Blunt says Chrysler closings, ANWR drilling ban related
Seeking to connect two key issues — the sagging economy and soaring gas prices — Gov. Matt Blunt is urging the state’s congressional delegation to support expanded drilling in the Alaskan wilderness.
In a letter to Sen. Claire McCaskill and the rest of Missouri’s Capitol Hill caucus, Blunt said he believes that searching for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could ease the pain at the pump, and even save local jobs.
“Upon hearing the news that Chrysler is planning to close two manufacturing plants in St. Louis,” Blunt wrote to McCaskill, “I spoke with the corporation’s leadership and learned that high gas prices were one of the primary factors in this decision that will eliminate over 2,000 jobs.”
Blunt believes that at least part of the solution for the nation’s fuel crisis lies below by the 19 million acres of land in Alaska that is currently protected by the government from drilling.
“Unfortunately, our national policies are our own worst enemy,” Blunt writes. “Our national tendency is to treat oil as a toxic menace best kept buried underground instead of as a natural resource to be responsibly gathered and effectively used.”
Though McCaskill — a key proxy for White House hopeful Barack Obama — has lambasted GOP energy policy, she and Republican presidential nominee John McCain actually agree on their opposition to Arctic drilling.


Cmon, Jake, ‘cooperation’ instead of ‘corporation’…yes, spell check won’t pick that one up.
The fact that McCaskill agrees with McCain just means they are both wrong…name the only country in the world who will not allow drilling off their coasts…yep, the US of A.