The president has lifted the executive order banning offshore drilling.
This puts Congress in a political fix. He's calling on them to lift the Congressional ban now, but that would require Congressional action. They can simply ignore it (though at their political peril). The neat thing is that they can't ignore the issue forever. There is a default position not to their liking. It will expire at the end of September anyway (as it does every fiscal year) and will have to be renewed with a Congressional vote. Usually, this is uncontroversial, but not this year. We'll see if they're willing to do it.
I bet Nancy P. and the Dems still find a way to stop it. Their hairshirt enviro-whacko constituent won't be happy until everyone bends to mother Gaia.
I wasn't aware of the September sunset. I know many laws now have sunsets, but didn't know offshore drilling was one of them.
With that angle, I suspect the Democrat Congress to go on the regularly scheduled recess. If they are aware, I bet they think most people are like me and unaware. So drilling ban expires in September, and oil companies rush to the fields. After a couple of holes are started, progressive constituents begin to complain about the unsightly oil rigs off the coast line. In mid October, Democrats express their outraged are being duped by Bush and Big Oil. Feet are dragged, while ruckus complaints are loud. Yet, ex post facto being what it is, nothing can be done about the "spilled oil" (probably a good newsie catch phrase for the October surprise, and better if oil does spill), but they can permenantly ban the rest of the fields if only elected a strong majority with a President Obama. All will be forgot with a Democrat President and Congressional majority as oil prices fall.
I think McConnell could get around that under the radar approach, Leland, by introducing some bill to expedite Federal leasing. He's shown himself pretty good at that kind of media-spotlight judo before (cf. the cap-and-trade bill). He could do it just before Congress goes on recess, too, so that if they just table it the Republicans get a wonderful ad out of it. Tired of a do-nothing Congress that tables important decisions about energy exploration in order to hold all-day hearings on what George Bush said six years ago about Saddam Hussein, or whether another $100,000 of your taxes should be spent providing Osama bin Laden's driver with legal assistance? We can help.