Chris Coons Takes a Stand on Off Shore Oil Drilling
This was released last night, I think:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_PjqnxSxOs[/youtube]
From his website:We spend approximately $1 billion a day overseas on oil. Chris has long supported innovation and research in alternative energy sources, and while transitioning from oil to alternative energies will not be quick or easy, now is the time to forge ahead with serious commitments in wind, solar, biofuels, and other options. Our state’s success in bringing Fisker Automotive to build innovative, sporty electric cars at the former GM Boxwood facility is a testament to the commitment of the federal, state, and county governments to alternative energy and building a green manufacturing economy in Delaware.
While Chris commends the Obama Administration for holding BP accountable and establishing the Victim Compensation Fund, he has been a strong opponent of offshore drilling in Delaware. As Senator, he will continue fighting for offshore wind farms off the coast of Delaware. The University of Delaware and leading companies in the state continue to provide critical research in solar, fuel cell, and batteries that further Delaware’s alternative energy capability. This investment in alternative energy sources is critical in increasing our domestic energy capacity and reducing our reliance on foreign oil.
Focusing on Delaware’s advantages in the alternative energy business is exactly the thing. But I do hope that Chris would also be a vote to undo the massive subsidies that come with traditional carbon extraction and let the regular capital markets weigh in on the necessity of off-shore drilling. Undoing those subsidies pretty much kills deepwater drilling off of coasts for a pretty long time.
Tags: Chris Coons, DE-Sen
Smart, just smart!
Take that Mike Castle.
This is a winning issue for Coons. I hope he pushes it more.
It would be far more of a winning issue if anyone was actually proposing drilling off Delaware’s coast. Until then, it’s not courageous, just the Democratic party line.
And thank goodness the Democrats are taking that line. Sheesh anon.
I’m not saying it’s not a good position, Rebecca. I’m just saying it’s nothing extraordinary. It would only hurt Castle if a company were actually proposing a project off Bethany, for example, and people could envision the local impact. But it’s just a hypothetical, meaning Coons doesn’t win any knee-jerk brownie points with me.
anon,
I think it’s a smart move by Coons because offshore drilling is on everyone’s mind with the BP spill.
In other news, he’s also against cancer and child molestation.
Coons would take a stronger stand on reducing our dependance on fossil fuels if he proposed defunding the petro-wars. After all, the US military accounts for 25% of the country’s aviation fuel usage.
But like a good Democrat , he’s gonna “support the troops”, instead.
In other news, he’s also against cancer and child molestation
Yet somehow, Castle hasn’t come out against it.
It is a good nail for Coons to hammer, because Castle is on the spot. Castle won’t come out against big oil, which makes him vulnerable to the image of oil rigs off Rehoboth.
On the other hand, if the issue starts to hurt Castle bad enough, he will get greenlighted to come out against offshore drilling.
“… which makes him vulnerable to the image of oil rigs off Rehoboth.”
Only in the wet dreams of some of the posters here. No, until someone seriously proposes this, or until BP oil starts washing up on Delaware’s shores, this will remain a thoroughly abstract issue to the vast majority of Delawareans who are going to pull the lever and mindlessly vote for Castle again this year.
Coons has not yet shown his game, pulling the trigger and slamming Castle back against the wall. He’s taken the easy outs, the predictable positions. Makes me wonder if he has any game to show.
To make an issue hurt, you have to bring it home, and show how it is going to affect Joe Blow in Smyrna or Jane Doe in Laurel. Coons hasn’t done anything remotely like that yet.
Castle is viewed as a strong environmentalist. I’m not sure this ad changes that, especially since Coons stops short of naming Castle or even “Congressional Republicans.”
We are four months out. FOUR MONTHS.
Good observations. Even if Coons manages to call Castle out on this in a debate, by then it will be too late.