Rahm to McCain: How about Great Lakes?

By Amanda Erickson and updated.

Sen. John McCain, you picked the wrong issue to mess with, Rep. Rahm Emanuel says..

Rep. Emanuel, so did you, McCain replies.

The point that Emanuel (D-Ill.) was trying to make with a letter he sent to Republican McCain today was asking the presidential nominee to support a ban on oil drilling in the Great Lakes. McCain said this week that he would like to give states the option to open their coastlines, a reversal of his position in 2000.

Emanuel called the Great Lakes an "economic engine" that provide drinking water for more than 30 million Americans. In 2005, Congress permanently outlawed drilling there.

"I urge you to clarify your position on this matter," Emanuel wrote. "Seeing as you signed a pledge to preserve and restore the Great Lakes during your primary campaign, I hope your newfound stance on offshore drilling will not be followed by support for drilling in the Great Lakes."

"John McCain is obviously not in favor of what Congressman Emanuel says,'' replied Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for the McCain campaign.

'McCain's proposal applies to oil on the Outer Continental Shelf, his campaign says, which does not apply to the Great Lakes. There is already a ban on exploration in the Great Lakes, the campiagn notes, which McCain is not seeking to overturn.

"Rather than making silly political attacks, Congressman Emanuel ought to step up and explain why Barack Obama is now on the record opposing every single initiative that might help Americans with their current pain at the pump,'' Bounds said. " Barack Obama himself has said that the only problem is that gas prices went up too fast. The American people cannot afford Barack Obama's do-nothing, out of touch energy policy.''

This week, President Bush urged Congress to consider reversing the national ban on off-shore drilling, a move that he said would lower gas prices.

Democrat Presidential hopeful Barack Obama told the AP today that he's opposed to drilling because it "makes absolutely no sense at all."

So, in case you're keeping count, that's two Republicans for, two Democrats opposed to something that would affect people in the swing states of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. We smell a campaign issue.

Read the full text of the Emanuel email after the jump.

June 20, 2008

Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator McCain,

I read with great interest your recent decision to change your position and support plans to lift the long-standing ban on offshore oil drilling. Your new stance on this important issue raises critical questions about your position on drilling for oil and natural gas in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes are not just a natural treasure; the Great Lakes are the economic engine that drives the Midwest, the source of drinking water for more than 30 million Americans and the site of recreational opportunities for millions of families. States bordering the Great Lakes include:

Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin

As you are undoubtedly aware, in 2005 a bipartisan majority in Congress enacted a permanent ban on drilling for oil and gas in the Great Lakes. Drilling in the Great Lakes would adversely affect millions of Americans in the eight states that border these lakes, further endanger the ecological web and threaten the beauty of our shores.

Given your recent decision to support offshore oil drilling I am now increasingly concerned about whether you would support lifting this ban and ending the prohibition on drilling for oil and gas in the Great Lakes.

As a leader of the Great Lakes Task Force and a member of Congress who has the honor of representing the City of Chicago, home to nearly 3 million people who depend upon Lake Michigan for drinking water, recreation, and commerce, I urge you to clarify your position on this matter. Seeing as you signed a pledge to preserve and restore the Great Lakes during your primary campaign, I hope your newfound stance on offshore drilling will not be followed by support for drilling in the Great Lakes.

I look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,
Rahm Emanuel
Chairman, House Democratic Caucus
Member, Great Lakes Task Force