In case you missed it, the Congressional ban on offshore oil and gas drilling disappeared about 15 hours ago. Democrats decided to let the ban expire last week.
It was shrewd. There will be no policy change – given all the regulatory and procedural hoops companies who want to drill will have to jump through, it could be years before the first drill bit pierces the ground. And, as many Democrats are hoping, that will be long after the Obama administration works with larger Democrat majorities in the next Congress to “fix” offshore guidelines.
Jim Eltringham 