Obama Reneging Already: No to Drilling/Yes to Energy Dependence

John Podesta, leader of Mr. Obama's transition team appeared on Fox News Sunday. Mr. Podesta, asked to describe what was at the top of an Obama administration priority list noted:

Senator Obama said that he wanted all the Bush executive orders reviewed, and decide which ones should be kept, and which ones should be repealed, and which ones should be amended.

Asked to be specific about the kind of executive orders Mr. Obama might want to change, Mr. Podesta observed:

I think across the board, on stem cell research, on a number of areas, you see the Bush administration even today moving aggressively to do things that I think are probably not in the interest of the country.

They want to have oil and gas drilling in some of the most sensitive, fragile lands in Utah that they're going to try to do right as they — walking out the door. I think that's a mistake.

The executive order Mr. Podesta referred to, allowing drilling for oil share on BLM land in the intermountain west, is not directly the result of last minute decisions, but the result of the Congress allowing a drilling moratorium to expire. The expiration occurred primarily from public pressure which could have hurt Democrats at the polls. The International Herald Tribune on August 1 reported,

The argument with McCain comes before a general election electorate as frustrations over gasoline prices grow at the height of the summer driving season and as the nation prepares for winter and heating costs. Polls suggest a lot of voters are pressing for politicians to do anything, even if it's symbolic.

As late as August 4, Senator Obama had said it was his "single overarching goal" to end U.S. reliance on oil from the Middle East and Venezuela over the next 10 years. Given the opportunity to replace overseas oil with domestic capacity, it appears Senator Obama is not that goal oriented.

With the elections over, Mr. Obama apparently feels the public demand for tapping new sources of oil can now be ignored.