Before Congress adjourned for the August recess, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not permit the House to vote on opening the Outer Continental Shelf for drilling, calling such proposals a “decoy.” Meanwhile, many House Republicans stayed in D.C. to protest the lack of a vote, and recent polls show that the majority of Americans support offshore drilling. On Monday, Pelosi told Larry King that she now might support offshore drilling if it is part of an energy package that includes funds for other energy sources, like wind power. Is she flip-flopping on her firm anti-drilling stance? Bloggers think she is backing down on drilling for political reasons. Townhall’s Amanda Carpenter concludes, “Surely, Pelosi’s concession is due to the fact House Republicans have taken over her House over August recess protesting her decision to close the chamber without allowing a vote on offshore drilling.” And Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey tells us, “On October 1st, without that extension of the moratorium, the OCS and shale formations become available for exploration. If Pelosi wants to control that at the federal level before the states start issuing leases and permits, she has to cut a deal with the Republicans. All this means is that Pelosi has recognized political reality.” The polls might have convinced her, too. Power Line’s John Hinderaker argues that it is “probably more accurate to say that she is open to not being crushed in November. She can read the polls, and an overwhelming majority of Americans support the Republicans’ position, that it is important to develop our own energy resources. Pelosi says she could support drilling (or a vote, anyway) if drilling is part of a broader strategy.” At Contentions, Jennifer Rubin agrees: “So much for ‘saving the planet.’ Nancy Pelosi needs to save her skin.” Michelle Malkin says, “Maybe Do-Nothing Nancy should enter the Olympic diving competition. She gets a 10 for her flip-flop-flop [Monday] on drilling. It is now no longer the ‘hoax’ she knew.”
