Al Franken Twists in the Wind on Drilling Position

Press Release

DFL Candidate for Senate won’t be honest about where he stands on drilling

St. Paul – The Coleman for Senate campaign today issued a statement criticizing Al Franken for misleading the people of Minnesota about his position on offshore domestic drilling.    

“Al Franken is talking out of both sides of his mouth on the important issue of deepwater drilling,” said Cullen Sheehan, campaign manager.  “Just over two weeks ago, Al Franken indicated he does not support domestic oil drilling to address our energy needs.  Today, as polls show Americans want more domestic drilling, Al Franken says he is now in support of offshore drilling – but he continues to say it will have no positive impact and he believes it will not lower gas prices.  If Franken was paying attention, he would know that part of the reason that oil speculators are hurting consumers is that they are betting on lower supply long into the future.  The longer we wait to drill, as Franken is proposing, the more hurt American consumers will face at the pump.  Al Franken is trying to have it both ways and Minnesotans will see right through it. Minnesotans deserve to know where he really stands on these critical issues, but that is impossible considering Al Franken himself doesn’t seem to know where he stands.” 

6/18/08 Franken Does Not Support Drilling, Says It’s Not a Solution:

Shelby: Okay. Now let's talk a little bit about energy. The President of the United States now has reversed himself in saying that $4 a gallon gasoline ought to be incentive enough to go and reserve himself on his policy against allowing offshore drilling in the OCS, the outer continental shelf. The Democratic presidential nominee says no he still doesn't like that. Do you think that there is anything in that policy that would bring the price of gasoline down below $4 if we allowed that?

Franken: I very much doubt it. I'd certainly like to see what the environmental, the potential environmental impact of something of that would be. And I imagine that's why we haven't been doing it.   (Al Franken, Don Shelby Show, June 18th, 2008)

Shelby: Republicans will say the Democrats blew it. They'll say that first of all there was such effort on the part of the Democratic party to not drill in ANWR. That they say if we were to drill in ANWR today it'd take 10 years to get that done but 10 years ago Democrats stood in the way of it. And Republicans will come back and say 'it was your fault we have $4 a gallon gasoline.'

Franken: I think we - what percentage of the reserves of oil do we have in the world?

Shelby: 2 percent.

Franken: Yeah. So I don't think the solution is drilling the 2% of the reserves that exist in the world.  Al Franken, Don Shelby Show, June 18th, 2008)

7/2/08 Franken Says He’s Not Opposed to Offshore Drilling: 

REPORTER: “It sounds like you’re opposed to expanding off shore, Outer Continental Shelf Drilling. Senator Coleman an hour and a half ago said you flip-flopped on that issue and you were initially opposed to it and now you’re in favor of it as I understood him and –”

FRANKEN: “No. I don’t know what he’s actually talking about. What I’ve said is that I’m not opposed to off shore drilling, we do it every day.”  (Al Franken, Capitol Press Conference, July 2nd, 2008).  

7/2/08 Attempts to Make the Case Against OCS Drilling, Even as He Supports It: 

Team Franken Says OCS Drilling Wouldn’t Impact Prices on Same Day Franken Says He Supports It: “Bush Administration: Expanded Access To Offshore Drilling Sites Would Not Impact Gas Prices Before 2030.  According to the Energy Information Administration, ‘The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would being no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017.’ [Energy Information Administration, ‘Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf’]”   (Al Franken for Senate press release, July 2, 2008)