INTERESTING WALL STEET ARTICLE - Obama Is Likely to Use Executive Power To Halt Drilling
NOVEMBER 10, 2008 Obama Is Likely to Use Executive Power To Halt Drilling, Fund Stem-Cell Work
By JONATHAN WEISMANArticle
Comments
more in Politics »President-elect Barack Obama will likely use his executive powers after taking office to block new drilling leases on environmentally sensitive land in Utah and to allow federal funding of stem-cell research, putting a quick mark on policy making.
Barack Obama
"There's a lot the president can do using his executive authority without waiting for congressional action," John Podesta, head of Mr. Obama's transition team, said on "Fox News Sunday."
Mr. Podesta said Mr. Obama is "a transformational figure" and that the support he received among voters in some Republican states and conservative counties gives him a mandate to pursue his agenda aggressively.
Rolling back executive orders issued by the Bush administration could give Mr. Obama a fast way to put his mark on policy making after he takes office, as past presidents have. Other Bush-era executive orders that Mr. Obama could reverse include a ban on federal aid to family-planning organizations that counsel women on abortion, and a decision in December that restricts California in regulating greenhouse-gas emissions from cars.
The Bush administration has been rushing to implement regulations before Mr. Obama takes office. Unlike with executive orders, some of these would take longer for Mr. Obama and the Democrats to roll back.
One Bush-era measure Mr. Obama is likely to address quickly are the new oil and gas leases approved recently by the Department of Interior that would open up for drilling land near Arches and Canyonlands national parks in southern Utah's desert. Environmentalists said drilling in the area could potentially damage the parks and surrounding land.
Mr. Obama could also lift restrictions placed by President George W. Bush on the type of stem-cell research that can be funded with federal dollars. Democratic congressional leaders have vowed to push a twice-vetoed stem-cell research bill as one of the first acts of the next Congress.
Rahm Emanuel
Mr. Podesta and other top Obama aides fanned out on the Sunday news talk shows, suggesting that after Tuesday's electoral sweep, the incoming administration would begin to try to influence policy making before January's inauguration.
Speaking on the Sunday shows, Mr. Podesta, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and transition Co-Chair Valerie Jarrett touched upon the detailed preparations the Obama team has made to pave the way for a smooth transition to the presidency. Mr. Podesta said his team has been working since early August, with transition leaders meeting frequently with officials in the Bush White House. About 100 Obama aides received security clearance before the election, so they could begin accessing national-security information immediately after Mr. Obama won.
Mr. Emanuel said the president-elect would be moving forward with his entire agenda as soon as he is sworn in. That agenda includes achieving universal health care, increasing education funding, implementing middle-class tax cuts and moving the country toward energy independence.
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Political Perceptions: A Realignment or Stars in Alignment?The first priority will be implementing an economic stimulus plan that includes tax rebates for the middle class and funding for infrastructure and school construction, Mr. Emanuel said. Then the new administration would regroup and push what he called the president-elect's four "reforms": education, health care, energy and taxes.
By putting those agenda items under the rubric of reform, Mr. Emanuel might make them more politically palatable. But any changes could also be implemented more gradually, as the Obama administration would pursue them as broader policy goals rather than specific legislation.
Mr. Emanuel, appearing on ABC's "This Week," didn't comment directly on whether Mr. Obama would back calls from senior Democratic lawmakers for Mr. Bush to allow ailing U.S. auto makers to tap a $700 billion fund set up to help the financial industry. But senior Obama economic advisers clarified that the president-elect supports the Democratic lawmakers' proposal to review the legality of making the funds available to the auto makers.
Ms. Jarrett, appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," dismissed criticism from some Republicans that the appointment of Mr. Emanuel, a brash, Democratic street fighter who had served for years in the U.S. House, marked a break from Mr. Obama's pledge to move beyond partisan battles in Washington. Joking that Mr. Emanuel will become kinder and gentler, Ms. Jarrett said: "That's part of the change we've been talking about."
By JONATHAN WEISMANArticle
Comments
more in Politics »President-elect Barack Obama will likely use his executive powers after taking office to block new drilling leases on environmentally sensitive land in Utah and to allow federal funding of stem-cell research, putting a quick mark on policy making.
Barack Obama
"There's a lot the president can do using his executive authority without waiting for congressional action," John Podesta, head of Mr. Obama's transition team, said on "Fox News Sunday."
Mr. Podesta said Mr. Obama is "a transformational figure" and that the support he received among voters in some Republican states and conservative counties gives him a mandate to pursue his agenda aggressively.
Rolling back executive orders issued by the Bush administration could give Mr. Obama a fast way to put his mark on policy making after he takes office, as past presidents have. Other Bush-era executive orders that Mr. Obama could reverse include a ban on federal aid to family-planning organizations that counsel women on abortion, and a decision in December that restricts California in regulating greenhouse-gas emissions from cars.
The Bush administration has been rushing to implement regulations before Mr. Obama takes office. Unlike with executive orders, some of these would take longer for Mr. Obama and the Democrats to roll back.
One Bush-era measure Mr. Obama is likely to address quickly are the new oil and gas leases approved recently by the Department of Interior that would open up for drilling land near Arches and Canyonlands national parks in southern Utah's desert. Environmentalists said drilling in the area could potentially damage the parks and surrounding land.
Mr. Obama could also lift restrictions placed by President George W. Bush on the type of stem-cell research that can be funded with federal dollars. Democratic congressional leaders have vowed to push a twice-vetoed stem-cell research bill as one of the first acts of the next Congress.
Rahm Emanuel
Mr. Podesta and other top Obama aides fanned out on the Sunday news talk shows, suggesting that after Tuesday's electoral sweep, the incoming administration would begin to try to influence policy making before January's inauguration.
Speaking on the Sunday shows, Mr. Podesta, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and transition Co-Chair Valerie Jarrett touched upon the detailed preparations the Obama team has made to pave the way for a smooth transition to the presidency. Mr. Podesta said his team has been working since early August, with transition leaders meeting frequently with officials in the Bush White House. About 100 Obama aides received security clearance before the election, so they could begin accessing national-security information immediately after Mr. Obama won.
Mr. Emanuel said the president-elect would be moving forward with his entire agenda as soon as he is sworn in. That agenda includes achieving universal health care, increasing education funding, implementing middle-class tax cuts and moving the country toward energy independence.
More
Political Perceptions: A Realignment or Stars in Alignment?The first priority will be implementing an economic stimulus plan that includes tax rebates for the middle class and funding for infrastructure and school construction, Mr. Emanuel said. Then the new administration would regroup and push what he called the president-elect's four "reforms": education, health care, energy and taxes.
By putting those agenda items under the rubric of reform, Mr. Emanuel might make them more politically palatable. But any changes could also be implemented more gradually, as the Obama administration would pursue them as broader policy goals rather than specific legislation.
Mr. Emanuel, appearing on ABC's "This Week," didn't comment directly on whether Mr. Obama would back calls from senior Democratic lawmakers for Mr. Bush to allow ailing U.S. auto makers to tap a $700 billion fund set up to help the financial industry. But senior Obama economic advisers clarified that the president-elect supports the Democratic lawmakers' proposal to review the legality of making the funds available to the auto makers.
Ms. Jarrett, appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," dismissed criticism from some Republicans that the appointment of Mr. Emanuel, a brash, Democratic street fighter who had served for years in the U.S. House, marked a break from Mr. Obama's pledge to move beyond partisan battles in Washington. Joking that Mr. Emanuel will become kinder and gentler, Ms. Jarrett said: "That's part of the change we've been talking about."
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Raybies on
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I don't know if you've noticed, but the shale boom isn't exactly nice to the environment. It's caused measurable earthquakes in Texas (in my humble opinion). What you won't see in the media is that two of the 8 epicenters coincidentally happened to be directly beneath well pads. And if you say the well operation is producing a 3.0 earthquake, wow really?. How much energy (speaking BTU's) is required for that?! Before you jump on me for this, yes it was the only time it has happened since the Barnett boom started, there have been hundreds (thousands?) of wells drilled without issue. Fine. Just tell me why this time and how we avoid it in the future.
What about the scar all of this is leaving on the landscape. Take a look northwest of Ft Worth, TX (Boyd, TX would be a good place to plug into google maps). Most of those square light areas are wells. While most individuals may be mindful of our lands, the major gas players aren't. Unless someone complains anyway.
Please don't read this tree-hugger (I have a degree in it actually) wrong, I am for exploring all options. I am for drilling in western Mi and in Alaska. I haven't read much on the Utah exploration, but at this point we should drill if, but with tight regulations. That IS a problem with the free winging shale boom. No regulation.
The midstream companies are all building their own pipelines when in fact, they should be pooling together to make one impact on the land. so you increase the amount of meters along the way. There is going to be a ton of land that will be not be able to be developed due to the amount of natural gas pipeline easements going across.
Drilling isn't the mass land destruction that open pit mining is, but it still affects a lot of the landscape.
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Permalink Reply by Two Dogs, Pirate on -
CHK has been bad mouthing coal for years. They are all in it together. Opening National Parks to drilling would only put more money in the thieving bastards pockets. We need that as a reserve for the future when we are running out. How many of you out there are going to give your money from the shale play to some foreign country? You don't need to do that the feds will do it for you.
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Permalink Reply by Cooter on
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Hear that screeching?? That's our economy coming to a halt within the next 10 years if Obama gets to implement his plans, plans that are without the needed bridges to get us to true independence. His plan is his way of expanding our national park service, as the brush and shrubbery over take once thriving businesses, we'll have no other use for them other than to turn them into protected park lands. EPA already implements similiar procedures and these will just expand unless reality sets in for "O"
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Permalink Reply by The_Baron on
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KB,
The liberal left seems to think we have all this oil just waiting in easy places. This is not the case. despite record prices (even the "historic lows" of $60/bbl are good prices) domestic production is falling. Most offshore reserves are in deep deep deep deep water. We need to open up more coastal areas now, as it will take the government bureaucy years to just lease the area so the exploration companies can get in there.
And contrary to popular belief, the east coasr, flordia coast would not be damaged beyond all recognition. Artic drilling is safe and clean. They conduct operations seasonally on pads of ice that simply melt away in the summer. Besides the caribou like the alaskan pipeline, they huddle up against it in storms beacause its warm.
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Permalink Reply by Bill G on
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KB, I dont understand why you and other lefts are ok with them drilling here in our back yard, down through our local sparta. But our so worried about these national parks and environmental tressures. You dont think any wildlife is effected out Elerby Road??? LOL! Heck yea it is!!!! You dont think that all this drilling could harm our drinking water??? You guys crack me up...you talk this eco friendly game but when its drill time local you guy got your wallets Wide open! LOL!!!!! I bet if Nancy Pelosi "WAS" Working the night shift at GM and lived in shreveport trying to apply for work around here she would be have her hands out begging for a drilling rig to come squat in her yard. I love that "environmentally sensitive or otherwise protected national lands" Line ......LOVE IT!!!!
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Permalink Reply by The_Baron on
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No, Nancy would be looking for a government bailout. But otherwise a very good point.
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Permalink Reply by Two Dogs, Pirate on
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Bill if they drill on the individuals lands, they will spend the money here thus helping the economy. The gov will spend it in a way that helps some fat cat or foreign economy. I say don't drill gov land until there is a responsible government in place that will not piss the money off to the four winds.
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Permalink Reply by Bill G on
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O im with you two dogs, but i was just making a point. When Obama gets done taxing Mineral rights it will be 50/50. They will take it from us anyway! I believe we should save those as reserves for times of world crises or a real world shortages it has nothing to do with the environment. No one loves the environment more than Ol G himself. I am outdoors as much as possible matter of fact thats why I havent been on this talk screen much...been out chasing Bullwinkle! They need to come up with a better argument than Environmental sesiteve protected national lands. what is more Environmentally sensitive than our local sparta? Last time I checked My water didnt come from yellow stone......National Wildlife refuge that is! Its all about them dollers!!!!
" I'm greedy; I want the drilling to be right here right now for N.G. Not in our national treasures and not for oil."
Quote From KB
Hey KB, Im not disagreeing with you im just pointing it out!
DRILL HERE DRILL NOW!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Bill G on
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To let you in on a little secret....The EPA and OSHA are two big reasons american Manufacturing has failed.....another way the Obama admin will destroy more of our Jobs. EPA and OSHA have stayed off of the MNFG business back for the last 8 years....get ready. "THERE BAAACK"
Runnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Two Dogs, Pirate on
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Bill I am greedy, there ain't but one Lessor when you lease the gov and an inhouse landman handles the deal. Drill the locals because they spend their money here. As for earthquakes it just helps frac the well.
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Permalink Reply by Two Dogs, Pirate on
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KB, I leased this dude that built his house or an extension over an 18,000 ft dry hole that had been P&A.
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