Sen. John McCain called yesterday for an end to the federal ban on offshore oil drilling, offering an aggressive response to high gasoline prices and immediately drawing the ire of environmental groups that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has courted for months.
The move is aimed at easing voter anger over rising energy prices by freeing states to open vast stretches of the country's coastline to oil exploration. In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, nearly 80 percent said soaring prices at the pump are causing them financial hardship, the highest in surveys this decade.
"We must embark on a national mission to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil," McCain told reporters yesterday. In a speech today, he plans to add that "we have untapped oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States. But a broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production. . . . It is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions."
McCain's announcement is a reversal of the position he took in his 2000 presidential campaign and a break with environmental activists, even as he attempts to win the support of independents and moderate Democrats. Since becoming the presumptive GOP nominee in March, McCain has presented himself as a friend of the environment by touting his plans to combat global warming and his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and in the Everglades. ....McCain's call for an end to the coastal oil drilling ban is at odds with his oft-stated view that drilling should remain off-limits in sensitive areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Asked by reporters about those places, McCain said yesterday that he still thinks the refuge is a "pristine" area and opposes drilling there.
The senator's push to end the ban is sure to annoy two key Republican allies -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist -- both of whom oppose drilling off their states' coastlines.
Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear noted the governor's overall support for McCain's candidacy but said: "There are things that he and the senator will agree on, and things they won't agree on." Crist said in a statement: "It has become increasingly clear that we must be pragmatic in protecting both our beaches and our economy. We look forward to the dialogue as we move forward to protect both our environment and our country's economic interests."
Congress created a moratorium on new drilling off the coast in 1981, and every president since then has extended it.
While McCain has traditionally sided with environmentalists on climate change, he has a mixed voting record on oil drilling and support for renewable energy.
No kidding. McCain past desires to play to the press has created this problem for him on the issue of energy. Conservatives don't trust him to do the right thing, and until he comes out strongly in favor of drilling in ANWR he's not going to gain any additional support from conservatives on this issue. They don't think he's really serious about it.
This is an issue that McCain could win. Obama can't give a rational reason why America shouldn't be exploring for our own oil and making ourselves less reliant on foreign sources. McCain could beat him like a drum on this issue if he'd only wake up and quit worrying about a few caribou and start worrying about his country's energy needs.
Someone at The Corner suggested that he needs to go to ANWR, meet with Alaskan Gov. Palin, a strong supporter of drilling up there, and then hold a press conference announcing his change of position. He would immediately win the issue with conservatives and with independents who understand that energy independence is more important than a few acres of frozen tundra, and with new drilling technology available today, ANWR could be developed with minimal impact on the "pristine" area.
He might even win my vote.
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