McCain on offshore drilling in May:

[W]ith those resources, which would take years to develop, you would only postpone or temporarily relieve our dependency on fossil fuels…We are going to have to go to alternative energy, and the exploitation of existing reserves of oil, natural gas, even coal, and we can develop clean coal technology, are all great things. But we also have to devote our efforts, in my view, to alternative energy sources, which is the ultimate answer to our long-term energy needs, and we need it sooner rather than later.

McCain in June:

We have untapped oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States. But a broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production…It is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions.

Oil Companies in June:

Oil and gas industry executives and employees donated $1.1 million to McCain last month — three-quarters of which came after his June 16 speech calling for an end to the ban — compared with $116,000 in March, $283,000 in April and $208,000 in May.

Not that we are a political blog or anything.

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25 Comments

  • McCain was wrong on drilling. Now he is right. Are you against drilling GM? Actually, does it really matter since you are not an American? My guess, is, no.

  • Not in terms of Muffti’s vote. Muffti isn’t whole-sale against drilling but he’s not sure he sees the benefit.

    In any case, amigo, why do you always miss the point of posts so consistently? is it your superpower?

  • Has his view actually changed? Make a temporary change for the better does not preempt the long-term goal of reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

  • if not American, than what are you Mufti?

    and McCain is so F-in old he doesn’t know which way is up anymore, he just yaps and yaps and hopes someone can put it together later.

  • Hard to say, Kari, you make a good point. Muffti was more commenting on the timing and coincidence of the recent excitement for drilling adn teh massive amount of campaign contributions that showed up shortly afterwards…in any case, its hard to see directly given how long drilling takes what short term effect we can expect.

    Muffti is a Canadian, Yoni.

  • Mufti is also behind in American news and polling. More and more Americans across the political spectrum favor drilling (even in ANWR) and smart politicians not only follow the people’s mood but understand that “it costs too much to be self-indulgent on environmentalism” (hotair.com). But feel free to think it was the oil company’s blood money that changed his mind. Let’s also not forget that Obama has also received Oil Money. Who doesn’t, and why shouldn’t they? They get money from plenty of other special interest groups.

    Speaking of timing and coincidence, since Bush lifted the symbolic ban on drilling, gas prices have fallen. I’m sure there is some good explanation for this :), but I tend to believe that our enemies/vendors and the oil futures market see a coming increase in supply, increased competition, and recent decreases in demand. Even if it will take years for that oil to reach my car, I’m already paying 30 – 40 cents less a gallon. More drilling please. More jobs too!

  • Muffti – what exactly is the connection between the donations and the policy?

    The gas and oil companies are all multinationals – and they make more money when their resource is scarce, no?

    And it will also cost them much more to drill in North America – where they are hemmed in by labor and environmental regulations – than almost anywhere else in the world.

    So aside from unthinking allegience to the “Big Business Is Bad” mantra of 60’s-era don’t-trust-the-man kumbaya liberalism – what cause/effect connection is there between McCain’s policy statements and the donations?

    In fact there is none.

    And in fact, Obama has also accepted oil money.

    McCain is talking about realistic steps to relieve the immediate crunch, while diminishing our dependence on foreign energy sources. As Kari has pointed out, both statements fit into a mature worldview with both long and short term strategies.

    In contrast, the Dems are trying to prevent any domestic drilling at all on the stupid rationalization that “it won’t help in the long term”.

    The Dem position is based entirely on equal parts utopian wishful thinking (we’ll all use wind power by 2020 – yeah, sure) and elitist, moralizing nanny-state fascism (“if gas prices go down, we’ll lose our chance to *MOLD* the behavior of those great unwashed plebes in their pickup trucks… meanwhile I’ll hop into my Prius”).

  • On the front page there is one article about McCain, which insults him, and seven praising Obama.

    Are you seriously claiming to not be political?

  • The Democrats may be more credible on energy policy, but McCain’s historically been about as green a Republican as you’ll find in Washington.

  • OK, shock troops of misinterpretation, chill out!

    First, Muffti didn’t say that McCain was dirty nor that big business is bad, nor even that we shouldn’t drill – though he doens’t see how it helps relieve the immediate crunch. Oil isn’t expected to be available until, as you point out B-D, 2030. And Muffti distrusts the Dems as much as the Republicans but he thinks it’s only fair to mention that amongst the stated reasons for their position is the classic one that so far has kept up the ban on offshore drilling on both sides: environmental concerns — authorized by no less a non-nanny state kind of guy like George Bush Sr. Muffti would be much more impressed if McCain were honest and said that there is oil that is drillable and will form part of a long term approach to oil and energy in America. Not a bullshit way to keep prices low in the short run. Like a gas tax holiday.

    And, with all due respect, moralizing elitism is the exclusive domain of neither party – the US is not a libertarian country and does not have a party that represents libertarian ideals (except, of course, for the libertarian party!) They all engage is bullshit elitist moralizing and all try to promote policies that engender what they see as ‘good values’ (or what they can get their voters to perceive as such) and driving non-gas guzzling cars, increased reliance on public transport is what the dems and their supporters like. That’s how democracy goes, as yo point out. The republicans have done just as much elitist moralizing, from attempting to keep money out of the hands of aids researchers (thank you Jesse Helms) because it’s a ‘gay disease’, demonizing states that used marijuana as a medical agent (thank you Bush Administration), supporting Intelligent Design as a legitimate theory to be taught in class rooms in pretty clear contravention of the establishment clause…

    ANYHOW, the point of the post was to contrast with CKs where dubious evidence suggested a dark motive in an other wise sweet little fluffy story about a note in a wall and a publication thereof. Of course there is no demonstrated cause and effect by means of mere temporal placement of events. Muffti is familiar with fallacy of post hoc ergo propter hoc.

    Then again, he’s not sure why you think are certain that there is no connection or that it is improbable that there are connected. It seems to make perfect sense to Muffti that you support a candidate who supports policies that benefit you, and that candidates in need of mo’ money (such as McCain clearly is) and public support (such as McCain clearly is) will support policies that will support industries that will support you for supporting those policies.

    Why do you think there is no connection between a candidate suddenly supporting a policy that he hasn’t said anything about til recenetly and beneficiaries ramping up their donations? And why think it is improbable that the decision to announce this comes partly in expectation and perhaps even partly because of expected/promised donations? Oil had been expected to hit 4$ since January. Why wasn’t McCain talkign about offshore drilling all this time?

    And Hyman, of course this blog is political. That line was supposed to be dripping with sarcasm, though apparently Muffti should be more careful since his readers seem constantly out to interpret him in the least charitable way possible!. Muffti would never seriously claim that this blog wasn’t political.

  • grandmuffti: themiddle also thinks that muffti meant it.

    I don’t intent to insult you personally, but its obvious that this is run by a bunch of left wingers.

  • If Muffti’s real concern here is money, pray who has the better track record, McCain (he of McCain/Feingold) or Obama, who walked away from his pledge to take public money for his campaign?

  • Adam Hyman! Left wingers? You say that like it’s a bad thing! Look, we tend to be kinda rational and support whatever makes sense. We’ve taken the piss out of both Obama and McCain for what it’s worth. And Left Wing is a rather broad categorization – I don’t think we see the world in terms of black or white – we see shades of grey. If you prefer an ultra-simplistic world view, then yeah, we tend to lean to the left – when we make a political statement at all. But I don’t really think we can be so easily dismissed and marginalized with a simple “bunch of left wingers” statement.

  • Muffti real concern is not money; his real concern is his inability to make it clear when he is kidding and the purpose of his posts!

    No worries Adam H, the fault is muffti’s not yours.

  • I will voluntary never call you guys “left wingers” if you guys can get Rabbi Yo to agree not to use the terms right winger and/or conservative in a derogatory tone like he does as well. What’s good for the goose…

  • Every year, more Jews lean right from their historic roots. The last election had a much better balance than say the previous 12 years where Jews voted as a monolith. I tend to think this has less to do with being wooed by conservative ideas (the GOP is like the plague right now) and more to do with seeing that more and more of our enemies and policies contrary to our interests have been pulled into the Democratic tent. But like I said, I don’t identify with political parties, but more with ideologies. I favor a more libertarian perspective on government (minimal, fix the roads and protect me from foreign invaders) and a hawkish foreign policy (attack anyone who threatens us, maintaining our global dominance). Then again, I support abortion (people are over-rated anyway), gays (my wife’s gay boyfriends do all the work I refuse to do), free use of drugs (I like classy drugs, and I feel no pity for addicts, nor do I want to pay to rehab them), and paying as little taxes as possible (looters need jobs too). I guess this makes me a text book Neocon. I’m fine with that.

  • Alex, Adam etc. Let Muffti make more clear waht CK was saying: no one gives a shit if you call us ‘left wingers’ very much…sticks and stones and all that…but we do reserve the right to point out that on a plethora of issues we are pretty divided and that, correspondingly, the ‘left winger’ term isn’t really so useful. But feel free to use it as you like.

  • I uhm… can safely say that when it comes to US elections, both Muffti and I have, without fail, voted as a monolith. No doubt about it. Every single election. We’re an unshakable block.

  • If ANY of your authors can prove, with a lie detector test, that they voted for Bush and Cheney in 2000, I’ll donate $2,000 to the next Jewlicious Festival….. and I’ll pay for the test.

  • Oh my Adam. I actually know of one of our writers who voted for Bush/Cheney in 2000. However they would be too embarrassed to publicly admit it now. $2000 isn’t going to be enough compensation for the shame and ridicule that would ensue. But thanks for the offer…

  • I actually voted for Gore in 2000, but I was 25, fresh into the work force (hadn’t really started paying taxes) after 4.5 years of brainwashing at my state funded university, so basically, I didn’t know sh!t and it shows by my vote. Of course that was before Gore became the Goracle and a shameless liar/hypocrite. Thank g-d he didn’t win, I’d still be embarrassed about THAT. In 2004, I voted against Kerry, like this year I’ll vote against Obama. I’m not foolish enough to think there will ever be a candidate I’ll actually LIKE or agree with on most everything. Heck, nowadays, it’s “cool” to like politicians. I guess there aren’t too many non-conformist nor non-establishmentarian artists out there anymore. I miss the days when artists and politicians disagreed.

  • Gore is a shamelss liar/hypocrite?!? Is this the Twilight Zone?

    I’m glad I no longer live in a country where people actually support Bush.