Pelosi now wants vote on offshore drilling

By Rick Moran

Amazing what can happen when you stand up and do the right thing.

In a 180 degree flip flop, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now says that she will allow a vote on lifting restriction on offshore drilling:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday night dropped her staunch opposition to a vote on offshore oil drilling in the House.

Republicans, reacting to high gas prices, have demanded a vote on additional oil exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf, where drilling is currently blocked by a moratorium. Until now, Pelosi (D-Calif.) has resisted the idea as a "hoax." But in an interview on CNN's Larry King Live, she indicated that she was open to a vote.

"They have this thing that says drill offshore in the protected areas," Pelosi said.

"We can do that. We can have a vote on that."

She indicated such a vote would have to be part of a larger package that included other policies, like releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which she said could bring down prices in a matter of days.

Mark my words, by the time that vote rolls around, Pelosi and the press will make it appear that the whole thing was the Democrat's idea.

Obama's idea to release oil from the SPR might have been viable a few weeks ago. But with prices coming down as a result of an economic slowdown around the world coupled with the US appearing to get serious about tapping its own reserves, it is not necessary and may even be counterproductive.

No matter. The important thing is that the GOP has won a complete victory. They have altered the parameters of the debate over the energy crisis and in so doing have forced a shameful retreat by the Democratic majority on the one issue that the American people seem to agree on; just drill, baby.