The Nutroots and the Democrats are up in arms that Dick Cheny referenced George Will saying that “China is drilling for oil off Cuba”.
George Will
Drilling is underway 60 miles off Florida. The drilling is being done by China, in cooperation with Cuba, which is drilling closer to South Florida than U.S. companies are.
China has had contracts for offshore drilling for four years, China has been shipping drilling equipment to Cuba since 2006 and china has drilled off the coast of Cuba yet somehow the Democrats and an “energy expert” from Miami says Cheney is lying and using “scare tactics”.
Democrats like Speaker Pelosi are crying foul that Cheney referenced Will’s article
Republican leaders – including Vice President Cheney – have recently claimed that China is drilling for oil off the coast of Cuba “60 miles off the coast of Florida.” But the facts show China does not have a deepwater drilling contract in Cuba.
“China is not drilling in Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico waters, period…,” said Jorge Piñon, an energy expert at the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy…
“Piñon, who supports oil and gas exploration, said he met with several congressional offices Wednesday about the China-Cuba connection. He said he told them: ‘If you guys want to use this as a scare tactic to lift the moratorium on drilling off the west coast of Florida, at least be factual, be correct.’ They didn’t do their homework.” [6/12/08]
Perhaps Pelosi and Pinon should be a litle more honest and “do their homework”.
Alexander’s Gas & Oil Connections - Sinopec signs up for oil production in Cuba
Cuba oil production to increase with more Chinese equipment arriving
Sino-Cuba energy relations raise concern in Washington
Pedantry and Another Hatchet Job from McClatchy. | The Sundries Shack
Even Florida democrats are aware of the China / Cuba oil drilling and exploration partnership.
Few Americans paid much attention last year when Cuban President Fidel Castro announced China would help explore potentially large oil reserves off Cuba’s northwest coast - not far from the Florida Keys.
But now - with gas prices climbing above $3 a gallon - the prospect of China drilling near the United States has become a hot political issue as two of the world’s largest economies vie for new sources of energy.
Some members of Congress warn that China and other countries could lock up oil supplies at a time when U.S. companies are barred from doing business with Cuba because of a 43-year-old trade embargo.
“We sit here watching China exploit a valuable energy resource within eyesight of the U.S. coast,” said. Sen. Larry Craig, an Idaho Republican.
granma.cu - Oil production contract with Chinese enterprise
And because the left loves Aljazeera so much I’ll include a link to their noting China drilling for oil off the coast of Cuba.
Al Jazeera English - Archive - Cuba To Let China Drill For Offshore Oil
Vice President Cheney’s office has already pulled back from the comment which I don’t really understand.
He cited his source as columnist George Will, who last week wrote: “Drilling is under way 60 miles off Florida. The drilling is being done by China, in cooperation with Cuba, which is drilling closer to South Florida than U.S. companies are.”
Congressional Democrats pounced on the vice president’s remarks and were backed up by independent energy experts, who called the assertion hyperbole at best and a falsehood at worst.
Cheney’s office said in a statement to The Associated Press that the vice president had erred.
Just for a few second I’ll take the side of the Nutroots and Pelosi but I’ll ask how many times have the Democrats walked up to a microphone and gleefully cite a false and misleading NY Times or Time article to bolster their defeatist agenda? Haditha anyone.
Technorati Tags: oil, energy, politics, china, cuba, cheney, pinon, oil drilling
