I don't support offshore drilling, but I can already hear the drumbeat of "This is change we can believe in ???!"
Well, actually, yes.
August 1, 2008:
Barack Obama said Friday that he would be willing to compromise on his position against offshore oil drilling if it were part of a more overarching strategy to lower energy costs.
So yet another example of a President willing to compromise to build consensus. Is this a compromise he should make? I don't think he should. But before people start angrily thinking and saying things about betrayal, let's keep in mind that he is doing exactly what he said he would do.
The charge that he is doing this to bargain for votes is a fair one, but this is not Obama being Palin and saying Drill, baby drill. This is Obama being Obama.
Let's measure the outrage and focus on making the climate bill as progressive as possible. It's disappointing that Obama decided to compromise on this given what compromise got him in the health care legislation, especially now with Republican pledges to not work with Democrats at all.
A campaign promise does not mean that this compromise is okay, but it does mean that Obama is acting like the centrist he is.