Chalk one up for drilling Democrats

Election year ploy or a change in energy policy? However you interpret it, the House voted to open up 400 million acres off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to drilling and expanding the availability of oil by at least 2 billion barrels last night. While moderate Democrats helped, this is largely seen as a fall-back position of House Democrats, many of whom have taken a beating in their districts over domestic and off-shore drilling.

A Republican effort to sidetrack the measure with a procedural tactic failed, and the bill fell largely down party lines, with 221 Democrats and 15 Republicans supporting it, while 176 Republicans and 13 Democrats were opposed to the measure. Republicans faulted it for failing to add incentives for coal and nuclear power and for not limiting environmental suits against drilling proposals. They also criticized Democrats for not negotiating with Republicans in writing the bill. Here's more from the NY Times.