And make no mistake, it sure appears that, concerning offshore drilling for oil, Republicans and conservatives have won it. See what the NY Times today says Democrats are about to do:
"For decades, opposition to new offshore oil drilling has been a core principle of Congressional Democrats, ranking in the party pantheon somewhere just below protecting Social Security and increasing the minimum wage. But a concerted Republican assault over domestic oil production and the threat of political backlash from financially pressed motorists have Democrats poised to embrace a fundamental shift in energy policy. Even more surprising, the turnabout is led by the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who has a history of fighting oil drilling going back to the early days of her career in California. Under a measure being assembled for a vote in the House next week, oil rigs could go up 50 miles from the shores of states that welcome drilling and 100 miles off any section of the United States coast — a stark reversal on an issue that has been a Democratic environmental touchstone since the 1980s."
The Democrats' bill may not go far enough; there's more to do.
But the debate moves in the right direction; the Democrats have been forced to make a fundamental shift. Celebrate!
