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By CJP | June 18, 2008
 Today, President Bush took at spin in the bully pulpit and gave his prescription for the high cost of gas, namely increasing the supply of American oil by drilling off American shores, by drilling in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge, by mining oil shale in Western states, and by increasing oil refining capacity domestically.
Since GWB only has a few months left on his lease in the White House, this made us wonder about what John McCain and Barack Obama think about offshore drilling. As you might have guessed, McCain’s for it, and Obama’s against it. Here’s what else we know:
Offshore Drilling:
- Affects the “Outer Continental Shelf,” the area of nearly 600 million acres, 3 to 200 miles off the coasts of the Unites States, including the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and Alaskan regions.
- Banned by Congress in 1981 and every year since.
- Banned through Executive Order by President George H.W. Bush in 1990.
- Proponents of drilling say 18 billion barrels of oil could be recovered, while opponents say drilling and potential oil spills would endanger tourism, and that the commodities speculators, not supply and demand, are the real cause of oil price increases.
- Feds estimate it would take 3 to 8 years for oil and gas to get to market, so it’s not a short-term solution.
Where McCain Stands:
- Wants to lift the federal ban on offshore drilling to let each state decide if it wants to drill offshore.
- Opposed offshore drilling in 2000 as a gift to “special interests,” but said sky-rocketing gas prices and national security require that we exploit domestic reserves.
- He still opposes drilling in ANWR and the Everglades since they are “pristine areas.”
- In an example of awkward timing, on the same day McCain called for offshore drilling, he released a new ad calling for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Where Obama Stands:
- Opposes all offshore drilling. Says lifting the ban would not affect the price of gas for at least five years, and that “we can’t drill our way out” of the reality that oil is a finite resource.
- Wants to move away from fossil fuels and toward alternative energy ASAP.
- Hit McCain’s new position on offshore drilling as a flip-flop from 2000 and as following in George Bush’s footsteps.
Where do you stand, Janes?
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