Drill bits

I don't know who will be angrier about this -- conservatives who think they're being suckered into climate-change legislation, or liberals who think their environmental concerns are being sold out:

The Obama administration will propose allowing offshore oil and natural-gas exploration and development in a large swath of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, after months of criticism from Republicans who have made expanded offshore drilling a political rallying cry.

In addition, the administration plans to announce new steps to determine how much oil and natural gas is buried off the coasts of Middle and Southern Atlantic states, where oil-reserve estimates are decades out of date.

This isn't startling coming from the president. During the campaign, he said several times he supported expanded offshore drilling, and during his second State of the Union, he talked about the "tough decisions" that will be needed on oil and gas development. But there's also another agenda, which the article eventually notes: "The idea of expanding offshore drilling is taking on increased importance in the broader debate over climate and energy legislation. The Obama administration and congressional Democrats are working with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) to draft legislation aimed at reducing U.S. emissions of heat-trapping gases linked to climate change. With at least several Senate Democrats expected to oppose such legislation, Mr. Obama needs Republican votes to pass it. Mr. Graham has said such a bill would have to include an expansion of offshore drilling."

Conservatives have become so cynical about the administration that they might not be able to work up that much anger over an obvious political maneuver, so liberals may get the prize for outrage. Here's someone writing at It's Getting Hot In Here, described as "Dispatches from the Youth Climate Movement":

Obama inspired our generation to turn out to the polls, and he can do it again if he moves to actually inspire us.  But youth across the South East have longer memories than this short-sighted political thinking.  Under this proposal the first lease sales for drilling would be held in 2012, a year that Obama will be hoping to connect with us and convince us he stands for our interests.  If young people don't believe him, they aren't going to be inspired to vote.  That's not change we can believe in.

This is a good illustration of why compromise is so difficult on some of the biggest issues. It is true that Obama is "moving to the middle" on energy -- at least he seems to be, making the right noises about drilling and nuclear energy and, to a certain extent, even coal, while he talks up wind power, biofuels and other alternative energy sources. But that moderation comes with a huge price tag, allowing the federal government to get more involved in private enterprises that are none of its business. Presidential promises and intentions come and go, but legislation such as the proposed cap and trade limits on emissions tends to last a loooong time.

The debate is really fairly simple: Big government vs. small government. The only way for conservatives to compromise in that debate is to allow government to grow a little. But that's the way government has become so massive and intrusive -- a little at a time. I'd much rather see a lot more liberals willing to compromise by cutting government back a little. Not damn likely, is it?