Politics / President Obama Pundits Skeptical on Obama Drilling Plan Some doubt that the legislative strategy will pay off By John Johnson, Newser Staff Posted Mar 31, 2010 11:04 AM CDT Copied President Obama will allow more offshore drilling. (AP Photo/Diamond Offshore drilling, ho) President Obama's plan for more offshore drilling has critics on the left and right quick to weigh in: Rick Klein, the Note: "It has the looks of a classic Obama first step that leaves no one satisfied—and irks some allies." Matthew Yglesias, Think Progress: "I don’t understand this at all. Increased coastal drilling would be a small price to pay in exchange for actual congressional votes for an overall energy package. But any price is too high a price to pay in exchange for nothing at all. This isn’t the greatest environmental crime in human history, but it sure does seem like poor legislative strategy." Moe Lane, Red State: "Try again, Mr. President. Start with rescinding your interference with the Bush drilling permits, and expect to give up more. A lot more: your opponents are not interested in indulging the Greenies’ quaint, somewhat primitive religious sensibilities." David Dayen, Firedog Lake: "Either Obama thinks the climate bill is dead and he’s handing out a couple of the goodies he already promised, or his team has assessed that these tracts won't be cost-effective enough for oil companies to actually do the drilling, so it’s a low-cost hedge toward moderation." (More President Obama stories.) Report an error