Morning Bell: Obama’s Anti-Drilling Agenda
Rob Bluey /
President Obama’s oil spill commission will release its long-awaited final report this morning, recommending new government regulations and limits on drilling. These conclusions could shape the future of the oil industry — and impact our nation’s energy policy for years to come.
The commission’s primary focus was determining the cause of the spill. Last week it revealed that errors by BP, Transocean and Halliburton contributed to the blowout of the Macondo well, resulting in the deaths of 11 people and the worst spill in history.
But the commission’s members have decided to go a step further. The anti-drilling measures recommended in their report would take America in the wrong direction. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Obama picked five members who lack expertise in drilling and have a history of donating to Democrats. One member leads the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Expect liberals to seize on the report to condemn the industry as a whole and renew their attacks on offshore drilling. But the fact is that mistakes of individual actors should not result in punishment for an entire industry. (more…)