Flores Slams Edwards For Obama Deep Drilling Ban

Stopping all offshore drilling costs jobs, hurts economy

Veteran offshore oil operator Bill Flores put a positive
spin on deepwater drilling operations.

He told voters why drilling and servicing deepwater
petroleum wells in the Gulf Of Mexico is a positive factor
in the sorely needed economic turnaround to which he and
other Republican Congressional candidates are dedicated.

Terming the six-month deep water moratorium ordered by Mr.
Obama "unwise," Mr. Flores praised legislation introduced by
Republican lawmakers that would lift the ban, saying such a
move would "prevent a second tragedy from occurring in
states from Texas to Florida."

The reulting loss of income for thousands of families who
work in the ancillary industries that "supply, support and
provide critical services for deepwater drilling operations"
will further cripple an ailing economy he and his colleagues
in GOP ranks seek to help get back on track.

Fresh from picking up a key endorsement from former
conservative Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Mr. Flores
said of proposed legislation introduced by Pete Olson (R-
Texas), "I support this legislation. On the other hand,
where does 20-year Congressman Chet Edwards stand on this
issue?"

Horrified by the President's order to "issue a unilateral
drilling moratorium wihtout thinhking through the unintended
consequences of the decision," Mr. Flores reminded voters
that Mr. Edwards endorsed Mr. Obama during the Presidential
Primary races, citing the former Illinois State Senator and
U.S. Senator's "solid judgment."

"A moratorium on deepwater drilling for six months will have
a drastically negative impact on the Gulf regioin for 5-10
years, because energy services companies will not let their
rigs and equipment sit idle in the Gulf of Mexico whiley the
could instead be developing resources in other parts of the
world."

The move will result in substantially higher energy costs,
he argued, because stopping production on 33 deep water rigs
in the Gulf will have a domino effect on service and supply
jobs affected by the service industry's pull-out for greener
pastures in West Africa, Brazil, the Persian Gulf and the
North Sea.

"...I disagree with his judgment!...

"President Obama and Congressman Edwards have no recent,
meaningful experience in the private sector. As a result,
they have little appreciation for the value of private
sector jobs and the support provided to families by those
jobs. In my view, private sector jobs are the best social
programs ever designed, because they provide housing, food,
education, local tax revenues, and they grow the GOP and the
wealth of our great nation."