Offshore drilling isn't too popular in Florida, either.

And our former Governor Jeb Bush fell right into line, knowing which side his bread was buttered on. Major opponents to offshore drilling here are not limited to tree-hungers; the tourist industry, hardly a hotbed of Bolsheviks, is one of the major forces against it. And keep in mind, the hospitality lobby is equally well aware how important cheap gas is to their business, so they are perfectly capable of doing the risk/benefit calculus. OTOH, once the jobs show up that will follow the rigs, public opinion here may change. Money doesn't talk, it swears.

I'm not opposed to offshore drilling under any circumstances, i.e., I'm not doctrinaire about it, but I don't think its going to be the answer to our energy problems, either. I don't think there is that much oil out there, and whatever oil we find will go into the same oil pool the rest of the world market bids on. And what about all the oil leases that are currently not being exploited? I doubt that the industry is going to risk the big sums involved in offshore exploration and production until high prices make it worth their while. What it will do is make a few American companies who get lucky, very wealthy. Follow the money.

As for the immigration wall, it would be a lot more cost-effective to fine and jail employers who hire illegals than to intimidate the illegals into invisibility and silence with more draconian (and expensive)measures designed primarily to reassure conservative constituencies than to control immigration. As long as there are jobs here for them, they'll find a way to get here, wall or no wall. Again, follow the money.

Vouchers? Public money should go to public schools. If you want to send your kids to private schools, then you should be willing to pay for it yourself. Money again.

A liberal conspiracy determined to destroy the Republic just to make a point? Sorry, I see neither the conspiracy nor the point. And besides, where's the money? I'm a liberal, what's in it for me if they drill or don't drill in the Gulf? Spite against the conservatives is very near the bottom of my priorities, especially if it means the end of the world.

Maybe this liberal conspiracy is just a way to trivialize and demonize those who don't buy into the conservative program. Maybe that's a stretch, but certainly no more so than the LIBCON. We might as well give it name since we bring it up so often.