We know that Claire McCaskill does not approve of John McCain’s push to expand off-shore drilling for oil, but not all Missouri politicians share that sentiment.

Congressional hopeful Blaine Luetkemeyer, running in a crowded Republican primary for the 9th District seat now held by Kenny Hulshof, announced he is for lifting the federal ban on new ocean drilling sites.

“The people of the 9^th District are tired of being held hostage by foreign oil producing nations that would do us harm, and that is why Congress must stop wasting time and allow environmentally friendly offshore oil exploration,” Luetkemeyer said in a release today. “The families, farmers, ranchers and small business people in the 9^th District are being hurt daily by escalating gas prices and I believe Congress must act and they must act now.”

Leutkemeyer, himself a farmer, said “the liberals in Congress are turning their backs on hard-working Americans.”