Candidates Weigh In on Offshore Drilling
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 24, 2009
RICHMOND — The federal government’s decision to lift its longtime ban on offshore drilling has thrust the hot-button issue of coastal drilling to the forefront of the Virginia governor’s race.
The three Democrats vying for their party’s nomination next month are taking strikingly different positions on whether Virginia should join Alaska, Texas and Louisiana in setting up offshore platforms to drill for oil and natural gas.
Brian Moran, a former delegate from Alexandria, opposes all drilling, a position that is in keeping with his strategy to stake out progressive stances on a variety of issues in the hopes of appealing to the party’s more liberal base.