St. Pete Times "Fueling Station" Blog transcribed the passage from Gov. Schwarzenegger's speech today:

"...[Schwarzenegger] issued a firm rebuke over political talk (by Senator John McCain and Crist) over offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico...'Politicians have been throwing around all kinds of ideas in response to the skyrocketing energy prices, from the rethinking of nuclear power to pushing biofuels and more renewables and ending the ban on offshore drilling, it goes on and on the list. But, anyone who tells you this will lower our gas prices anytime soon is blowing smoke.'"

http://blogs.tampabay.com/energy/2008/06/arnold-puts-dow.html

NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2008
CONTACT: Mark Bubriski or Alejandro Miyar, 850.222.3411

MIAMI - In a moment of surprising candor, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger slammed fellow Republicans John McCain and Charlie Crist for suggesting that offshore drilling would lower gas prices.

Speaking at Crist's Climate Change Summit in Miami in the past hour, Schwarzenegger noted that both California and Florida have "beautiful beaches" and then accused people who claim drilling will reduce gas prices are "blowing smoke."

"Finally, a Republican Governor in Florida comes clean about the fact that offshore drilling will not reduce gas prices... Too bad it wasn't Charlie Crist," Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski said.

Last week, Schwarzenegger made news by bucking the Bush-McCain-Crist trend of flip-flopping on oil drilling. He said he would not support lifting the moratorium.

"'We're serious about that, and we're not going to change that,' [Schwarzenegger] told reporters and business executives at BIO International, an annual biotechnology industry conference in San Diego." [AP, 6/20]

"Crist has dropped his long-standing support for the federal moratorium on offshore drilling... The governor says the nation needs to look at all options in response to rising fuel prices." [AP, 6/17/08]

"The governor said he reversed his position because of rising fuel prices and states' rights. Crist is considered a possible running mate for McCain, the Republican presidential nominee. 'I mean, let's face it, the price of gas has gone through the roof, and Florida families are suffering,' Crist said Tuesday. 'And my heart bleeds for them.'" [AP, 6/18/08]

"'What's going through my mind is the fact that we have to be sympathetic to the pocketbooks of the people of Florida and what they're paying for gas,' he said. '... I think we owe it to Florida families to at least look at it.'" [Tampa Tribune, 6/18]

"JOHN MCCAIN has a reputation as a maverick and a conservationist, but neither was in evidence last week when the Republican presidential candidate endorsed more oil drilling off the US coast. 'With gasoline running at more than four bucks a gallon,' he declared, the federal government should lift a longstanding moratorium on offshore oil exploration and production... he deplored the Bush administration's record on global warming, saying 'history will judge them very harshly.' Six months later, he wants to drill for more fossil fuel. The old McCain would judge this new McCain harshly, too." [Boston Globe editorial, 6/23/08]

"SUMMARY: McCain uses today's high gas prices as the foundation for his pitch to lift the federal ban on offshore drilling. But while there may be many strong arguments for offshore drilling, oil experts and economists say relieving today's fuel prices isn't one of them.
"When Sen. John McCain dropped his energy bombshell, calling for the federal government to lift restrictions on offshore drilling for oil, he began by noting the high price of gas these days.
"'With gasoline running at more than four bucks a gallon, many do not have the luxury of waiting on the far-off plans of futurists and politicians,' McCain said in a speech on Tuesday in the oil hub of Houston, Texas.
"'As a matter of fairness to the American people, and a matter of duty for our government, we must deal with the here and now,' McCain said, 'and assure affordable fuel for America by increasing domestic production.'" [St. Petersburg Times 'Politifact', 6/19/08]

"'We have to be sympathetic to the pocketbooks of the people of Florida and what they're paying at the pump for gas, and balance that with: Is there any way that our state might be able to contribute in terms of resources to have greater supply and therefore lower prices?' said Crist, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate." [Palm Beach Post, 6/17/08]

"Describing his position as evolving, Gov. Charlie Crist said he now supports exploratory drilling for oil and gas off Florida's coast because 'Floridians are suffering.'
"'When you're paying over $4 a gallon for gas, you have to wonder whether there might be additional resources to bring that price down,' Crist said.
"The governor said he 'applauds' Republican presidential candidate John McCain for calling for a lifting of the ban on offshore oil drilling off most of the nation's coastline... But Crist said, 'We have to be sympathetic to the pocketbooks of the people of Florida and what they are paying at the pump for gas, and balance that with what our state might be able to contribute in terms of resources.'
"He added that drilling off Florida's beaches is 'something I'd least like to do, but I also understand the economics of what's happening to our country.'" [Miami Herald, 6/18/08]

OTHER BACKGROUND

Schwarzenegger Opposed to Offshore Drilling. "He said he was willing to hear new ideas to ease the energy crunch, but lifting the offshore drilling ban wasn't among them. 'We're serious about that, and we're not going to change that... It's not about going back; it's about going forward. I'm looking for the new deal," Schwarzenegger said." [San Diego Union Tribune, 6/18/08]

Environmentalists, State Officials At Odds With McCain Over Plan. "The proposal could put McCain at odds with environmentalists who say it is incongruous with his plans to combat global warning. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a McCain ally, opposes offshore drilling. Many officials from coastal states oppose offshore drilling because of the risk of oil spills. Environmentalists want offshore drilling to stop to protect oceans and beaches from further pollution." [CNN.com, 6/17/08]

Bush Administration Admits the Impact of McCain's Plan On Oil Prices Would Be Insignificant. "As many reports have noted, the McCain/Bush policy on offshore drilling doesn't make sense as a response to $4-a-gallon gas: the White House's own Energy Information Administration says that exploiting the outer shelf wouldn't yield noticeable amounts of oil until the 2020s, and even at peak production its impact on oil prices would be 'insignificant.'" [Paul Krugman column, New York Times, 6/20/08]

Bush and McCain In Lockstep. "Republican John McCain is trying to appeal to independent voters by saying he's no President Bush...And yet, the president and McCain are marching in lockstep on how to deal with $4 a gallon gas. They're demanding Democrats end the federal ban on off-shore drilling, claiming it could lead to a drop in oil prices, given the expectation of increased supply." [CNN, 6/19/08]

Former McCain Advisor Says Plan Won't Make Oil Cheap. "Bush says he'll drop the executive order if Congress first lifts its 26-year-old ban. But even if lawmakers acted tomorrow, it would be years before the infrastructure could be put in place to support additional drilling...What sounds so simple in theory--opening offshore areas to increase oil production for the energy-price-shocked U.S. populace--turns out to be incredibly complex. And to top it all off, the plan can't resolve the supply and demand problem that is at the core of the run-up in fuel prices. Anthony Cordesman, an energy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former national security assistant to McCain, says trying to solve the problem by focusing on supply or demand won't help the U.S. achieve energy independence. And it won't make oil cheap. 'It may just make it less expensive,' he says." [Forbes, 6/18/08]

Environmental Groups Slam McCain's Proposal. "'Drilling in protected areas offshore won't solve our energy needs in the short term and in the long term will increase the threat of global warming,' said Gene Karpinski, president of the nonpartisan League of Conservation Voters. Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, also slammed the proposal. 'Rather than offering consumers real relief from skyrocketing energy prices, Sen. McCain's plan would merely pad Big Oil's bottom line while putting thousands of miles of pristine beaches and coastline at risk,' he said." [Los Angeles Times, 6/18/08]

McCain's Plan Not Straight Talk. "This is exactly the sort of nonsense that McCain the maverick used to delight in debunking. The straight talker who first charmed Michigan independents back in 2000 understood that the disparity between this country's 25% share of world oil consumption and its 3% share of world oil reserves limited America's capacity to depress prices by increasing domestic production. And even the pandering McCain of 2008 must have read the federal Energy Information Administration's conclusion that ending the ban on offshore drilling 'would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices [emphasis mine] until 2030...'"[Detroit Free Press Column, 6/20/08]

Florida Paper Says McCain Is "Misleading Voters" Over Plan. "Sen. John McCain's reversal of his position on offshore oil drilling diminishes his reputation as a straight-talking maverick. On this issue, he is offering a false promise of quick fixes to today's high gas prices...So the claim that the nation would be floating in oil were it not for environmental restraints is a myth. Moreover, opening up all these new areas to drilling has done nothing to lower gas prices, which have been driven up by world demand and commodities speculation...McCain, who prides himself on being brutally honest, is misleading voters by suggesting ending the moratorium will save them money or ease the nation's energy needs." [Tampa Tribune Editorial, 6/19/08]

Who Approves of McCain's Plan? The Oil Industry. "The oil industry generally approved Tuesday as Republican presidential candidate John McCain charted his policies on energy with a speech in Houston that jabbed the Bush administration, Democratic foe Barack Obama, Wall Street and oil-rich foreign regimes...But Rayola Dougher, senior economic adviser for the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. oil and gas industry's trade group, said approvingly of the candidate's speech, "We need policies for the short term and the longer term. Any policy that would encourage more supply will have an impact." [Houston Chronicle, 6/18/08]

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