OffSHore Drilling - Good Idea all of a sudden

Thanks to The Huffington Post for this source of John McCain "late May" position:

"[W]ith those resources, which would take years to develop, you would only postpone or temporarily relieve our dependency on fossil fuels," McCain said when asked about offshore drilling. "We are going to have to go to alternative energy, and the exploitation of existing reserves of oil, natural gas, even coal, and we can develop clean coal technology, are all great things. But we also have to devote our efforts, in my view, to alternative energy sources, which is the ultimate answer to our long-term energy needs, and we need it sooner rather than later."

Now

"I believe it is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use," he said on Tuesday, "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, and assure affordable fuel for America by increasing domestic production."

MCCAIN's BIG FLIP-FLOP:

This is a very big flip=flop because Sen. McCain has been known as a greener Republican. Now this is just pure political pandering like the gas tax rebate.
It is also simular to the gas tax rebate in that only the big oil companies will see any benefit.

Listen to Barack on off shore drilling.

My own opinion:

I think the oil is like a long term investment. Someday, maybe soon, people will realize it is much to valuable to be used just to burn (as in heating and combustion engines). So, ujntil then, let's keep it safe under the sea.

If it had been drilled years ago it would be gone.

Context/Priorities:

First we need to solve the long term problem and our incompetent government cannot seem to solve any problems unless they are faced with a crises. So, save the oil to be used as an ingredient for value added products and solve the "gas" problem with alternatives and conservation.

Big Oil:

When the time comes we should hire one big oil company to manage/oversee the drilling and sub-contract others to do the work. The USA should take the profits and use them to help pay off the war debt (or something everyone would be proud of).

Save the Planet

Might as well note that the big elephant in the room is not
$4 dollar gas prices but our actual planet is about to suicide itself because of human carelessness.