Will John McCain change his position on drilling for oil in Anwar in Alaska? McCain has been opposed and has voted in the Senate against drilling in Anwar. So why should Mr. straight-talk-express change now? The short answer: 1. Votes, and 2. Because what he is saying about the issue doesn’t make sense.
Here is an article by Jonah Goldberg, who has long advocated for Anwar drilling, which sums up the pro-drilling argument.
A Fine Place to Drill--The Anwar Truth
It seems that most Republicans in Congress are for Anwar oil drilling, while most Congressional Dems are opposed. Unfortunately for the Republicans, McCain is one of those Republicans who is opposed. This didn’t matter much in the past, but now that gas prices are over $4.00 per gallon, public opinion is likely to favor more drilling in areas previously prohibited by Congress. This will be true even though it will be years before oil from Anwar can be extracted once approval is granted. Public opinion will want a multi-pronged energy policy: conservation, alternate sources, AND drilling. As Obama is a conventional liberal democrat on almost every issue, I am assuming that he is locked into “no Anwar drilling”. So if McCain decides to go pro-Anwar drilling he (and the Congressional republicans) will be on the right side of public opinion on this important domestic issue.
There is talk of McCain flying off to Anwar, touring the area himself, discussing with experts, hearing all sides, etc., etc. and then……..who knows?
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name the enemy, win the war
As a liberal who is also very pro-exploration, including ANWR...
I'm holding out slim hope that pragmatism will win out over ideology, and that as only the staunch anti-Communist Nixon could go to China, only a liberal Democrat with a history of placing a high importance on protecting the environment will be able to open up now-protected areas to oil and gas exploration and extraction. The arguments for protecting ANWR that were made when oil was $15 per barrel ring a little hollow with oil at $135 per barrel and climbing, and the American economy stuck in the mud.
Even if energy prices do not rise further from current levels, opening up new areas in the North Slope and elsewhere for drilling would represent real and significant economic stimulus that can be sustained over a period of time, unlike the quick-fix, unfunded stimulus checks that will have to be paid back by the American people one way or another, whether it be in higher taxes or eroding purchasing power due to inflation.
I really don't care how the Democrats do it, but I think they need to engineer a flip-flop on the oil and gas drilling issue after the elections, if not sooneer.
He has resisted the drilling
but he might flip flop for political expediency.
The horrors that a Republican would legitamize global warming is beyond the pale! :)
__________________________It is the economy, stupid.
ANWR is prettt irrelevent, really.
It simply doesn't hold enough oil to be more than a drop in the bucket (almost literally). Instead it gets major attention as a sort of proxy issue for environmentalists and (for lack of a better term) exploiters to hash out how and when humans get to use natural resources.
__________________________I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.