[I got the rope]

More obstructionism from the 'rats. While you are paying high prices at the pumps just remember... democrats are actively trying to destroy these United States' free markets.

Get used to living in a socialist squalor.

[I got the rope]

BTTT

[bnelson44]

This isn't the same place Cuba wants to drill is it?

[plain talk]

This is what is needed. We need to get dems on the record as opposing drilling. The admin needs to turn this around and put the dems on the defense.

[xcamel]

About damned time... screw the demon-rats.

[t2buckeye]

"Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat running for reelection, criticized the plan, saying if it would amount to the “largest expansion of drilling off Florida’s coast in the country’s history"'

Later that same day, I am sure that Nelson and other Democrats continued to blame President Bush for the increase in gas prices!

[shield]

If Texas and Louisiana allows all the drilling they do...why not Florida...

[CWOJackson]

This is going to make it interesting for two Bush brothers; George and Jeb.

[Capt. Tom]

AP 26jan01 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Jeb Bush has told his brother's new administration not to open up Florida's Gulf Coast to more offshore oil and gas drilling -- a message President Bush already has said he will heed. snip

The president advocates increased energy exploration in the United States, but he said in a pre-inauguration interview with The Associated Press that he would support governors who want drilling banned off their coastlines.

[gondramB]

>>Admin would open 2M acres of Gulf to drilling<<

I don't think I've ever heard of ocean area being measured in acres. I guess they like talking about a large number. Drilling in an area 56 miles square just wouldn't sound scary enough.

[TomGuy]

Look again.

Nelson said he believed that he and Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who has opposed other efforts to open Lease 181 to drilling, could block the bill.

It isn't only the Dems that are to blame. Some on the GOP side are adding to the obstructionism.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

My eyes deceive me. I could swear that I read that the administration is trying to open up more offshore drilling. But I want to power my car with switchgrass, not oil.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The plan would prohibit drilling within 100 miles of Florida’s coast, to minimize the potential damage of an oil spill getting on the wrong side of Katherine Harris and Mel Martinez.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Nelson said he believed that he and Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who has opposed other efforts to open Lease 181 to drilling, could block the bill.

Of course they could; nothing like helping the nation to commit suicide on energy policy.

[yarddog]

My family has been in Florida since at least the late 1700's. I love the beaches but why does that have anything to do with drilling for oil? In the very unlikely event of an oil spill that far offshore the damage would be minimal and hey it eventually goes away anyway.

[Zeroisanumber]

Going to be an interesting dinner table discussion at the next Bush family gathering. I can't imagine that Jeb is going to be very happy about this.

[SunnyD1182]

Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat running for reelection, criticized the plan, saying if it would amount to the “largest expansion of drilling off Florida’s coast in the country’s history.”

Note to this idiot: that's already happening. Just ask Castro. Nelson needs to shut up and realize that oil will be drilled for off our coasts, whether his NIMBY self would like it or not. The only question is whether other countries do it or whether we do it.

[Onelifetogive]

Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat running for reelection, criticized the plan, saying if it would amount to the “largest expansion of drilling off Florida’s coast in the country’s history.”

That's criticism???

[snowsislander]

Paul Cicio, executive director of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, said Lease 181 offered the country’s “greatest near-term supply option” because of its closeness to existing production infrastructure farther west in the Gulf along Louisiana’s and Texas’s coastlines, where much of the nation’s energy infrastructure is located.

Yes, production from Florida's side of the Gulf should be able to leverage at least some of the western Gulf's infrastructure.

Also, there's been talk about new nuclear capability in Florida, though I don't believe that anything has been submitted to the NRC yet. Here is the NRC's January 2006 list of expected licensing activities over the next few years:

Table 1 - FY 2006-2008 New Reactor Licensing Planned Activities

FY 2006	FY 2007	FY 2008
Complete 3 ESPs North Anna Clinton Grand Gulf
Start Southern (Vogtle) ESP	Continue Southern ESP	Continue Southern ESP
DC pre-application activities for EPR, PBMR, ACR, and IRIS	DC pre-application activities for EPR, PBMR, ACR, and IRIS	DC pre-application activities for EPR, PBMR, ACR, and IRIS
Continue ESBWR DC	Continue ESBWR DC	Continue ESBWR DC
		Start EPR DC
		Start PBMR DC
Pre-application activities for 11 potential COL applicants	Pre-application activities for 11 potential COL applicants	Pre-application activities for 11 potential COL applicants
	Start Dominion (North Anna) COL	Continue Dominion COL
	Start South Carolina E&G COL	Continue SC E&G COL
		Start Duke COL
		Start NuStart 1 (Bellefonte) COL
		Start NuStart 2 (Grand Gulf) COL
		Start Southern (Vogtle) COL
		Start Constellation COL
		Start Progress Energy (Harris) COL
		Start Progress Energy (Florida) COL
		Start Entergy (River Bend) COL
Regulatory Infrastructure Development and Technical Development	Regulatory Infrastructure Development and Technical Development	Regulatory Infrastructure Development and Technical Development
Start NGNP interactions with DOE	Continue NGNP interactions with DOE	Submit Joint NGNP licensing strategy to Congress
* Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR), pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR), Advanced Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) Reactor (ACR), and International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS)Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Department of Energy (DOE)

[OKIEDOC]

Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat running for reelection, criticized the plan.

Coment:

What a frigging two faced back stabbing hypocrite.

Along the lines of Murdering Ted Kennedy.

Ted drinks up enough alcohol each day to fuel a good sized SUV for a year.

[gogogodzilla]

You know, I am registered to vote in Florida.

While I'd like to kick out Bill Nelson (D)... the real question is whether the Republican alternative would vote to authorize the drilling.

And after researching the Republicans running for the primary... I don't see any of them supporting oil drilling either.

So what's the point?

Unless something changes, I'll be voting either for either the Libertarian party or the Constitution Party.