Vitter Doesn't Want a Drilling Moratorium

By Chris Good

Louisiana's Republican senator, David Vitter--who happens to be facing a reelection challenge from Democrat Charles Melancon, the congressman who recently choked up at a congressional hearing about BP's oil spill--does not support President Obama's new moratorium on deep-water drilling operations in the Gulf, National Journal's Amy Harder reports. Vitter said so in a letter to Obama, citing 3,000-4,000 Louisiana jobs that he says would be lost as drilling is suspended until wells are inspected by the Interior Dept.

Vitter and Melancon are both allies the oil and gas industry; as an industry (companies and their employees, included), oil and gas is the third top contributor to each lawmaker throughout their congressional careers, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Vitter and Melancon share the same top campaign contributor throughout their careers--Edison Chouest Offshore, a company builds makes boats that service deep-water rigs.

Look for the oil spill to be featured prominently in this fall's campaign for Vitter's seat.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/vitter-doesnt-want-a-drilling-moratorium/57650/