Biden Leadership In America Today

[GURPS]

Who’s our real president? Joe Biden — or the staffers who keep walking back his comments?​

That turned out to be wrong, of course, and now the United States is involved in a proxy war with Russia, while sanctions and export disruptions cause the world’s food and fuel markets to go crazy and have Europe looking at a long, cold winter of gas shortages and electrical blackouts. So firmness, this time.

But Biden’s firmness was short-lived. Within hours, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and other spokesmen were loudly proclaiming US policy had not, in fact, changed at all.

Gordon Chang writes: “This is the fourth time that Joe Biden as president, has publicly stated the U.S. will defend Taiwan. He made that pledge last August to ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos. The President repeated his words to CNN’s Anderson Cooper last October.

“Biden also said the same thing to a reporter in Tokyo in May. White House and administration officials, both anonymously and on the record, have contradicted the President all four times.”

In the Curtiss-Wright Export case, the Supreme Court declared the president the “sole organ” of the nation in foreign affairs, noting the importance of speaking with one voice when dealing with other nations. The formulation, and authoritative expression, of US foreign policy is supposed to come from the president.

Yet over and over again, Biden has been undercut by subordinates who basically said, “Pay no attention to the old man in the Oval Office.”

This won’t do. Either Biden is president, or he is not. If he’s president, then policy should come from him, and it’s the job of subordinates to make that policy work. If they’re doing otherwise, they’re engaged in a sort of coup against the duly elected commander in chief. That presents a serious problem.

 

[GURPS]

A poll conducted by the Convention of States Action/Trafalgar Group found that majority of Americans (67.9 percent) felt safer two years ago when Trump was still in office.

Both Republicans and Independents said they feel unsafe with Biden in office while a high 44.9 percent of Democrats agreed.

Statistics from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) reported that major Americans cities are still drastically higher than it was pre-pandemic.

Americans Don't Feel Safe With Biden in Office

townhall.com

 

[GURPS]

The White House and Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, have built a frightening agenda around Biden's claims of "MAGA Republican" extremism. They're using federal law enforcement to go after Americans opposed to the left's agenda and, according to whistleblowers, going to great lengths to bolster their narrative in order to justify their actions.

"We continue to hear from brave whistleblowers about disturbing conduct at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. From recent protected disclosures, we have learned that FBI officials are pressuring agents to reclassify cases as 'domestic violent extremism' even if the cases do not meet the criteria for such a classification. Given the narrative pushed by the Biden Administration that domestic violent extremism is the 'greatest threat' facing our country, revelation that the FBI may be artificially padding domestic terrorism data is scandalous," House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan wrote in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray over the summer.

But while the DOJ and FBI cook the books on cases of extremism on the right, they ignore extremism openly coming from the left.

The Violent Extremists Democrats Don’t Want You to Know About

townhall.com

 

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[GURPS]

President Biden caught on hot mic in Florida: 'No one f---- with a Biden'​

President Biden visited Florida to survey damage wrought by Hurricane Ian on Wednesday and got caught joking in an explicit hot mic conversation with a local official.

"No one f---- with a Biden," the president appeared to tell Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy.

"Yeah, you're go----- right," the mayor replied while laughing.

The president and first lady Jill Biden visited Fisherman’s Wharf in Fort Myers, where homes and businesses were destroyed by Hurricane Ian last week.

 

[GURPS]

Biden says Hurricane Ian ‘ends discussion’ over climate change as DeSantis looks on​

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President Joe Biden has said that Hurricane Ian – and other extreme events like wildfires and droughts – has ended the discussion “about whether or not there’s climate change and we should do something about it”.

The president made the remarks after travelling to Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday with First Lady Dr Jill Biden where they visited some of the worst-impacted communities.

 

[GURPS]

US oil industry mocks Biden after OPEC+ announces production cuts​

Biden has had a hostile relationship with the oil industry since becoming president. On his first day in office, he issued an executive order canceling the Keystone XL pipeline. Biden has also repeatedly blamed oil companies for this year’s surge in energy prices, which has been partially driven by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, OPEC+’s decision Wednesday to sharply cut production to support sagging oil prices is anticipated to deal another blow to the struggling global economy and raise politically sensitive pump prices for U.S. drivers just weeks ahead of the midterms.

The White House condemned the OPEC+ decision and said in a joint statement released by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and NEC Director Brian Deese that Biden was "disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine."

Oil is trading well below its summer peaks because of fears that major global economies such as the U.S. or Europe will sink into recession due to high inflation, rising interest rates, and energy uncertainty over Russia's war in Ukraine. The OPEC+ decision could help member Russia weather a looming European ban on most of Moscow's oil, but its impact will have some limitations because countries in the alliance already can't meet their quotas.

 

[HemiHauler]

US oil industry mocks Biden after OPEC+ announces production cuts​

Biden has had a hostile relationship with the oil industry since becoming president. On his first day in office, he issued an executive order canceling the Keystone XL pipeline. Biden has also repeatedly blamed oil companies for this year’s surge in energy prices, which has been partially driven by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, OPEC+’s decision Wednesday to sharply cut production to support sagging oil prices is anticipated to deal another blow to the struggling global economy and raise politically sensitive pump prices for U.S. drivers just weeks ahead of the midterms.

The White House condemned the OPEC+ decision and said in a joint statement released by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and NEC Director Brian Deese that Biden was "disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine."

Oil is trading well below its summer peaks because of fears that major global economies such as the U.S. or Europe will sink into recession due to high inflation, rising interest rates, and energy uncertainty over Russia's war in Ukraine. The OPEC+ decision could help member Russia weather a looming European ban on most of Moscow's oil, but its impact will have some limitations because countries in the alliance already can't meet their quotas.

I realize it's a tall order to expect SLURPS to grasp nuance in the propaganda, but...

This isn't a production cut; it's a quota reduction for constituent OPEC+ producers. OPEC+ are already under-producing their quota by some 3mn bbl/day.

So: OPEC+ are currently producing 3mn fewer than they say the will. Now, they are promising 2mn fewer, meaning they will be producing 1mn fewer than they say they will.

The net result is that actual production likely won't change at all, but this announcement shifts perceptions and puts upward pressure on oil, both in the crude and refined gasoline markets. Of course, this is the goal, so mission accomplished.

The US has stepped up fracking a bit since the Ukraine invasion, but only to the tune of 400/500k bbl/day. This a also a bit risky to OPEC+ because when oil starts to normalize at these higher prices, it makes fracking more and more profitable.

US producers are sitting on loads of permits which have been issued. I'd suggest they get to work.

 

[GURPS]

I realize it's a tall order to expect SLURPS to grasp nuance in the propaganda, but...

ah yes starting with name calling ... well anything you attempte to claim is invalidated

 

[HemiHauler]

ah yes starting with name calling ... well anything you attempte to claim is invalidated

Sorry, but facts is facts.

 

[GURPS]

YOU Posting Facts

 

[GURPS]

OPEC+ Cuts Oil Output, Biden Releases More Reserves to Counter Impact on Gas Prices​

Energy, World, Economy And Jobs, Trade, Oil, Gas Prices, OPEC, Foreign Policy, Joe Biden, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Transportation, Saudi Arabia, Russia

AllSides Summary​

OPEC+ agreed Wednesday to cut its oil output by 2 million barrels per day, despite pressure from the U.S. to keep production high. In response, President Joe Biden said he would release 10 million additional barrels from strategic reserves to stabilize gas prices.
The move by OPEC+ could raise global gas prices and provide an economic boost to Russia. Oil prices hit three-week highs following the announcement but remained well below June’s high of $120 per barrel. OPEC+ attributed the output cuts to “uncertainty that surrounds the global economic and oil market outlooks.” The White House called the move “disappointing,” arguing it would hurt “lower- and middle-income countries” the most.
With the 2022 midterm elections just one month away, many suggested higher gas prices could boost Republicans, who blame Democrats for higher costs. U.S. gas prices fell for nearly 100 days over the summer but began rising again in late September.
Coverage was widespread across the spectrum, with some coverage from the right framing OPEC+ as ignoring or slighting Biden. While most coverage focused on OPEC+ and gas prices, Fox Business (Lean Right bias) stood out by highlighting Biden’s use of strategic oil reserves. CNN Business (Lean Left bias) highlighted that the output cut was “the biggest cut to oil production since the start of the pandemic.”

 

[GURPS]

Why aren’t oil companies drilling on their 9,000 land leases?​

 

[GURPS]

Why aren’t all approved leases being utilized to expand drilling?
The Western Energy Alliance represents 200 oil and gas companies that engage in "exploration and production" of oil, as it notes on its website.

Sgamma noted that legal hurdles are a major hold up in expanding any drilling in the U.S. even if there are readily available leases.

"Many leases are held up in litigation by environmental groups," Sgamma wrote in a March blog post. "Western Energy Alliance is in court defending over 2,200 leases, most of which cannot be developed while those cases wind their way through the courts."

A leasehold must be obtained by the energy company to grant it temporary rights to hold the land where drilling can be explored.

But bans on new federal drilling have created new obstacles for companies attempting to obtain a leasehold.

How have federal bans impacted drilling abilities?​

"Sometimes a new lease is needed to combine with existing leases to make a full unit," Sgamma wrote. "Since the Biden leasing ban remains in effect with no onshore lease sales held since 2020, some leases are held up waiting for new leases or for the government to combine them into a formal unit."

Biden suspended oil and gas leasing upon entering office. Several court orders have resulted in a constant ping pong on whether drilling can take place on federally owned land and water.

How do oil and gas leases work?

Oil and gas industry pushes back on White House suggestion that it is not taking advantage of approved leases for drilling amid record-high gas prices

www.foxbusiness.com

 

[GURPS]

In-depth analysis debunks Biden admin blaming oil companies for not developing 9000 leases – Feds ‘spent over a year making it more difficult’ to drill & environmentalists ‘constantly sue to stop any development’​

Responding to the White House Blame Game on Leases

As federal oil and natural gas is a highly complex system and with only 280 characters available in Twitter, let me take this opportunity to provide some insight into the numbers and the “myriad other delays the administration puts in the way of American producers.”

First the 9,000 leases that Psaki cited. There are about 37,496 leases in effect. Assuming her number is correct on nonproducing leases (FY 2021 data are not yet available from the government, even five months after the FY ended), 76% is a very high lease utilization rate. Why aren’t we developing those “9,000 leases”?

Many leases are held up in litigation by environmental groups. Western Energy Alliance is in court defending over 2,200 leases, most of which cannot be developed while those cases wind their way through the courts. Companies must put together a complete leasehold before moving forward, particularly with the long laterals that can cut across multiple leases. Sometimes a new lease is needed to combine with existing leases to make a full unit. Since the Biden leasing ban remains in effect with no onshore lease sales held since 2020, some leases are held up waiting for new leases or for the government to combine them into a formal unit.

• Before allowing development on leases, the government conducts environmental analysis under NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act), which often takes years to complete. Many leases can be hung up in that process or awaiting other government approvals.
• Finally, not all leases will be developed because, after conducting exploratory work, a company may determine there are not sufficient quantities of oil and natural gas on them. The country still benefits from the leasing revenue paid on the leases.

Let’s talk permits. There are 4,621 permits to drill awaiting approval. By approving these permits in a timely manner, companies could move forward with development. There are also about 9,173 outstanding approved permits, but there are factors that cause companies to wait to drill those wells.

• Because of the uncertainty of operating on federal lands, companies must build up a sufficient inventory of permits before rigs can be contracted to ensure the permits stay ahead of the rigs. We drill wells in a matter of days and rigs are very expensive, so it’s a delicate balancing act. But there are other things that can delay a company from developing a well right away.
• The federal permit to drill is not the only government approval required. Rights of way (ROW) must be acquired to access the lease and for natural gas gathering systems. ROWs can take years to acquire. With the pressure not to flare from regulators and investors, most companies cannot drill before the gathering lines are in place. Timely approvals of ROWs would enable companies to develop sooner.
  
  
• The administration has worked with anti-oil-and-gas activists to slow pipeline infrastructure. Without pipelines to move the oil and natural gas produced, wells cannot be developed.
• Capital must be acquired. Activist investors, encouraged by an administration intent on expanding its financial regulatory powers, have worked to de-bank and de-capitalize the industry. Many companies, particularly the small independents who drill the majority of federal wells, are having difficulty acquiring the credit and capital necessary to develop. By calling off bureaucratic efforts to deny financing to the industry, the president would send a strong signal to the market that investments in oil and natural gas are safe and new production could move forward.
• The Biden Administration has embarked on an agenda of regulatory overreach with extensive new regulations in the works. The uncertainty of all the new red tape puts a damper on new investment and development today, especially on federal lands where the burden is highest. Consequently, companies prioritize their nonfederal leases because there’s less regulatory risk.

These are just some of the political and bureaucratic obstacles this administration is engaging in to slow American production. Please see my op-eds in the Washington Examiner and The Hill for ideas on how the president could encourage American oil and natural gas production rather than just try to shift the blame