Obama Blocks Chinese Purchase of West Coast Wind Farms

Chalk it up to national security concerns, election-year politics, or trade warfare

President Obama just blocked a Chinese purchase of wind farms in Oregon, in an executive level move that hasn't been made for over two decades, reports USA Today.

Citing national security concerns, the President sought to avoid any potential risks involving a nearby naval training facility in the city of Boardman where unmanned drones and other sensitive technology are routinely tested.

Suggesting an additional reason for Obama's decision, the Associated Press speculates that it's due to election-year criticism from Mitt Romney that his rival is too soft on China. Recent trade complaints from the POTUS against China are another possible motivator for what could be seen as a form of economic retaliation.

Obama's actions are not unprecedented but apparently unusual. "The last time a president used the law to block a transaction was 1990," writes AP, "when President George H.W. Bush voided the sale of Mamco Manufacturing to a Chinese agency."

Via USA Today and The Washington Post.

Was it a good move on Obama's part to block China's wind farm buy?

[Sonny]

Of course it was a good move!....Look people in this country are always complaining about the US being dependent on foreign energy...So why in hell would the President want to simply "hand over the keys" to one of our domestic sources of energy to China or any other foreign power? It was the right move and the right thing to do....despite the "speculation" by the AP.

[DARSB]

As a general thing, I don't think we should sell domestic energy sources to foreign nations.

[Thunderchicken]

Amen

[Keyjo]

Yes, it was a good move.

[MongoAPillager]

If he would just keep moving FORWARD in this direction,But Thank You Mr. Obama

[MongoAPillager]

i was afraid there would be the sound of another foot dropping .. http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2012/09/2...

[Stratton]

I don't care what his motivations were, it sounds like the right move to me.

[CanisCanemEdit]

Good move. Keep moving this direction, Mr. President.

[Jack-Black]

Dont worry China, he will have more flexability after the election if the american people continue to keep their head in sand and re elect this marxist.

[ConcernedParty]

I think you need to re-read Das Kapital. There is very little even socialist about Obama. Marx predicted that capitalists societies would see a gowing income divide, and with the USA being at #94 globally in this concern, maybe not everything he said was crazy. Don't tar with a brush you don't know how to wield.

[ACTSmom]

Well, mercy me! He finally did something to make me agree with him! Politics or not, this was a good move.

[biggin]

It was a good thing

[bsking]

No it wasn't it was 1 chance to unload a loser of an idea and wind farms to the Chinese

[Sonny]

????

[bsking]

@thylacine why is that?do you really think 7th century technology is the way to go?windmills?what a freakin joke.the clean coal fired plant or nuke is the smartest option for american power and thats why dems are against it.they are morons

[thylacine]

@bsking

Do you know what non renewable means?

[bsking]

@thylacine do you know what self sufficient means?

[Razorbreath]

It's a political ploy ... Obama could care less about Americans or our military.

[Sonny]

Gee, and to think all along I thought this story was about "energy" --how did our military creep its way into your mind?!?

[Thunderchicken]

@Sonny

Ya gotta read more than the headline.

"Citing national security concerns, the President sought to avoid any potential risks involving a nearby naval training facility in the city of Boardman where unmanned drones and other sensitive technology are routinely tested."

[Sonny]

@Thunderchicken That's perfectly fine with me..Having more than one reason to block a sale of a domestic energy resource to China is fine by me...Please feel free to pick & choose which you would like to make your primary reason and your secondary reason....Doesn't matter to me.

[FollowTheMoney]

Good Move.

[TheLoneRanger]

Obama could not care less what happens to America. The only reason he prevents China from buying the wind farm is for his political advantage in an election season.

[RealTalk]

Your not quite a LONE...ranger, but your getting there. Rationale is the new majority and you are on the outside looking in.

[TheLoneRanger]

@RealTalk - Thank you for your opinion.

[Penn1699]

Absolutely! Good move for our national security. Which I fervently hope was the main issue in this move.

[TeamAmerica]

I think it's a good idea but I don't think it was done for anything more than being close to an election. FWIW, oil man George Bush made Texas the number one state in wind power.

[Denizen_Kate]

TeamAmerica, does this mean that you (and several other commenters on this thread) believe that the Chinese company in question made their bid for this wind farm at just the right time for Obama to play pre-election politics?

As for Texas and George Bush: easy enough to make Texas number one in wind farms -- most of the state consists of miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles, with hardly a hill or mountain to interfere with the wind.

[TeamAmerica]

@Denizen_Kate They acquired the wind farms in March. This is the end of September. As for Texas, like it or not, wind farms didn't just sprout from the flat landscape, someone had to have the initiative to get the ball rolling. That person was then Governor Bush. The majority of the state is rated "marginal" to "fair' for potential wind power so it wasn't a simple matter of it being "easy enough".

[dances-weebles]

@TeamAmerica yeah, but you're not taking into account all that hot air that bush blows.

[Cheenoguy]

Is the official Republican Party platform just to say whatever Obama does is wrong even if they agree with it? Seriously there are posters here complaining that Obama blocked a energy company located rather close to a strategic and secret military post being sold to a Chinese company?
We get it, you don't like Obama. Get over it. You've got 4 more years coming. Hopefully after that the two party system will have been de-monopolized so that a Green Party president can really help America look more like a developed nation rather then Russia.

[Sonny]

I agree 100% Cheenoguy...And sooner or later some of these Obama haters will start to catch on...Because like you said...they've got 4 more years of President Obama coming---and there ain't a damn thing they can do to stop it!!

[Capt_Morgan02]

Credit should be given where credit is due. Point to the president if all the details are accurate.

[tomincali]

obama is not worried about our security on bit. add in his trade agreement also shows he cares nothing for the average worker either.we all see what nafta has done,"not one thing for worker" add in korea and cheap labor we have now is going to be alot worst.

[dkpayton]

i think it s the gop that filibustered the bill that would stop giving tax break to corp that send our jobs overseas. i think you need to look more at the congress and senate.

[BigPoppaPhat]

Amazing what hell do during an.election year.

[marine1]

thank you. finally did something right. do i see hope on the horizon?