Begich: The nuance of supporting drilling?
In an interview with the Huffington Post published on Thursday, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate Mark Begich spoke about his support for oil & gas drilling.
"On exploration and drilling [I'm] supportive, but carefully cautious about it, if that makes sense," Begich said. "I'm not just going to do it really willy-nilly. But we'll do it when the environment is right."
While it is not uncommon for comments in an interview to be taken out of context, if this is truly what Begich said, the question has to be asked; when exactly would the environment be right?
The environment is right now.
Oil is at $115 per barrel and most experts doubt it will drop below $100. Alaska North Slope production has fallen from an average of 724,000 barrels per day in July 2007 to 648,000 barrels per day in July 2008. And after spending billions on offshore leases, Shell oil and others have run into environmental lawsuits that have halted any exploration and development progress.
In addition, oil & gas development on federal lease lands have been stymied between regulation rewrites, environmental lawsuits and Democratic opposition in Congress.
Begich's comments seem odd, as it appears as if he is saying the environment isn't right now. One of the challenges Begich faces is trying to convince voters that as a member of a political party that has done more to stymie oil & gas development in Alaska, he will work within his party to change their hearts and minds.
So does that mean he isn’t going to stand up and fight for tapping our resources until the political timing is right?
The Huffington Post is widely considered a liberal blog, so maybe Begich was just speaking to their readers instead of conceding on the issue.
However, after Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana) visited Alaska this summer, Begich told local talk radio show host Dan Fagan that he didn't even mention oil & gas development with Tester, who opposes opening ANWR.
At the same time, it's hard not to notice that between fundraisers with New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, he couldn't be surrounding himself with any more stronger anti-Alaska development lawmakers.
It does appear that politics has Begich serving two masters. In Alaska he is gung ho about drilling in ANWR and exploring Alaska’s OCS. Yet when talking to the Huffington Post he is “carefully cautious” (whatever that means) and supports drilling only when the environment is right.