Crude oil prices have been rising through the roof, gasoline prices have been steadily rising, and now this. He must just be looking out for his Big Oil buddies.

The party that spouts off about being worried over our children having to pay the price for today's careless actions should be up in arms about this. We're passing environmental debt to our children. where is the outrage?

I think it would help me get upset if I actually understood what the impact of this would be. The article seems to be saying that they're going to start looking for good places to drill, and then drill somewhere, presumably based upon the potential yield vs. danger. I have the general impression that drilling for oil is "bad" for the environment, but in what way and to what extent? Since I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing, I need to know how big the Twinkie is.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see if the potential new crude allows us to significantly reduce imports or not. I'm a bit skeptical, and also about whether demand will rise along with and possibly outstrip (eventual) supply/production, leaving us with just another mess to clean up.

I honestly think this is more politics: Obama is giving an inch to the Drill Baby Drill crowd to gain capital. Sadly, I doubt it will work and they'll just expect a mile.

wait, your emoticon barrage is a bit ambiguous. to what lie are you referring?

I wonder if the renewed interest in polyester clothing is the driving force behind this....

It seems like the least controversial carrot to throw across the aisle. Let's face it most people don't vote on the environment, they vote on jobs and the impression that our president (any president) can actually do something about it.

True. It struck me as him opening the areas for the possibility after assaying the leases for potential oil. I guess that's too slow and timid for the Republicans.

Thing is though, I think he could come out with an exact copy of Republican policies and scratch out their name and put his on it, and the Teahadists would shout and call him a fascist. </cynicism>