Obama can't be happy about the coverage of his energy flip flops straddles waffles reversals.
Obama's proposal, though, includes two significant reversals of positions he has taken in the past: He had steadfastly fought the idea of limited new offshore drilling and was against tapping the nation's emergency oil stockpile to relieve pump prices that have stubbornly hovered around $4 a gallon.
Obama's revised position on a key energy issue was his second shift in three days. On Friday, he dropped his opposition to offshore oil drilling, saying that he could back limited drilling if it were part of a comprehensive energy package.
One more week, one more Barack Obama reversal on a key issue.Actually, make that two reversals.
The Democratic presidential hopeful says he's now open to easing the offshore-drilling ban, and he wants to tap the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
What a difference a few polls make, no?
Until recently, Obama was adamantly against offshore drilling and tapping the SPR.
Why the shift? Because voters are longing for relief from $4 gas and he thinks his new views will win them over.
So much for principles.
While focusing on alternative energy production, Mr. Obama has veered in recent days toward increasing access to fossil fuels, both in seeking to tap the strategic oil reserve and in softening his opposition to offshore oil drilling.
Sen. Barack Obama's energy policy is offering more flip flops than a Lake Tahoe souvenir stand.First the presumptive Democratic nominee opposes offshore oil drilling, but, wait, now he doesn't. Second, he never suggested dipping into national petroleum reserves, and now he wants to open the spigot.
And remember how he hooted at suspending federal gas taxes as a primary-season stunt? Now, he wants $1,000 rebate checks mailed out to families, paid by a windfall profits tax on the oil industry that was tried and dumped in the 1980s.
The crushing power of $4-a-gallon gas lies behind these changes along with polls showing his modest lead is dwindling. Other polls, showing a slim majority of the country now favors coastal drilling, have made it easier to switch positions with little pain.
But the ideas that Obama is now embracing come loaded with flaws and offer the driving public only momentary relief at best.
Obama's proposal includes two reversals of positions he has taken in the past: He had fought the idea of limited new offshore drilling and was against tapping the nation's emergency oil stockpile to relieve gasoline prices that have stubbornly hovered around $4 a gallon.
During the Democratic primary, Sen. Obama argued against releasing oil from the strategic reserves, in contrast with then-rival Sen. Hillary Clinton's support for such a move. He has reiterated that position during the general election campaign against Republican Sen. John McCain.[. . .]
Senior Obama adviser Robert Gibbs said the new proposal does not represent a reversal, but a recognition that "we are in an energy crisis" and that this is one of many things that need to be done. Sen. Obama had previously said that the reserves should be tapped only in an emergency.
[. . .]
On Saturday, Sen. Obama backed off his opposition to offshore drilling, saying he would support expanded drilling as part of a broader bipartisan energy package to reduce dependence on foreign oil.
"Obama called Monday for using oil from the nation's strategic reserves to lower gasoline prices, the second time in less than a week that he has modified a position on energy issues."McCain's grownup energy policy is forcing Obama to become more nuanced than John Kerry. According to Newsweek, McCain's energy plan has left the Obama camp sputtering: McCain's flurry of concrete proposals—including a call for 45 more nuclear power plants, a $300 million prize to the designer of a new electric car battery, overturning the 27-year ban on offshore drilling and a $5,000 tax credit for people who buy "zero-emissions" cars put Obama on the defensive.
You can watch the following video which covers the latest reversals in Obama's energy plan:
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