Webb sides with McCain on drilling
posted at 12:05 pm on June 20, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Maybe Jim Webb doesn’t want to be Barack Obama’s running mate. While the Democratic nominee continues to insist on a no-drilling policy on the outer continental shelf, Virginia’s freshman Senator has put his name on a bill that would allow states to make that determination for themselves. In doing so, he’s arguing for the approach favored by Obama’s rival:
By pushing a bill that distances himself from the Democratic Party and its presidential candidate on offshore drilling, Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia is picking a curious time to exercise his well-known independence.
Webb wants his home state to have the right to explore for energy off Virginia’s coast. His staff insists his proposal pertains only to natural gas, and not oil, and that it is completely in line with the state’s other two leading Democrats — Gov. Tim Kaine and former Gov. Mark Warner, who is running for Senate.
Yet by attaching his name to the bill, sponsored by Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), Webb is taking a step away from Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the party’s presidential candidate, who opposes offshore drilling, and one closer to Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the GOP standard-bearer who recently called for lifting the federal ban.
The Hill notes that McCain’s ally, Lindsey Graham, lept to connect Webb to McCain’s policy on this, joking that “Webb is right sometimes.” Kathryn Jean Lopez at The Corner asks whether the VP rumors connected to Webb may concern the wrong ticket. It certainly seems odd that Webb would choose this moment to publicly oppose his party’s nominee on a big issue in the general election, if Webb wants to become Obama’s running mate.
One could argue that Obama might appreciate an opportunity to muddy the waters on off-shore oil drilling to blunt what looks to be a big advantage for McCain. If so, then he hasn’t made that clear to the rest of his party’s leadership. His Illinois colleague in the Senate and the #2 Democrat in the upper chamber, Dick Durbin, castigated the federalist approach. Chuck Schumer, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, joined Durbin in opposing a states-rights approach to oil drilling. The Obama campaign itself issued a statement yesterday against it, arguing that it would take too long to get the oil onto the market to have any effect on prices now — which Democrats have been saying for years.
The split puts Obama’s efforts in Virginia at risk. Mark Warner, the Senatorial candidate vying for the retiring John Warner’s seat, and Governor Tim Kaine both support the bill and want to open the coast for both oil and natural gas. Virginians want to create jobs and go after the energy within its grasp. If Obama continues to deny them that ability, it may hurt Warner’s chances along with Obama’s in a state Democrats thought they could turn in November.
Will this impact Obama’s choice for VP? I have never considered Webb that strong of a candidate (Hugh Hewitt disagrees), but if he was, this will definitely create problems on the ticket.
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That bus needs to get a little bit bigger yet again…
acleaver on June 20, 2008 at 12:08 PM
You know I am not sure why B.H.O is so damned against any of this.
Tha Natural Gas Pipeline, in the works to go from Alaska to “Chicago” thru Canada will give that damn blue State more jobs, and a gas tax that is unsurpassed via any other State in the Union.
Webb may be an idiot… but for some reason, I think he knows that it will come back to him if he doesn’t jump on the wagon.
upinak on June 20, 2008 at 12:09 PM
McCain/Webb ‘08 ???
(jist kiddin)
stenwin77 on June 20, 2008 at 12:09 PM
This definitely creates issues for any possible Obama-Webb ticket. Drilling oil will be a big issue with rising gas prices this election, so it doesn’t help to have a major split between the VP and P.
Uh, no. McCain staunchly supports staying in Iraq as a major issue, while Webb staunchly opposes it.
amerpundit on June 20, 2008 at 12:10 PM
The bus needs to get those cool Cheech and Chong hydraulic lift shocks! Can raise up, throw ‘em under, and jump up and down on them.
kirkill on June 20, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Sounds like a cool plan!
acleaver on June 20, 2008 at 12:14 PM
That just means you’re not a serious analyst and are not to be trusted.
Lehosh on June 20, 2008 at 12:18 PM
Allowing the states to make the determination really does sound STOOOOPID.
Are the states also going to determine where THEIR oil gets refined and then determine where it gets sold?
The continental shelf cannot belong to the states on the coast line. What about the states that don’t have a coastline, or states on the coastline that don’t have any recoverable oil reserves?
It comes under the umbrella of interstate commerce and therefore must be a federal determination. The problem is, the DemCong sold out to the environmental Special Interest Group a long time ago and its going to take a very loud response from the people to get the message across to the dim-wits in Washington.
belad on June 20, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Sounds like someone’s throwing BHO under the bus for a change.
CurtZHP on June 20, 2008 at 12:22 PM
You’re really messing up KLo’s drive-by blogging.
This is a strange move. Is Webb a rogue Democrat that doesn’t need the DNC blessing to win re-election?
gabriel sutherland on June 20, 2008 at 12:27 PM
belad,
So if a state has anything, that can be used in another state, the federal govt MUST control the production of that something?
MarkTheGreat on June 20, 2008 at 12:30 PM
So what you are saying is that Any State that has oil or natural gas can’t have a say so in what they do?
Am I understanding you right?
Why don’t you google a map of Federal Lands in the United States… and see what they hold! Then make your claim again.
upinak on June 20, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Can we at least try to be realistic? Republican Presidents signed the bills that created the Environmental lobby and the Handicapped lobby.
Who sold out first? This talking point is a waste of time.
gabriel sutherland on June 20, 2008 at 12:30 PM
1. I think Jim wants the first lifeboat before they are all full. This just might send the rest of the rats overboard as well. It might take a while but its hard to stay onboard a sinking ship. I wonder who will be playing their violins till the last moment?
2. John Murtha needs to get a good look at how to correctly represent his state’s economic interests without stealing from the rest of the country’s tax payers through pork.
shick on June 20, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Democratic orthodoxy….. that is a funny combination of words.
lexhamfox on June 20, 2008 at 12:32 PM
belad’s point is right and wrong.
The shelf is an interstate issue. That’s right.
The question about states lacking a coastline is just out of place. It’s wrong.
When you factor in the EPA(hint: you have to, lawyers smart in the short, dumb in the long) it further complicates any initiative conducted offshore where those waters will end up on the shores of multiple states.
gabriel sutherland on June 20, 2008 at 12:34 PM
What they also ignore is that a large part of the current price of oil is from speculation on the commodities market. The commodities market is based on futures, which means that anything that happens now which has a depressing influence on future prices has an effect now.
flipflop on June 20, 2008 at 12:42 PM
The shelf, from my reading, isn’t a state issue. State waters end at, generally, three nautical miles from the set point on shore. Some states area allowed as far as 9.
The area we’ve been talking about starts at 50 miles off shoer and extends to the limit of the recognized economic protection boundary at 200 miles. It is not state waters but federal waters. How do the states have a jurisdictional say in that happens there?
From what I’m reading of boundaries and coastline, they don’t. It smells like a big dodge, and perhaps a way of shaking out some campaign contributions, to me.
Jimmie on June 20, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Bingo.
Buy Danish on June 20, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Huh?
The Constitution “allows” congress to regulate interstate commerce, it doesn’t REQUIRE it.
Huh #2?
What does that have to do with anything? That’s like asking, what about States that don’t have massive rivers for commerce, or don’t have mountains, or can’t produce hydroelectric power, or geo-thermal, or wind, or solar, or what about states that don’t have forests, can’t grow grains, have no mineral resources, etc, etc, etc? Does this mean that State’s should have no say in how their natural resources are utilized if other states don’t have those same resources?
Sounds like a very strange understanding of federalism and what it means to be a federal republic.
Fatal on June 20, 2008 at 12:48 PM
What better way to show that Barack is “open minded” then to have Webb step out and take this stance. This allows Barack to “change” his mind and begin thinking of other solutions. This is a way for Barack to escape from his disastrous political stand on energy. An energy policy the Dems are beginning to see as a major barrier to being elected.
If the voters begin to rally around drill more-now, then Barack needs a back door…Webb is his escape clause.
No Dem will step out of line without it being orchestrated during this election year.
This is well thought out, the Dems feel the heat. Webb is the “test tube baby” for a new approach.
right2bright on June 20, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Yay for Webb! Okay, make a note of that. First and last time I’ll ever say it, I’m sure.
aero on June 20, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Maybe he doesn’t want the VP slot under B.H.O.
upinak on June 20, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Where does life go after VP? Webb is looking at a long career in the Senate and his future as a DNC Presidental candidate is very likely so I doubt he will look seriously at the VP seat, maybe a Cabinet position but not VP.
Texas Gal on June 20, 2008 at 12:54 PM
I don’t want to be mean, but K-Lo has a drive-by brain. She is the weakest link at National Review.
BigD on June 20, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Agreed, and by a huge margin.
Missy on June 20, 2008 at 12:58 PM
maybe he’ll get a brain and switch back to the GOP next year, help out Senate numbers
jp on June 20, 2008 at 12:58 PM
This move is “strong sell” indicator if you’re betting on Webb as Messiah’s veep.
I think he’s trying to dry the cement as the senior Senator representing Virginia. Warner’s retiring. So Webb will be the Senior member by default. You just need to win re-election in 2012 to solidify it for as long as you want to be in the Senate.
gabriel sutherland on June 20, 2008 at 1:04 PM
BigD: She’s a good writer and researcher. When she sticks to her strengths she excels. When she dabbles in weak areas she struggles.
She’s got this disease that infects us all. Being humans.
gabriel sutherland on June 20, 2008 at 1:06 PM
AH HA! I didn’t realize that Senator Warner was retiring. Webb is doing what Democrats do… staging the next item.
upinak on June 20, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Webb’s not just a loose canon, he’s a loose MOAB, both for Democrats and Republicans. I think his Confederate utterances and writings would have probably killed his nomination chances anyway, even though the left desperately wants someone with military credentials on the back end of Obama’s ticket, but this will put it in the grave for good, especially if Barack actually is asked about the differences between Webb’s statement on offshore drilling and his position.
jon1979 on June 20, 2008 at 1:16 PM
Webb trying to be the Dem’s McCain?
does he not realize the base will excommunicate him like Lieberman?
jp on June 20, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Yes.
Buford Gooch on June 20, 2008 at 1:19 PM
She doesn’t have the depth to cover politics and issues, and even her wit comes across as juvenile.
BigD on June 20, 2008 at 1:20 PM
Everyone needs to shut the f**k up and start drilling.
It’s inevitable. Just be reasonably nice to the environment while doing it.
Next.
Dave Rywall on June 20, 2008 at 1:23 PM
The GOP really needs to sieze this issue and run with it. It has the ability to crush te Dems in Nov IF each advantage gained by increased domestic drilling is articulated and thoroughly discussed.
1. Energy independence. Assuming we use ALL sources of oil and gas
2. Jobs, jobs, jobs – how many jobs would be directly and indirectly created? Good industrial jobs too.
3. Defunding 3rd world dictatorships
4. Defunding terrorism, the exportation of radical Islamic ideology
5. Massive inflow of money to the Treasury from royalty payments. The Libs should love that one.
6. Assuage the Greens by promising to use a large percentage of the royalty payments to fund research into alternatives
7. Keeping US dollars at home and reducing the trade deficit
8. Regain strength for the dollar
I’m sure there are more but these alone need to be discussed over and over again with the public so they can understand the ripple effect of increased US oil and gas drilling
DerKrieger on June 20, 2008 at 1:40 PM
I can’t see a picture of this guy without wanting to reach through the monitor, and rip that dead squirrel off his big fat head!
epluribusunum on June 20, 2008 at 1:42 PM
I called my AR senators and was told by their person answering the phone that both are on the verge of supporting increased drilling. Both are Dems. Moral – call, call, call and call again. I’m calling every day until something happens
DerKrieger on June 20, 2008 at 1:45 PM
I’m guess that Webb didn’t read his “We Can’t Drill Our Way Out Of This” fax/email.
baldilocks on June 20, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Yeah..I am about the same age of this clown and mostly gray. His “do” was the first thing I noticed about him. Very very strange. Like a big turd on his head.
JonRoss on June 20, 2008 at 2:07 PM
FTA:
OK, the implications of that little snippet are just frightening to me.
DaveS on June 20, 2008 at 2:11 PM
I also thought so. When I think of orthodoxy I think of a religious belief. When I think of religion I don’t at all think of Democrats. But the Democrats have a religion. They worship at the alter of the Goreacle and Karl Marx.
JonRoss on June 20, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Want to know why?
Think about who uses LNG in their homes for heat and airconditioning. It can be 100 degrees and the LNG can make it comfortable AND cheap….
upinak on June 20, 2008 at 2:18 PM
I wouldn’t put it past mccain and his handlers to pull something so stupid.
peacenprosperity on June 20, 2008 at 2:39 PM
WOW Webb is only going to be a one termer. You DON’T STAND UP ANGAINST EVIRONMENTALIST WACKOS in the democrat party and Live.
BroncosRock on June 20, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Maverick
- The Cat
MirCat on June 20, 2008 at 2:46 PM
he also voted for the new GI Bill… Wait to see what happens.
upinak on June 20, 2008 at 3:23 PM
Webb is sensible most of the time but BO is not. He should have stayed a Republican instead of becoming a non believing Democrat. (off with his head)
duff65 on June 20, 2008 at 4:48 PM
Webb’s a disaster…
Let him on the ticket, and Obama’ll be that much easier to defeat.
Donald Douglas on June 20, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Jimmy better not be standing near any buses while Barry O is around. Considering Barry’s past track record.
GarandFan on June 20, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Webb and Kaine are both a joke. But I do like the fact they support this bill. It will never pass though.
I say the congress (joke that it is now) needs a complete over-haul. Few deserve to be elected ever again for any public office.
Mark Warner was the benefit of the economic boom during the Bush administration so he will probably get elected thanks to the socialist republic of NOVA. Virginia is still a conservative state, but dim-o-crats get elected thanks to NOVA idiots.
jdsmith0021 on June 20, 2008 at 9:11 PM
It’s a falsehood that drilling now won’t affect prices now. The speculation factor has gotten out of control over worries of shortages, and knowing that we are changing that in concrete ways will have immediate effects. Much of the markets are essentially mindgames, maintaining drilling bans freaks the market out, concrete plans to eliminate the idiotic bans will calm them down. Time to prove the current wisdom to be the canard it is.
Maquis on June 21, 2008 at 1:04 AM
He needs the voters of Virgina more than he needs anyone.
aengus on June 21, 2008 at 1:21 AM
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