THE PRESIDENT LIED ABOUT PROTECTING AREA 181

To give you an idea on how much presidential promises are worth, check out this AP story:

Five years ago, President Bush promised state officials --- including his own brother, the governor --- that Area 181 (.pdf file), an area of 5.9 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico about 200 miles west of Tampa Bay and 100-175 miles south of the coast from Mobile, Alabama to Destin, would be protected from being opened for oil and natrual gas drilling at least through this year.

Now we learn that the Department of the Interior's Mineral Management Service has plans to switch about 2 million acres of Area 181 for the 2007-2012 leasing period from the eastern to central Gulf planning areas, bringing them into the areas which includes two pro-drilling states, Alabama and Louisiana.

Twenty-one of Florida's 25 congressional representatives signed a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton opposing the plan, which would effectively cut Floridians out of the discussion regarding drilling off our coasts. The members who did not join in the letter are:

--- John Mica (R - Winter Park), who has a history of supporting drilling.
--- Jeff Miller (R - Chumuckla), who was quoted as saying he would be sending his own letter in opposition because it would most affect his western Panhandle district.
--- Dave Weldon (R - Melbourne)
--- Tom Feeney (R - Oveido)

This is one of the few subjects that has become mainly bipartisan. Even both of Florida's U.S. Senators have joined together in opposition of offshore drilling less than 200 miles off our coasts.

Promises, promises...