Drill Baby Drill

The President has decided to open the East Coast and parts of the Gulf Coast for oil and natural gas exploration.

I applaud the President's decision.

There is speculation that this is an attempt to woo Republican votes for the upcoming cap and trade legislation. While this may be true, I am more of the opinion that it is an economic necessity.

Candidate Obama said that it would be a futile gesture, but I believe that was just a way to differentiate between himself and his Republican opponents. Candidate Obama had that latitude, but President Obama will eventually have to face the economic reality, and that reality is that we cannot rely on foreign oil sources for the long term.

I may be wrong to give him the benefit of the doubt here, and it is probable that it is a combination of the two reasons, but whatever the reason in my opinion it is a long needed step in the right direction. I'm willing to give him credit (or at least partial credit) where it is due.

It will take a while for any boon to be realized; first there will have to be geological and environmental surveys, followed by the inevitable environmental group challenges in courts, but the sooner we start the sooner we can get the product on the market.

I have always held the opinion that if it is going to take ten years to get the product to market we should have started ten years ago. Better late than never.

UPDATE: Confederate Yankee points to a different take on it. His conclusion: "...sound and fury, signifying nothing."