Posted on 09/15/2008 3:21:33 AM PDT by NCDragon
WASHINGTON - In a campaign ad opposing him, Democratic congressional candidate Larry Kissell looks like he's standing on a dark and lonely stage as he declares his opposition to oil drilling off the coast of North Carolina.
That would be an especially fitting backdrop these days for drilling opponents on the campaign trail and in the halls of Congress.
What was an acceptable stance on energy policy as recently as a few months ago has become a less tenable political position going into election season.
"It's extraordinary how quickly the politics of the issue have changed," said Bill Holman, director of state policy at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. "There was a bipartisan consensus in North Carolina for the last 20 years against offshore oil and gas development. And in the last few months, there's been a big shift among all the political leaders on the issue."
With the federal moratorium on drilling expiring Sept. 30, both the House and Senate are expected to take action this week on off-shore drilling. At least some expansion of drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf is in play, likely off the coast of the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsobserver.com ...
BREAKING!!!!
OIL IS TRADING AT $96 and change!!!!
http://www.nymex.com/index.aspx
GAS DOWN 17 cents at $2.59!!!
Note: Add about 60 cents to the futures gas price above to guess at the retail price.
Seems like every time we talk about drilling, the oil price goes down. :)
They could just let the ban expire and then all of both coasts, the entire Gulf, and all around Alaska will be open to drilling. Maybe they’ll debate it so long that they’ll miss the deadline...
DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!!!
Every candidate who opposes oil drilling everywhere, needs to PAY for wanting to make us dependent on Muzzie terrorists who loathe us and want to destroy us.
Even the most brain-dead politician should be able to see the stupidity in having 3700 oil platforms and 26 refineries, in Hurricane Alley.
During the aftermath of Ike, all oil and gas shipments should be cut off to states that refuse to allow our country to drill on its own land. If you do not want gas and oil exploration and refining, then don’t expect any gas and oil to use.
Too late, dims. Gas would have to fall to 29.9 for the American consumers to be were they were last year...
Turn about is fair play. Katrina hurt the Republicans by making them seem indifferent to suffering. Ike shot gas prices up by 50 cents to a dollar overnight and showed how precarious our oil supplies are. Voters want drilling, NOW.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.