Radonovich, R-CA, is the only representative mentioned in this article from a coastal state, however, his district is located some distance inland from the California coast (east of I-5 and west of the Nevada border).

Why not suggest that we begin first by digging for coal, starting with the front yards of the wealthiest Republican campaign contributors in each district (i.e., Schmidt, Radonovich, Boehner, Blunt, Bachmann, and Walberg)?

Scare soccer moms with those communist horrid Islamo-fascist gay brown/yellow/red/non-white people that are out to end their Republican criminal way of life.

How could I have guessed?
Oh,yeah, same strategy every election year.

It’s sad enough for them and those who’s lives they touch, but, it’s profoundly disturbing when they start legislating their narrow world view.

Now I’m gonna have some nightmares.

:-)

In 2007 and 2008, 2.5 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico were leased. In 2009, 5.8 million additional acres are scheduled for leasing. Meanwhile, the drilling rigs are being sent overseas because they can make more money there.

The oil companies sat on Point Thomson in Alaska for 31 years.

We can lease even more land, but how do you force the oil companies to actually drill? The cost of drilling and increased supply that drilling may find both contribute to REDUCED profits.

Tucker Carlson: “I’ve obviously been lied to a lot by campaign operatives, but the striking thing about the way [Karen Hughes] lied was she knew I knew she was lying, and she did it anyway. There is no word in English that captures that. It almost crosses over from bravado into mental illness.”

Jim McTague a columnist in Barrons (DC-Current) repeated this same “China is drilling in the Gulf” line in the June 16 2008 publication–about 3/4 of the way through his column.
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB121339767854273579.html?mod=9_0031_b_this_weeks_magazine_main

Bush prevents oil, gas drilling off Florida coast
Government to buy back leasing rights

From wire reports

photo
Associated Press
President Bush and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — With his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush, looking on, President Bush sealed a deal Wednesday to prevent further oil and gas drilling off the white sand beaches of the Florida Gulf Coast and in the cypress swamps near the Everglades.

The unexpected announcement would require the federal government to repurchase $235 million worth of oil and gas leasing rights in the Destin Dome area, about 25 miles south of Pensacola, and in three wildlife areas including Big Cypress National Preserve.

Jeb Bush acknowledged that the Oval Office announcement would boost his re-election campaign in Florida, the swing state in the 2000 presidential election and a tourism mecca where polls show 75 percent oppose offshore drilling.

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=053002&ID=s1156519

The demand supply argument is bogus. There are no lines at fuel sations because the high price is driving demand down.

BTW I have had people ask for gas money plenty of times and 99% of the time they didnt want fuel they wanted ethanol,,um liquor or beer, maybe food.

While Americans pay more at the pump, a draft government report shows that oil companies stand to enjoy an ever larger windfall from royalty relief granted by Washington to encourage deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Government Accountability Office report — reviewed by Politico — suggests that the foregone royalties could reach $53 billion, depending on the outcome of industry lawsuits and what critics contend was a lapse in administration under President Bill Clinton.

The companies took risks and paid an estimated $2 billion more in bonus payments to get the leases. But the potential loss in long-term government revenues is 25 times greater than those gains upfront, and the imbalance will only get greater if oil prices rise higher.

The problem comes back to an on-off-on-again history of whether the mandated relief, begun in the 1990s, should be conditioned on oil prices.

The GAO attributes up to $14.7 billion of the $53 billion to leases granted in 1998 and 1999 without any stipulation that royalty relief would be suspended if oil prices rose above a set price threshold.