Fortunately on Thursday January 24, 2008 he announced this is his last year. Good riddance RINO. Now that district can work on getting a real conservative in that slot.
Posted on 05/22/2008 12:10:47 PM PDT by saganite
After opposing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for years, Rep. James Walsh is changing his position.
Walsh said today he will support any new proposals to open the Alaskan refuge to oil exploration, despite the long-held objections of environmental groups and the majority of Congress.
He said the prospect of $4 per gallon gasoline, and surging world demand for oil, persuaded him to change his mind.
"I've always taken the position that we should retain that oil in reserve," Walsh said. "As long as it's in the ground we can use it in the event of an emergency. And I think what is happening today constitutes an energy emergency. I think we need to go, in an environmentally sensitive way, to take that oil out."
His decision represents Walsh's biggest position change since he decided last year to oppose the Bush Administration's plan for the war in Iraq.
President Bush, the oil industry and Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, have repeatedly called for opening the protected refuge to oil exploration. Walsh said Young could introduce a bill as early as today.
A similar bill in the Senate was defeated last week.
Walsh won praise from environmental groups in May 2006 when he joined a group of moderate Republicans who opposed their party and voted to keep the ban on drilling. At the time, Republicans held the majority in Congress.
Walsh, who is retiring in January after 20 years in the House, said he now believes the drilling can be done in an environmentally-sensitive way to protect wildlife and their habitat.
Walsh said he will elaborate on his decision at a news conference this afternoon at Syracuse's Hancock Airport.
A Rino with nothing to loose finally does the right thing.
We need to convince about 300 other congresscritters.
Wow that’s two. Any chance we can convince a Senator?
“As long as it’s in the ground we can use it in the event of an emergency’
How many years to get it out of the ground?
Frickin’ idiot. Glad he is retiring. get fools like that out of Congress.
i’ve had the misfortune to be represented by this fool for the past 20 years. He’s the same guy who reversed his position and called for all troops to leave Iraq just as the surge was beginning. Good riddance Jim.
Hope this is the beginning of a deluge. Come on, Congress.
Paging Norm Coleman......
“I’ve always taken the position that we should retain that oil in reserve,” Walsh said. “As long as it’s in the ground we can use it in the event of an emergency. And I think what is happening today constitutes an energy emergency.
This was my thought also~ when a barrel of oil cost 50 bucks.
Yep, he's done his damage. Nice words but he's hurt us too much.
The problem is not the supply of oil, but the lack of refinement capacity. The pols push for oil from the outside which takes precedence and our oil companies take a second fiddle. No wonder they are not rushing to drill.
If you like $4/gal, Thank Congress in Nov.
Pray for W and Our Troops
Fortunately on Thursday January 24, 2008 he announced this is his last year. Good riddance RINO. Now that district can work on getting a real conservative in that slot.
And how about the East Coast, The West Coast, The Gulf.........China is drilling off the gulf as it is. Is Congress stupid or something?
Is that a serious question?
Does this mean that congress people that change their minds about drilling in ANWR, flip-flops?
I saw an article the other day that said Cuba had delayed the start of their drilling program in the Gulf ‘til 2009. Don’t know what’s behind the delay. My guess would be equipment issues.
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