President Bush proposed Wednesday to allow drilling off U.S. coastlines as part of a plan to boost oil supplies, but his plan is likely to go nowhere because of a reluctant Democratic-majority Congress, which fears environmental costs.
Even if U.S. coastal waters were opened to exploration, experts agree that it would take at least seven and probably 10 years before any benefits were apparent....
....Bush could have taken a bolder step by overturning a 10-year-old executive order that bans drilling off most U.S. shores. But he said he wouldn't do that because he wanted Congress to act first....
Have you noticed that the Republicans, now called the Gas and Oil Party (GOP), are willing to ruin our sea shores, our waterways, and our forests but they won't do anything to penalize their buddies in the gas and oil industry?
Even Gov. Charlie Crist, the Republican governor of Florida, has flip-flopped on drilling off the coast of Florida. Herald-Tribune:
Gov. Charlie Crist welcomed a new era of possible oil and gas drilling off Florida's coast in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, marking a significant reversal from his own position amid rising gas prices....
....Crist made his comments after Republican presidential candidate John McCain said he supported lifting the federal moratorium on offshore drilling and allow each state to make that decision. Crist has campaigned heavily with McCain amid rumors that the Florida governor could be a vice presidential candidate.
As recently as last week, Crist said he opposed drilling near Florida's coast. And his opposition was clear in a 2006 letter to the U.S. Interior Department while he was attorney general.....
Even though the Republicans are willing to drill anywhere and everywhere, they have not mentioned conservation or trying new technology to use less oil/gas. The Republicans just want to make sure that their buddies in oil and gas make even more money. While those oil/gas billionaires are enjoying their money and the protection of the entire Republican Party, the Republicans wait for the oil/gas gravy train of political contributions to fall into their campaign war chests.
