Gene Morphis ' View

Thanks to Michelle Malkin here is the voting list on the motion to allow offshore drilling: Against (in straight party-line voting): Norman Dicks (WA), James Moran (VA), Maurice Hinchey (NY), John Oliver (MA), Alan Mollohan (WV), Tom Udall (NM), Ben Chandler (KY), Ed Pastor (AZ), and Dave Obey (WI), all Democrats. For: Todd Tiahrt (KS), John Peterson (PA), Jo Ann Emerson (MO), Virgil Goode Jr. (VA), Ken Calvert (CA), and Jerry Lewis (CA), all Republicans. This could have been an excellent issue for the Republicans in the fall, except that McCain is opposed to drilling in Anwar or opening up offshore drilling. Score one more for Obama, who may win this like Nixon beat McGovern if McCain continues to grow dumber (I'll comment in a different post about his view that the oil company profits are "obscene"). A key point is that the offshore part is really offshore: fifty to two hundred miles.... So, please join me in sending a personal letter to each of the individuals who vote...

To the astonishment of everyone I've spoken to, the House Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations voted to extend the ban on drilling for oil in areas that have been off-limits for over a decade. To my even further astonishment, this seems to be more or less OK by McCain. (I wasn't even surprised that Obama's only view was that prices have gone up to fast rather than gradually - the environmentalists have embraced energy scarcity as a positive development...). I'll publish a list of representatives voting for and against as soon as I can dig it out. I encourage you to write and congratulate the supporters and let the oponents know that they should reconsider.