Obama #SOTUfail: Cherry-picks items on energy policy

Well, this is awkward. A report from an energy organization that President Obama cited in last week’s State of the Union address called for expanded offshore and ANWR drilling as part of its recommendations for American energy independence. The problem? Obama has consistently opposed both measures despite claiming to back an ‘all of the above’ strategy.

From the Washington Free Beacon:

“A report cited by President Obama during this week’s State of the Union address as a possible basis for national energy policy also calls for increased offshore drilling and oil production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)—two policies the administration has opposed.

So, what exactly did Obama cherry-pick from the report?

“President Obama proposed establishing an “energy security trust” during his speech and referred to the report by Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). ‘If a nonpartisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we,’ Obama said. ‘Let’s take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices we’ve put up with for far too long.’”

But what else does the SAFE report call for? A realistic approach to securing American energy independence, and an honest assessment of Obama’s policies thus far:

“‘While it remains critical to balance environmental preservation and energy extraction, [the Department of the] Interior’s current approach falls short of striking such a balance,’ the SAFE report states. ‘Operating in the wake of a serious industry failure, DOI has essentially locked the nation into a Gulf-centric approach to offshore development that unnecessarily constrains access to potentially promising resources elsewhere.’ ‘Significant oil and natural gas resources on federal lands, both onshore and offshore, remain unavailable for development due to statutory restrictions and bureaucratic inertia,’ the report also states.”

It doesn’t work that way, Mr. President, you can’t use one sentence from a report that largely contradicts your policies. What’s more, President Obama used the campaign trail to tout the oil production spike since he took office, but over 95 percent of that has come from private land which he has no control over, as he’s closed off federal lands to oil exploration. With gas prices rising again, Obama should face renewed questions about why he is endangering the country’s energy supply to appease fringe activists and Hollywood celebrities.

As a reminder President Obama, below is a map of the offshore areas you have BLOCKED for drilling.

Crossposted at Unified Patriots and Grumpy Opinions