Monday, July 14, 2008

Drill Bit

According to www.nytimes.com, "President Bush lifted a presidential moratorium on drilling for oil and
natural gas on the Outer Continental Shelf on Monday..." Finally! In an abysmal election year to be a Republican, the GOP has been given an issue that could save them from utter humiliation in November, and yet they can't find their voice and their actions so far have been tepid. They must push hard, forcing votes and holding up bills in Congress, and continually press the following talking points about drilling for oil in ANWAR and off the Outer Continental Shelf (three to 200 miles off the coast): 1) We would not be sending the money to unfriendly countries; 2) It would create many, many jobs for Americans; 3) It would bring in revenue for struggling states; and, most importantly, 4) It will immediately lower gas prices.
It should be noted that President Bush's move is symbolic. Not only was their a presidential executive order, there is still in place a Congressionally enacted moratorium. The time to push this against the D's, held hostage to the environmental extremists who provide so much to the party, was months ago, but there is still time. The Left's arguments against drilling for domestic oil are vapid and clearly designed to cover over the fact that they have desired these high prices for gasoline for years. (They're only upset now because the government isn't getting the revenue from the gasoline increase.)

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