Have to agree with the lack of leadership and comprimise with the offshore oil drilling issue...Even though BP was found guily by the investigators in negligence and possibly criminal activities, I think this is the exception..

I remember as a kid watching the oil derricks right on the beach in southern Cal. I recently saw a PBS show,I think it was "this old House" where they are drilling in residential neighborhoods,and disguising them very well..I believe it to be safe, and it has been going on for at least 100 yrs in the most invironmental conscious state in the Union..Fl has not bought into it and the Gov recently said no again...I say "drill baby drill". Of course after 9/11, if we had gone after the right country (Saudi Arabia), then maybe we would be able to own the oil industry we found and developed. Remember always, the bombers were mostly Saudi's and it has been proven that they were financed by members of the royal family...Wishful thinking I guess,as this would have been a real donnybrook, and the US doesn't have the stomach for that..