“The Obama Campaign Added A Section On ‘Clean Coal’ To Its Website This Week After House Republicans Alleged That The President’s ‘All-Of-The-Above’ Energy Plan Neglected The Fossil Fuel.” (Andrew Restuccia, “Obama Campaign Adds ‘Clean Coal’ To Website After GOP Complaints,” The Hill’s E2 Wire, 5/11/12)

“Stabbed In The Back By Coal Country In West Virginia’s Embarrassing Tuesday Democratic Primary, The Obama-Biden Campaign Has Overnight Discovered Coal.” (Paul Bedard, “After W Va. Embarrassment, Obama Embraces Coal,” The Washington Examiner’s Washington Secrets , 5/11/12)

Today, Obama’s Campaign Website Includes Clean Coal In His “All Of The Above” Energy Strategy. “President Obama has set a 10-year goal to develop and deploy cost-effective clean coal technology. The Recovery Act invested substantially in carbon capture and sequestration research, including 22 projects across four different areas of carbon capture-and-storage research and development.” ( www.barackobama.com, Accessed 5/11/12)

However, On Obama’s March 2012 All-Of-The-Above Energy Strategy YouTube Video Does Not Include Coal.

Obama’s Assault On Coal Led To A Convicted Felon Receiving More Than 40 Percent Of The Vote In The Democrat Presidential Primary

West Virginia Democrat State Chair: “A Lot Of Folks Here Have Real Frustration With This Administration’s Stance On Coal And Energy. … They Are Frustrated And They Are Upset, And They Wanted To Send Obama A Message.” “For Larry Puccio, the state’s Democratic Party chairman, the conclusion is obvious. ‘A lot of folks here have real frustration with this administration’s stance on coal and energy,’ he said. ‘They are frustrated and they are upset, and they wanted to send Obama a message.’” (Neil King Jr., “West Virginia Vote Was All About Coal,” The Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire,5/9/12)

West Virginians Sent Obama A “Blunt Message” When A Convicted Felon Now Serving 17 ½ Years In Prison Received 40 Percent Of The Vote Against Obama In The Democrat Primary. “In West Virginia, some are calling it a howl of protest. Others, a blunt message addressed directly to President Barack Obama. Either way, the fact that a convicted felon now serving 17 ½ years in a Texas prison nabbed more than 40% of the vote against President Obama in the Democratic primary has Democrats and others scrambling to explain the outcome.” (Neil King Jr., “West Virginia Vote Was All About Coal,” The Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire,5/9/12)

“The Obama Administration Has Taken A Number Of Steps To Crimp New Coal Mines And To Bulk Up Regulations On Coal-Fired Power Plants, All Of Which Have Echoed Loudly In A Heavily Coal-Reliant State.” (Neil King Jr., “West Virginia Vote Was All About Coal,” The Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire,5/9/12)

Obama’s Assault On Coal Will Define His Reelection Fight In Pennsylvania And Ohio As Well

T.J. Rooney, Former Chairman Of Pennsylvania Democrats: Coal “Is An Issue That Will Define His Re-Election Fight Here In Pennsylvania As Well As Ohio.” “Rooney said Obama needs to address coal and the balance he will strike between environmental protection and rising energy costs: ‘It is an issue that will define his re-election fight here in Pennsylvania as well as Ohio.’” (Salena Zito, “Pa. Coal Country Skeptical Of Obama,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 3/25/12)

• Rooney: Obama’s Refusal To Mention Coal When Discussing American Energy “Disappointing.” “Last Thursday, in what the White House touted as his ‘big American-made energy’ speech, the president never mentioned coal. ‘That’s — that is just disappointing,’ said T.J. Rooney, former chairman of Pennsylvania Democrats, who oversaw several very successful election cycles for his party.” (Salena Zito, “Pa. Coal Country Skeptical Of Obama,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review , 3/25/12)
• Rooney: Obama Needs To “Strike A Better Balance” With The Country’s Natural Resources. “T.J. Rooney, Pennsylvania’s former Democratic Party chairman, said Obama needs to “strike a better balance” with all of the country’s natural resources. ‘Right now, it is a problem,’ said Rooney, noting he’s frustrated that he hasn’t heard the president talk lately about clean coal as part of his ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to energy production. Obama hasn’t mentioned coal in speeches or news conferences since October, the Tribune-Review found in reviewing White House press reports.” (Salena Zito, “Romney’s Focus On Energy In PA Visit,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review , 4/23/12)

Obama Has Waged A War On Coal

While Campaigning For President In 2008, Barack Obama Said That His Cap-And-Trade Program Would Bankrupt Coal-Powered Plants. OBAMA: “So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can - it’s just that it will bankrupt them, because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Interview With The San Francisco Chronicle’s Editorial Board, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/17/08)

• Vice President Biden In 2008: “No Coal Plants Here In America.” (Joe Biden, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Maumee, OH, 9/16/08)

o Biden: “We’re Not Supporting Clean Coal.” (Joe Biden, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Maumee, OH, 9/16/08)

In 2007, Then-Presidential Candidate Said “I Don’t Think There’s Much Of A Role For Clean Coal In Energy Independence,” And “Clean-Coal Is Not The Route To Go In The United States.” BIDEN: “I don’t think there’s much of a role for clean coal in energy independence, but I do think there’s a significant role for clean coal in the bigger picture of climate change. Clean-coal technology is not the route to go in the United States, because we have other, cleaner alternatives.” (Amanda Little, “An Interview With Joe Biden About Energy And The Environment,” Grist.org, 8/30/07)

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) Condemned The Obama Administration’s “Attempts To Destroy Our Coal Industry And Way Of Life In West Virginia.” “Announcing the suit against the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, Mr. Manchin, a Democrat, condemned what he called the Obama administration’s ‘attempts to destroy our coal industry and way of life in West Virginia.’” (Erik Eckholm, “West Virginia Sues U.S. Over Mining Restrictions,” The New York Times, 10/7/10)

• Manchin: “We’d Like To Have Our Government As Our Partner And Not Our Adversary.” (Editorial, “Sen. Manchin Is Right About Solar And Coal,” Charleston Daily Mail, 9/19/11)
• Manchin “This EPA Is Fully Engaging In A War On Coal, Even Though This Country Will Continue To Rely On Coal As An Affordable, Stable And Abundant Energy Source For Decades To Come.” (“Sen. Manchin: EPA Fully Engaged In A War On Coal,” The Herald-Dispatch, 3/27/12)

• Manchin: “This Is What Happens When This Country Doesn’t Have A True All-Of The-Above Energy Approach. Instead Of Trying To Completely Eliminate Coal In The Long-Term, The EPA Should Be Trying To Work With Industry.” (“Sen. Manchin: EPA Fully Engaged In A War On Coal,” The Herald-Dispatch, 3/27/12)

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D-WV): “This Latest Announcement Is Yet Another Example Of The EPA’s Inappropriate Use Of Its Regulatory Authority To Set Policy For Our Country… [W]e Should Be Working To Make Our Country More Energy Independent And Create Jobs, Not Harm Them.” (“Sen. Manchin: EPA Fully Engaged In A War On Coal,” The Herald-Dispatch, 3/27/12)

• Tomblin: “I Will Not Stand For It.” (“W.Va Delegation Blasts EPA Power Plants Proposal,” The Associated Press, 3/28/12)

The Wall Street Journal: “For Three Years The Environmental Protection Agency Has Imposed A De Facto Ban On New Coal-Fired Power While Doing Everything It Can To Harm Existing Coal Plants.” (Editorial, “Killing Coal,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/5/12)

• The Wall Street Journal: “The Agency Is Conceding That Coal Development Has Been Shut Down As A Result Of Its Many New Regulations, Such As The Recent Mercury Rule And The Illegal Permitting Delays That A Federal Appeals Court Slapped Down Last Week.” (Editorial, “Killing Coal,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/5/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Coal Is Not Part Of Obama’s “All Of The Above” Energy Strategy. “Everyone in Washington including President Obama claims to favor an ‘all of the above’ energy portfolio. As misguided as that is-far better to let markets decide which energy sources to develop-the EPA has now admitted that Mr. Obama doesn’t really mean it. Coal is not part of his ‘all.’” (Editorial, “Killing Coal,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/5/12)

“The White House Is Hostile To Fossil Fuels, Yet It Has Been Unable To Get Congress Or The Public To Act. So It Has Unleashed The EPA To Crack Down On Those Industries.” (Kimberly Strassel, “The ‘Crucify Them’ Presidency,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/4/12)

Charleston Daily Mail: “[T]he Obama Administration Has Virtually Declared War On Coal, [West Virginia’s] Mainstay Energy Source.” (Editorial, “Sen. Manchin Is Right About Solar And Coal,” Charleston Daily Mail, 9/19/11)

The Detroit News: “The Environmental Protection Agency’s Crusade Against Coal-Fired Power Plants Is On A Fast Track To Raise Electricity Bills In Michigan By As Much As 20 Percent And Restrict The State’s Economic Growth.” (Editorial, “Stop EPA From Killing Coal,” The Detroit News, 6/23/11)

Charleston Daily Mail: “President Obama’s Administration Wasted No Time When It Took Office In Pursuing Its Agenda To Cripple The Coal Industry In Appalachian States.” (Editorial, “One Victory Scored, but the War Goes On,” Charleston Daily Mail, 10/10/11)

Parkersburg News And Sentinel: The EPA’s War On Coal Will Lead To Tens Of Millions Of Americans Paying Higher Energy Bills, While Devastating The Economies Of West Virginia And Other Coal States. “If the EPA succeeds, tens of millions of Americans will pay higher electric bills - some perhaps thousands of dollars more. But the coal industry will be devastated, and with it, the economies of West Virginia and other coal states will be wrecked.” (Editorial, “War On Coal,”Parkersburg News And Sentinel, 9/20/11)

“Obama Is Strong On Wind And Solar, But His Environmental Record Is One Of Trying To Do Away With Fossil Fuels And Any Carbon Emissions Whatsoever.” (Abby W. Schachter, “Obama’s Keystone Headache,” The New York Post’s “Capitol Punishment”, 11/28/11)

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Commissioner Philip Moeller: “In Contrast To The Gradual Integration Of Wind And Solar, And Our Careful Work Studying That Topic, Upcoming EPA Rules Are Expected To Quickly Remove, Or ‘Dis-Integrate,’ Significant Amounts Of Coal Power From The Power Grid.” (Abby W. Schachter, “Obama’s Keystone Headache,” The New York Post’s “Capitol Punishment”, 11/28/11)

The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register: “Obama’s Goal, In Which Top EPA Officials And Liberals In Congress Cooperate Enthusiastically, Is To Wreck The Coal Industry.” “Obama’s goal, in which top EPA officials and liberals in Congress cooperate enthusiastically, is to wreck the coal industry. As we have pointed out, eliminating relatively low-priced electricity generated from coal will put many industries in this region at a competitive disadvantage against those elsewhere. That may well be part of the liberals’ strategy.” (Editorial, “End EPA War Against Coal,” The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register , 1/1/12)

Obama’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rules Will Effectively End Coal As We Know It

The Obama Administration Proposed The Nation’s First Ever Restrictions On Greenhouse Gasses From Power Plants, Limiting New Fossil-Fuel-Burning Plants To No More Than 1,000 Pounds Of Carbon Dioxide Per Megawatt Generated. “The Obama administration on Tuesday proposed the nation’s first-ever restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from US power plants. If approved, the restrictions are expected to sharply curb construction of new coal-fired power plants nationwide. The proposed restrictions, unveiled by officials at the Environmental Protection Agency, would apply only to new fossil-fuel-burning power plants - limiting them to no more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt generated.” (Mark Clayton, “EPA Issues New Rule On Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Christian Science Monitor , 3/27/12)

Obama’s New Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule Is “A Regulation That Promises To Shift The Future Of U.S. Power Generation.” “The Obama administration is moving ahead with its greenhouse gas rule for new power plants, a regulation that promises to shift the future of U.S. power generation. EPA will announce the rule Tuesday, a senior administration official confirmed to POLITICO. The proposed regulation in essence means that new coal-fired power plants will have to capture their carbon dioxide emissions - either for storage or, in many cases, to send the CO2 to oil and gas drilling operations where it can be used to help extract fossil fuels.” (Erica Martinson, “EPA Hits Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Power Plants,” Politico, 3/26/12)

The New Rule Means That Coal-Fired Plants “As They Exist Now Will Not Be Built In The Future.” “But beyond that, the rule means that coal-fired power plants as they exist now will not be built in the future. The standard will generally require that new power plants emit CO2 at a rate no greater than that of a natural-gas-fired power plant. Such plants emit about 60 percent less greenhouse gases than coal plants.” (Erica Martinson, “EPA Hits Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Power Plants,” Politico, 3/26/12)

Obama’s Greenhouse Rule Will “Effectively Prohibit New Coal-Fired Power Plants.” “President Barack Obama’s proposed emission rules for power plants effectively prohibit new coal- fired power plants, buttressing the nation’s shift away from a power source that fueled the Industrial Revolution to cheap natural gas. Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first limits on greenhouse-gas emissions from U.S. power plants yesterday, setting a standard natural-gas facilities can meet. A new coal plant, however, would need carbon-capture technology, which industry lobbyists say isn’t available at competitive rates.” (Mark Drajem, “Obama Power-Plant Rule Signals Demise Of ‘Old King Coal,’” Bloomberg, 3/28/12)

Obama’s Greenhouse Gas Proposal “Probably Will Mean That No New Coal-Fired U.S. Plants Will Be Built After This Year.” “The Obama administration’s proposal last week to put the first limits on greenhouse gases from new power plants probably will mean that no new coal-fired U.S. plants will be built after this year, but that won’t slash coal use anytime soon.” (Renee Schoof, “EPA Climate Proposal could Limit Coal’s Future, At Least In US,” McClatchy, 4/1/12)

Obama White House Won’t Speculate Whether Today’s Announcement Will Actually Impact Gas Prices

Click To Watch

CBS’s Norah O’Donnell: “With this new action, how much do you think it will decrease the price of gas at the pump?”

National Economic Council Deputy Director Brian Deese: “So as you know, and as all of you know, the President, as part of his all of the above energy strategy, has said we need to be doing everything that we can to try to increase domestic production, reduce our dependence on imported oil and protect consumers. He’s also said there is no single silver bullet. And so, you know, I’m not going to speculate on this provision or any other provision and the specific impact that it would have on prices at the pump but what I would say at a time when you’ve seen trading activity increase by 30 percent, when you’ve seen prices increase and you’ve seen uncertainty in these markets increase, that is the most important time to be doing everything you can to have cops on the beat in those markets, to have tools and resources that regulators need, to make sure that there isn’t manipulative activity going on.”

(White House Press Briefing,  Washington, D.C. 4/17/12)

Obama White House Can’t Cite Example Of Oil Market Manipulation

Click To Watch

CBS’s Norah O’Donnell: “Final question. So, do you have any evidence of market manipulation and is there currently not an avenue in the U.S. government to prosecute people who are engaged in market manipulation?”

National Economic Council Deputy Director Brian Deese: “Sure. So on the first, there’s a component of the first question that is really an enforcement question. And obviously the Department of Justice and the CFTC may be in a better position to answer questions about specific enforcement actions. I would say that if you look over the past year, the CFTC has opened cases against potential energy firms for potential manipulation. The FTC has an open investigation into potential anti-competitive behavior by oil refiners and so we are actively as an administration deploying the tools at our disposal to try to identify those instances. But to your second point about whether we have the capacity within the government, we are much better positioned today to address these issues than we were before the President took office, because we’ve closed some of these loopholes. We’ve brought trading out of the shadows. But the truth is that, at a moment when our regulatory agencies are already being asked to take on substantial responsibilities in implementing Wall Street reform, when you’ve seen the recent increases in trading activity and volatility, they need more resources in order to do an effective job on behalf of the American people. So, the increase in resources to put these additional personnel on oversight and enforcement and the increased resources for technology are really aimed at making sure that we, as a federal government, have those tools and have those resources to do the best job we can.”

(White House Press Briefing,., Washington, D.C., 4/17/12)

CNN Asks If There’s Illegal Activity In Oil Markets, Why Hasn’t Already Formed Obama Task Force Acted?

Click To Watch

CNN’s Jessica Yellin: “Following up on Norah’s last question, Brian, the few times you’ve mentioned illegal activities, it was a year ago that the president asked for the Department of Justice and CFTC to formalize this task force. At the time, Holder said if illegal conduct is responsible, federal and state authorities should take swift action. The commissioner at CFTC said, we need to use the tools Congress gave us to stop excessive speculation, we need to do it now. I’ve called both places, they—I’ve not heard back from the CFTC and Justice cannot point us to any action that’s been taken to date against any specific illegal actor. This entire move by the White house today is premised on the assumption that there is illegal action. So what concrete evidence can you point to, to suggest this isn’t just optics?”

National Economic Council Deputy Director Brian Deese: “So I’d say a couple of things, the first again, again, if you—as I just stated earlier, in 2011, the CFTC filed a civil complaint against several oil companies for potential manipulative activity. Likewise the CFTC has an open investigation into anti-competitive behavior. But I think that there’s a broader issue, which, at stake here…”

(White House Press Briefing, Washington, D.C., 4/17/12)

NPR Asks If There’s Any Concern That Obama Looks “Ineffective” On Gas Prices

Click To Watch

NPR’s Mara Liasson: “The President talks about this a lot, whether it’s manipulation or oil prices or energy exploration, and I’m just wondering if you think there’s a danger that, as people see him talking about this a lot that they also see the price at the pump not changing and continuing to go up, if they will think he’s ineffective?”

National Economic Council Deputy Director Brian Deese: “Well I will um, since I am the economic policy guy I will leave the sort of question of the political perceptions of the President aside.”

(White House Press Briefing, Washington, D.C., 4/17/12) 

After months of testimony from various administration officials claiming that Solyndra received its loan Department of Energy Loan on merit, a new report says the Solyndra loan was rushed. A U.S. Department of Treasury audit released yesterday states it only had one day to complete its review of the $535 million loan guarantee before being rushed out the door by the Department of Energy to accommodate its press release announcing the administrations progress in funding green energy.

Bloomberg:“Treasury Officials Given One Day To Review U.S. Solyndra Loan”

Politico: “Audit: Review Of Solyndra ‘Rushed’”

The Hill:“Treasury Report Calls Solyndra Loan Review ‘Rushed’”

National Review Online:“Treasury Audit: Solyndra Was A Rush Job”