The motivation behind his plea, Bush said, was the “pressing concern” of petrol prices in the United States. Energy costs are considered a key issue for voters in this presidential election year, but many are opposed to offshore drilling.
The Republican Party candidate, John McCain — who has promised to break from the energy policies of the Bush administration — supports Bush’s call for offshore drilling. Barack Obama, the Democratic challenger, remains opposed. “This is not something that is going to give relief now, and it’s not a long-term solution”, he said of Bush’s plans.
See full story