Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday said a shift in his stance on offshore oil drilling is a necessary compromise with Republicans to gain their support for his broader goals of energy independence.
On Friday, Obama indicated a willingness to support an effort by five Democratic senators and five Republicans to break Congress's energy impasse with legislation that would allow expanded offshore oil exploration and embrace ambitious energy efficiency and efforts to develop alternative fuels.
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Obama said on Saturday that it is time to compromise. The proposal by the Senate's "Gang of 10" has "some of the very aggressive elements that I've outlined in my plan," he said here, including a goal in 20 years of having 85 percent of cars no longer operating on petroleum-based fuels and to provide $7 billion to help the U.S. auto industry retool to build ultra-efficient vehicles.
"What I don't want is for the best to be the enemy of the good here, and if we can come up with a genuine, bipartisan compromise in which I have to accept some things I don't like, or the Democrats have to accept some things that they don't like, in exchange for moving us in the direction of energy independence, then that's something I'm open to," Obama said. "I wanted to send a strong signal that we can't allow partisan bickering or the desire to score political points to get in the way of providing some genuine relief to people who are struggling."
Now, this presents an opportunity for John McCain and the country. As most know by now, both Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have done their best to avoid any votes on drilling. They have rather looked to bring measures to the floor that: punished the oil companies, mandated conservation, spend more money on alternative energy sources, and legislated against speculation.
Ever since comprehensive immigration reform, I have been weary of any policy proposal with the word "comprehensive" in it. That said, energy independence is a complicated policy and it likely needs a comprehensive solution. Furthermore, Republicans aren't necessarily against a comprehensive solution. The problem with everything comprehensive but drilling is that most of those solutions won't be felt for decades. I for one am for anything that will in the short and long term mean less money going to OPEC. Whether that is wind, solar, hydrogen, or domestic drilling, I want to try anything and everything. Any solution that includes in it a way for the Saudis to make less money when we drive is something I favor. If the Congress can truly hammer out a comprehensive solution that includes all sorts of alternative solutions, I along with many Americans would applaud.
That's why Barack Obama's stance that he wants to compromise is an opportunity. John McCain should immediately challenge him to follow through. Both should demand that each party come back from vacation and begin legislating until a compromise is hammered out. There is already a bi partisan group of ten Senators ready to compromise. Imagine if the standard bearers of each party demand that their colleagues come back to the legislature until a real compromise is hammered out. If Barack Obama is serious, then it will mean real energy solutions including drilling. If he isn't, he will be exposed as the empty suit some of us think he is. Either way, his softening stance on drilling presents a real opportunity. I hope that John McCain takes it.
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