republicans. They have a TON of open land available to research/explore but haven't even BEGUN to check it. They need to stop going after more when they can't even get the job done with what they have.

Wake up and vote for change, no more wasting time on vacations to ANWR. Vote Obama.

Beware of Democrats wearing Polar Bear suits! They know no boundary when it comes to scamming people for votes.

Thank you AGAIN republicans for wasting my hard earned money for your nice little trip. I hope they get lost and can't come back.

Great of Speaker Pelosi to release a statement such as that. I'm sure she's really riding high on that soaring Congressional approval level. Democrats are morons.

The Truth:

You are absolutely correct. I don't care what party your from, lets get something done quickly. 4 or 7 years is better than 22+ years.

If there is Oil and if the Energy cost in getting it is lower than its energy yield, It will be drilled for at some point.
The question is should it be now, or should we leave it for future geberations, for use in fertilizers,chemicals,[lastics etc.
The current crop of Republicans owe zero allegiance to future generations.
We are so overwhelmingly dependent on the stuff that we should allow for a glide path to zero usage when it is gone. Not use it for driving to the mall at 60 mph in a Tahoe. Do we ever hear any pol talk about 55 mph speed limit to conserve? Irrelevant Idiots.

I wish that the (I think correct) opponents to expanded drilling (and drilling in ANWR) would more clearly, crisply and forcefully make the point to the rightfully-anxious American public that such drilling will not result in either greater supply or reduced gas prices literally for decades, and that the potential amount of oil recovered will NEVER amount to anything close to the cost of the development and to the risk and damage to the environment (and to industries like fishing).

If the American public were shown the facts in a clear and understandable (yet truthful) way, I have faith that they will see the Republican ruse for what it is: just an attempt to pad the coffers of the oil companies by playing on a sense of financial panic.

I am sick to death of those who present a false choice between the economy and the environment.

The Truth.....just curious here.....what are the Democrats doing?

Have you checked out Barack Obama's COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY PROPOSAL? YOU CAN FIND THIS ON BARACK'S WEBSITE, NOT ONLY DOES IT TELL YOU WHAT BARACK'S POLICIES ARE, BUT THIS WEBSITE ALSO MAKES COMPARISONS BETWEEN BARACK'S AND JOHN McCAIN'S PROPOSALS, so please, do your research!

Who cares what they do.

Keep your grubby paws off the ANWR.

Future generations will thanks America for it!

The oil will be shipped to China anyway.

Short sighted GOP.

If that clown in the White House clown had started investing in renewable energy sources 8 years ago instead of invading Iraq for it's oil, we wouldn't be in this mess...

The republican campaign has always been, and continues to be run by big oil. They understand that you don't bite the hand that feeds you. In short, they will drill drill drill and bomb bomb bomb. Over and out, ten four...

Funny how lefties call republicans "facists" then use the government to outlaw legitimate business from doing what consumers demand. The Left are the ones with no new solutions it is the same old socialist Utopia garbage. Bigger government will fix everything and government control is just great. Well you "commies" can forget it because come November you are going to lose.

This is not the solution people.

If we lift the ban on offshore drilling and start drilling in ANWR it will create a false sense of security and people will continue to fill up their SUV's. We will have to wait a decade to actually see any of this oil and by then gas will cost $10.00 a gallon. Then the oil companies will make even bigger profits off of the small amount of oil that would be extracted from ANWR.

WE NEED TO ELIMINATE OUR DEPENDENCE ON OIL AS AN ENERGY SOURCE!!!

Reduce demand, and the price will go down. I thought Republicans were supposed to understand how the free market works.

Given that we will not be able to ever have enough supply to drive prices down at this point (oil is a limited resource and there is a finite amount of it on the planet, and I don't think China or India will be interested in conservation any time soon), the ONLY way to reduce the price of gas is to reduce the demand.

What is it going to take for Americans to realize that everything will be better when we don't all depend on oil?

It's amazing to see some of the hate-filled rhetoric that CNN allows on this comments section. Most of this stuff wouldn't get past scrutiny on any conservative blog site (the spewing of hate and name-calling by either side, that is).

Seriously people, we do need to drill in ANWR. We do need to drill off the coast of this country. We do need to extract oil from the shale in Colorado and other surrounding states. We do need to open up the capped oil wells. We do need to fix the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico that were damage by Hurricane Katrina but have been too expensive to fix because of leftist government regulatory tactics. And the liberals need to get out of the way of these things.

And we do need to explore alternatives. We currently have enough oil in US territory to fuel 60 million cars for 60 years. And I believe that as we open up exploration, chances are that we'll find even more resources. But...it won't last forever. We need to build more nuclear plants. We need to build more wind farms. We need to build more solar farms. And the liberals need to get out of the way of those things as well! Yes, it was the liberals who blocked a wind farm off Cape Cod because they didn't want it spoiling their view.

We need both and they cannot be mutually exclusive. Industry has been working on alternative energies for decades, but so far there's been nothing that can match the efficiency of petroleum products for travel purposes. Believe me, if there was a way to make a car that runs on salt-water...someone would be building it and making a huge fortune. Government cannot be the ones to choose what alternative is going to win and they shouldn't be bankrolling any of them. The government can't even run a DMV, why should we trust them to run something moderately complex like energy production (or healthcare, God help us!).

The best thing government can do in this situation is stand back and let private industry find the way. Stop obstructing and let capitalism do it's thing. We have laws on the books to prevent damage to the environment (as if the desolate wasteland of ANWR were that precious to keep the way it is!) and if there is damage, the government or, better yet, the harmed individuals can sue the oil companies. That's what the court system is for.

The other thing that needs to happen is an investigation of Congress. For every dollar of oil company profits, those oil companies pay 3 dollars in taxes. Where is all this tax money going? Why is Congress still having trouble balance the budget with this huge influx of tax money that must be coming in as a result of huge oil company profits (and even huger oil company taxes paid)? Since Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid took ascendancy in the House and Senate, oil prices have gone up over 100 percent. Why have they sat and done nothing? Why have they blocked every common sense proposal from the President and Republicans? How are they profiting from our misery? Time to start pointing fingers and, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Reid, the fingers are pointing at you!

How about we just make the switch to solar? Oh, wait, that would be way too easy. I guess it would be like saying let's make CNN adhere to the truth in their journalistic pieces.... hahahahaha!!!

Drill Herer Drill Now Pay Less!

Go there and don't come back!

There we go again...

Instead of focusing on renewable energy, McDrilling wants to spoil the shores of California, Florida, and now is even targetting destruction of ANWR – a true national treasure. Same instant gratification hotmouthing gimmick similar to the gas tax holiday. The prices are high now because Bush thumped his chest, bombed Iraq for no reason, and now most of the middle east feels disrespected and are not willing to increase production. Obama would be able to negotiate lower prices because he's not hated. All the while focusing on excellent and proven strategies to wean us off oil.

While the RNC is at it, perhaps they should drill McBush for some fossil fuel. He is a fossil afterall.

Its about time someone does something and starts to understand the whole picture about ANWAR. i just hope that these people show the
legislators the right area. I have contacted Sen Pat Kreitlow about this several weeks ago and you should have seen the run around I got from his office in Wi.
There is no reason why the oil wells should not be put in this area.
This is a do nothing congress that we have right now. when the people get fed up enough something will happen LIKE VOTE PEOPLE IN POLITICS OUT OF OFFICE AND START ANEW.
Something has to be done and fast. lets start by building more refineries now, uncap the wells and pump oil that the government is paying to leave idle. There is also oil in Wy and Co. if they can,t pump in Alasaka then pump with in the lower forty eight.
I have been studing this for sometime now , something will give before the election in the fall

The US Department of Energy projects that drilling in ANWR will only lower the price of gasoline by TWO CENTS a gallon...in the year 2025. That's SEVENTEEN YEARS from now.

Like everything else the Republicans do, this is nothing but another giveaway of America's resources...so their masters at Exxon (just like their former masters at Enron) can make another hundred billion dollars or so at taxpayer expense.

The GOP has become the greatest criminal enterprise in the history of the world. Teddy Roosevelt must be spinning in his grave.

Republicans are morons. They are only doing this to please their big oil, corporate masters. If we truly we to be energy independent, then we cannot continually rely on a finite resource. Environmentally, how is drilling for more oil (especially in a wildlife refuge) helpful? It truly goes to show where republican values lie.

Who cares about Republicans. Greedy, Greedy and more Greed. Liers on top of lies. Just terrible!!!!!

PLEASE!
THIS IS WHY THE PRICE OF OIL AND GAS HAVE BEEN SO HIGH,
BECAUSE THE OIL COMPANIES HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FORCE
CONGRESS TO ALLOW THE CONTINUED BUTCHERING OF OR
OUR NATIONS WILDLIFE AND PARKS FOR THEIR OWN GREADY
WALLETS.
NO DRILLING! PERIOD!
WE ARE NOT IN DANGER OF RUNNING OUT OF OIL
IT HAS ALL BEEN A LIE!
W A K E U P !

While they're in Alaska they should check into the "progress" of the HAARP and then give US the warm and fuzzy report about that too.

Just another example of Repugnicans catering to those who own them!

GOBAMA 08!!!!!!

If we invested the same money into alternate energy sources, or even nuclear power plants (which are expensive) that we do bickering about this issue we'd be off foreign oil by now! (and we import half our oil)
Seriously, instead of bashing oil companies we could give them incentives that SPECIFICALLY are for expanding the alternate energy market. Let's make it profitable for them! That's the way capitalism works! And amazingly enough, this has already started! Currently the biggest investors into alternate energy ARE the traditional energy companies. Many of them were smart enough to realize that instead of suppressing an unsuppressable market they could get in on it early and make it profitable for themselves!
But I guess politicians and lawyers think they can score more votes and more lobbyist money by propagating this artificial conflict.

We need to drill now, and if it takes us 7 years to get a drop of oil so be it! If this is gonna get us independent of foreign oil it will be all worth it. Should we stop making our mortgage payments because it's gonna take us 30 years to be lien free? Think people think.

And after this expensive trip The Congressman and Freshman Senators will make an announcement to the public stating tht we can drill in America's sacred land, and Solar,Wind, and other alternative energy methods are good, just not as good as oil and will take us longer to depend on than oil, So lets get to drillin; Wahhhahooo

How much gas are these stupid republicans using for this 'energy tour'? I sure could use some of that in my car!

Whey don't we tell the oil companies to drill in places they are already allowed to drill into....there is a lot of oil there too.

I love the argument, 'we shouldn't drill in ANWR because it won't produce much oil...'

ANWR is forecast to be about the same size as Prudhoe Bay which has been pumping oil for THIRTY ONE YEARS and supplying as much as 1/4 of the nation's needs in the process.

'But it will take years to get to market...'

Guess the farmers better not plant any wheat today, you can't bake bread tomorrow. And don't go to college, it will take years to get a degree.

What the GOPs are doing is the opposite of coping with the problem – they are sucking up to their sleezy oil buddies, pure and simple.

There are plenty of other places in the U.S. to drill that don't pose the controversies of ANWAR. The GOPs are trying to seize on the hysteria of oil prices to force through a phony "solution" that opens up wilderness otherwise off-limits. Just like they used the confusion around 9/11 to invade Iraq. Those scumbags never miss a trick.

Don't give in Dems!

What a nice vacation trip. I'm sure their convoy of SUV's will not be in the backdrop of their photo-ops. Get off your dead butts and do something, and while you're at it, STOP doing everything at the expense of American citizens.

The smart November vote for House or Senate (where applicable) is neither Democrat or Republican – it is non-incumbent. Dump these people. They've screwed our nation long enough.

How many drops of oil is ANWR going to provide us with? And after years and years, when it finally begins producing, then peaks and dies out, how much of it are we going to export.

It's time to grow up. The longer oil prices remain high, the more aware of our situation many apathetic Americans will become.

Oil addicts drilling for oil is like cocaine addicts planting coca, and heroine addicts planting poppies. It still takes time to refine and distribute. Why not use what we already have and end speculation!

What is wrong with Nancy Pelosi????? She needs to get a grip on reality and quit using our sovereign safety net for political purposes. The Strategic Oil Reserve is exactly that......a reserve of oil to be used for national defense or other national emergencies which could effect this country and it's ability to sustain our democracy. In light of Iran's threats and other unstable areas the USA is facing on the world front............HOW WOULD WE LOOK RUNNING OUT OF FUEL FOR OUR SHIPS, PLANES, TRAINS, WAR VEHICLES AND OTHER NEEDED MODES OF DOMESTIC TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE OF A LACK OF OIL ??? D.K.

Shannon-because they want to use the high gas prices, they've created, to get us to support more off'shore and ANWR drilling. They are stockpiling permits. They don't want to use the ones they have or the reserves. It is manipulation just like the Iraq war where they used fear to go after oil.

Once again people mistake the symptom for the disease! Gas prices aren't the problem. They are a symptom of two problems:
First, uncontrolled waste of resources. Liberals like to talk about protecting the environment and conserving energy, but in the end they still use their SUVs to drive one block over, a distance they easily could have walked, and they still leave the AC on in their house when they're not home 'so that it'd be cool when they get home.'
Second, an ever weakening dollar. This comes largely from budget deficits (see Iraq war... which we blame on Bush and yet 80% of Americans approved it at its start) and trade deficits. (which we like to blame on China, while showing our patriotism by waving our flags on July 4th... most of those flags having been imported from China too...)

If you want lower gas prices start taking a long hard look in the mirror! Criticism should start at home! Until we clean up our own act we have no right blaming others!

What great timing, I am sure that the fact that an election is coming up has nothing to do with this sudden concern about our energy problems. If the republicians really want to do something worth while lets get Chaney to release information about the people he met with to develope the US energy policy. This is all for show; after the election nothing will be done unless it profits the oil company's.

"American Energy Tour," they insult us!!!!!!!!

it is SCARY how far these thugs are willing to go, or maybe they ARE that stupid, i dont know. but we have GOT TO get the repugs out of both houses!!!

going out on a stupid field trip isn't DOING anything. the dems have been fighting for alternatives to fossil fuels for years, but you dont really believe anything like that would get past the oil man's desk without a veto, do you???

Where's Barack when there's a boon doggle trip. Oh yeah. He's riding around in his big oil burning jet.

All of the above, exept solar, which you just cut funding for. Do you think we are not paying attention?

These crooks are just DROOOOOOLING over the Oil ...you can just feel it. They know now that our country is owned by China and Dubai they need Oil to remail weathy as we all go down the tubes.

BTW, before liberals start praising Obama's great vision and clean hands, you should probably read that lovely Newsweek article (yes, the otherwise far-left biased Newsweek) about how the senator himself has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from oil companies!
Obama 08! If you parrot it enough you might start believing it...

It's all about Oil Company profit and the Republicans who rape and pillage and loot their way around the world.

ANWR only holds about 6 months worth of oil reserves if it were the only source the US had. Would take about 10 years before any ANWR oil makes it out to export after the first exploratory crew goes in.

The profit margin on such oil, ten years out, would be phenominal.

This could be a wonderful opportunity for the Democrats to show just what kind of venal greedhead scum the Oil-Lobby Republicans are.

I'm at a lose! I don't think, my "comments" on this 'trip" is really necessary, at this time.............................Just more "Pandering for oil drilling".............................................You can't make this stuff up! This is real.....................

Just a few numbers:
The oil companies themselves adimitted that at full production (which wouldn't come for a decade) the AWLR oil would be at around 1 million barrels a day.
They also admitted this oil would be slightly more expensive due to the capital expenditure needed to transport that oil.
The current daily consumption of America is over 20 million barrels a day. (about half of which is imported) Thus the AWLR wouldn't fix our long term problems, it wouldn't even aleviate our short term problems. The average American consumer would barely see any benefits to it. The oil companies of course would reap in billions in profit.
...Oil companies who, despite the trade imbalance coming from oil are still exporting a lot of their oil. It's the free market they say...

CNN) – As congressional Republicans step up criticism of Democrats for not allowing votes on legislation that would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration, House GOP

IT is ELECTION TIME........JUST for SHOW!!!!!

Where's Boehner's flag pin?

Must be stuck up Big Oil's Behind!

Let's drill the republican's heads as oil seems to be all that's on their minds.

Next non issue please.

Stay there my friend. You will not be missed.

Why don't you drill in the places that can be drilled right now instead of looking for other places to drill. It reminds me of a child that wants a new chocolate bar before even finishing the one he started. Renewable technology is the simple and only logical solution for the energy adiction we have and in lowering prices by reducing demand for oil.

Don't people get it? Opening up this land will not decrease gas prices only make the rich ricjer/ They would still have to spend millions to set up teh whole operation. How about create a whole new economy by outlawing gas powered cars and making it mandatory that all American driver solar or elecrical powered cars by 2010. This will be the first huge boost to the economy, creating jobs and helping the environment. We have to stop these oil mongers now!

I hope they get attacked by Polar Bears and dragged into the water abd drowned.

The republicans don't care about the environment, the energy crisis, the economy or civil rights (the patriot act). They don't care about anything or anybody but the rich.

It would take at LEAST ten years for oil to reach the refineries in ANWR. This is just political so the republicans can tell there knowledgeable follows they are doing something the Democrats won't do. WHAT A JOKE.

WAKE UP, Drilling is not the solution, it's not even a short term fix. How much oil will the US get from drilling new oil? VERY LITTLE. It's only something to use during the election.

Pelosi should be removed if Democrats want to get back on track.

I am an Obama supporter but we HAVE to do something to reduce oil/gas prices and restore some confidence in the economy. Common sense tells me we WILL have to drill within our own oil reserves to accomplish that. The Saudi's are laughing at us struggling with increased gasoline prices, crying about it on one hand but not wanting to drill here on the other. Their coastlines look very good especially with all the new buildings being paid for with our money.

I keep reading and hearing that Florida is going to have Cuban and Venezulan wells within 25 miles of their shoreline either way. How can it make sense that we sit on our hands and they get the oil that we have to pay $10 gallon gasoline prices for?

IF we had started years ago to produce alternative energy even when Gore was VP, then this may not be necessary. It is TOO LATE NOW not to drill in our own oil reserves. I'm not at all sympatetic with Al Gore's crying about saving the world NOW when he didn't accomplish anything THEN with Clinton. Maybe instead of inventing the internet Gore should have invented an alternative fuel. I am concerned about global warming but we cannot fix it in 5 or even 10 years without pouring resources into alternataive energy. We can't pour money into reserarch if our economy completely fails.

I may very well end up voting for McCain just because of oil prices if Obama and the rest of the democrats won't move toward drilling in our oil reserves. Alternative energy has to happen but is a very long way off. Our oil reserves could provide a bridge to that future. You can forget medicare and social security reform if we don't have a viable economy those programs along with many others won't be around period.

Why isn't McCain pushing for the oil companies to drill in the leased areas they already have??What guarantee is there that they will drill if there are more leases??

Speaker Nancy Pelosi raises a "straw dog" [false issue] in claiming the oil companies can drill in "68 million acres" already under lease. The real issue is that they need to drill WHERE THE OIL IS! It's not like drilling for water, that can be found almost everywhere. It does no good to drill anywhere in those milliions of acres unless there are proven oil reserves.

Ah, but, who are the oil companies to question Nazi [er, Nancy... ] Pelosi who is undoubtedly the world's leading expert at oil production including where to drill to obtain the limitless supplies of oil that are needed today. [JUST KIDDING!]

Surely, we cannot trust the "greedy oil companies" who only want to make a profit. What do they know compared to Nazi [er, Nancy... darn, it just sliped out!] Pelosi?

We must believe the politically appointed [or is it "annointed"] ruler of the House who nearly single-handedly is preventing the "work of the people" from being conducted by refusing to let bills out of committee in a most politically manipulative action designed to deny duely elected representatives of the people of all the other states the Constitutional right to vote on measuers.

OBama is touting "change" but is this the kind of "change" we want! Remember the "good old days" when the Democrats control of the House and gave us the House post office scandal among others?

Barack Obama last year: I "unequivocally oppose giving retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies. Granting such immunity undermines the constitutional protections Americans trust the Congress to protect."

Barack Obama today voted FOR immunity for telecom companies that gave information without a court order as the law requires.

CNN – why isn't this on the ticker???

Three Questions:

1) Do we need to call the EPA and make sure they have a pollution control team on Standby – in case the facists actually touch the ground?

2) How many members of the Saudi Royal Family have been invited to go along on the trip with them?

3) How much money are American tax payers going to have to pay for this? Or are the big oil companies paying for it?

So they're stopping at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to make it look like they care about alternative fuels (which they don't) and then they're going to ANWR to look around (even though none of them would ever cross party lines and stand against drilling the ANWR.)

With this information even an idiot can see that this is not newsworthy. It's just pandering while wasting our precious tax dollars. Please report how much money this publicity stunt is costing me CNN. That would be news.

just curious here

what are the Democrats doing?

if you like ANWAR or not, at least these guys are getting off their hands
and trying to find a solution.

I don't care if you are a Dem or Rep, someone has to get on this energy problem. Even T Boone Pickins wants to get us on wind power.

Nancy Pelosi, get out of your SUV and do something

Actually, prior to OIL Drilling, putting regulations on oil speculation would be an IMMEDIATE fix to the cost of oil.

Oil sells at 40.00 a barrell...then speculators buy up the oil 66% currently vs. 26% in the 90s....then speculators sell to each other as many as 20 times before it is actually sold to a refiner.

Oil still selling at 40.00 a barrel costs 150.00. Talk about excessive mark ups....the real question...who are the speculators, and why do they sell to each other first? Regulating to being able to speculate once before selling to refineries would cut the cost of gas in half.

This is hogwash! Here's some info for everybody.

There are currently almost 400,000 CAPPED oil wells in the lower 48 states. Yes, you read correctly...400,000!!!!!

This is according to the Global Resource Corporation. They estimate that these wells could produce 12,000,000 (million) barrels of oil per day and the total would supply this nation for 40 YEARS! That's WITHOUT drilling a single new well anywhere! Why aren't the Republicans looking into this!

Just Google "Capped Oil Wells" and you'll see for yourself.

“This is not just about drilling in ANWR. This is a roadmap to our energy future," the aide said. “We'll be looking at our immediate short term goal, and then the longer term, looking at renewable sources like solar and wind, research in every area, in the next generation of energy technology."

O.K, very well said. Just let me put a check mark really quick...

I am really confused, why don't they, the republicans, just propose that we drill on the land that has already been allotted for drilling purposes? Why go after the wildlife preserves?

Well it the democrats don't put a pin in the republicans' as... they will not move. I hope the democrats keep holding the pin and always ready to push in.

Yeah.... Right....

Maybe if the oil companies had managed to demonstrate that they could do anything with that oil, people would be more interested. But until they start building refineries and paying attention to the environmental issues around their extraction processes, they'd get approval.

But no.

Remember; Exxon made a profit off the Alaska clean up, just like every other oil company. The secret? They raised prices, and americans paid it.

Why can't these idiots get it through their head, that we need to be researching and developing alternative fuel. This depedancy on oil is bad for all of us. Oh let's add the Aritic wildlife to the wild mustangs that the feds can't take care of and are going to start to kill. I am ashamed that our country is so behind the world in fuel economy. Germany is putting solar panels on apartment buildings, what are we doing?

Where were these republicans 8 years ago. No need to put this on the Democrates. It's amazing to me, how the Republicans are acting like we don't have a President.

Why are Republicans so excited about destroying one of the few untouched wildlife refuges in the country?

Haven't they ravaged the environment enough?

The Republicans could've done something back in 2001, when they controlled the White House and Congress. And by "something," I mean something constructive. Instead they sat on their hands and now want to push the country to try to drill its way out of this mess.

The blame starts with Ronald Reagan. When Carter was Pres., he recognized the seriousness of the energy situation and tried to lead. He put a solar water heater on the roof of the White House and pushed alternative energy. Reagan came in talking "Morning in America," took down the water heater, and turned his back on the looming environmental crisis we now face. Nice going, Ron!

Sounds more like a FREE VACATION from the taxpayers to me...

We have been in an energy crisis for years...and NOW they want to go highlight the issue??Must be an election near!!!!!!!!!!!

Sad..............

Republicans love to drill...... They would drill the Grand Canyon, Niagra Falls, The Everglades, Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Mall in Washington, Montecello and the 9/11 ground if it would benefit their friends the oil companies.

It's estimated that the actual benefits of drilling for oil in Anwar would be something along the lines of two yeas worth of oil, if even that. The long term consequences of drilling there would far outweigh these minimal benefits. There are other ways.

A trip and a waste of taxpayer money.

What a waste of tax dollars..........there will be no oil production for ten plus years.......why dont they send Shell or Exxon or Mobile...........GOP is garbage