Surprises in Obama's speech

Posted By Blake Hounshell Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - 11:39 PM Share

What limited foreign-policy-related moments there were in Obama's speech tonight weren't too surprising. He checked a few familiar boxes, such as terrorism, North Korea, Iran, and nuclear weapons. But a couple moments caught my eye, for instance the section on energy, where he called for "building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country" and said the United States needed to make "tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development." Not exactly the energy policy his supporters thought they voted for.

Then there was his disappointing discussion of trade, which included a bizarre promise to double U.S. exports in five years. Does this mean he expects the dollar to drop dramatically? He also announced the launching of "a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports, and reform export controls consistent with national security" (more on that topic here), and vowed to "seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are." Nothing here, other than a cursory, noncommittal mention of the Doha round, indicates that Obama views trade as anything other than a zero-sum game. There's a name for this approach to trade: mercantilism.

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ZATHRAS

11:51 PM ET

January 27, 2010

No Yucca Mountain, no nuclear power

No Yucca Mountain, no nuclear power. That's pretty much what it comes down to. If you don't have a place to store nuclear waste, there isn't much point in going to all the trouble and expense of trying to get a nuclear plant built.

Unless President Obama has in mind a new design for a clean, safe nuclear plant that doesn't generate any waste and that I haven't heard of, I have to think his reference here was only intended to swipe one of the GOP's cheer lines.

CADRIAN757

5:15 AM ET

January 28, 2010

Wonderful...

Great post.keep posting us this type of wonderful information.We always look forward towards your post.

Acai Juice

KJC

12:49 PM ET

January 28, 2010

Obama Silent on Yucca Mountain

The notion of advancing a "new generation" of new nuclear power plants must be matched with a commitment to solve the spent fuel problem. After more than 20 years of study and submittal of a License Application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy is poised to be granted or denied a license to begin construction of the Yucca Mountain repository. All of it paid for by ratepayers, not taxpayer dollars.

But Obama has said that he will not allow the project to go forward, that it is "off the table." Over 1000 employees and contractors have been laid off as a result. Why will he not allow the NRC to make a judgment about the safety of the project? Why will he not allow sound science to be evaluated by an independent NRC charged with protecting public health and safety? We can only speculate that the President has made a political deal with Sen. Reid of Nevada to scratch his back in return for his support in the Senate.

And the lack of any mention in Obama's speech of Yucca Mountain, or our need to solve the nuclear waste issue once and for all, confirms that any call for new nuclear plants is hollow.

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