Scumbag Jeb Bush seizes opportunity to reverse position on offshore drill

[Proud2BAmurkin]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-ajebdrilling05oct05,0,4531609.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Not too long ago, the governor joined these same critics in opposing oil and gas drilling even beyond the 125-mile mark. In 2001, he strongly lobbied his brother, President Bush, to significantly scale back drilling in an energy-rich area called Lease Sale 181, which sits more than 200 miles west of Tampa.

"As a result, there will be no new drilling in the Lease Sale 181 Area off the coast of Florida under my watch," Gov. Bush proudly stated in a news release on July 6, 2001.

The current legislation that the governor is helping to shape would allow drilling in Lease Sale 181, which currently is off-limits to oil and gas exploration until 2007.

One portion of that area, called the stovepipe because of its shape, juts to within 23 miles of Pensacola. But drilling is prohibited in the region until 2012 as part of an earlier deal struck by Martinez and the Bush administration.

When asked about his previous position favoring a ban on a larger swath of the Gulf, Bush grew testy.

"I could sit on the sidelines and say I'm for it and that would be great. That's how politicians act," he said. "Or we could try to establish a long-term protection of our coastline, and I've opted to be engaged to try to protect Florida's coastline rather than be politically correct."