Ron Johnson: BP was "forced" into deep water

By environmentalist wackos, perchance?

"ANWR may be environmentally sensitive but it may be easier to drill up there and with less environmental impact than trying to drill in very deep water," Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Ron Johnson said. "You know, these oil rigs are being forced so far offshore. By doing that we’re just increasing the risks."

Maybe some follow-up questions are in order. In fact the federal government encourages deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico by foregoing billions in royalties for those areas of the oil leases.*

I'd like to hear Ron Johnson's reasoning, that BP was drilling on its Gulf of Mexico oil leases because it can't drill in ANWR. I suspect BP and all the others would be drilling in both, if they could.

And they've been drilling in what the federal government defines as deep water since long before ANWR became a hot topic.

Then again, Ron Johnson is the Fox News Channel candidate.

* Career industry lobbyist Jack Gerard, currently with the American Petroleum Institute, approves. Coincidentally, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is running with an op-ed piece by Mr. Gerard this morning.