Bush = McCain on Drilling

Maybe I am thinking too hard, or maybe others just are not thinking hard enough, but I do not understand why President Bush has come out in favor of Senator McCain's offshore drilling plan. Let us leave aside the merits of the plan itself for a moment, and just review recent events.

1. Senator Obama's campaign and its Democratic surrogates have been doing everything they can to link Bush to McCain.

2. They have good reason to do so, since the President is very unpopular.

3. Senator McCain just released a new ad trying to distance himself from President Bush's environmental policies.

4. The same day, Senator McCain came out in favor of offshore drilling.

5. President Bush announced his support for the McCain plan.

I would be willing to put a good bit of money that the Obama campaign and its surrogates will now be referring to the Bush-McCain plan for offshore drilling. The President just handed the Democrats another talking point, and I do not see why. How does it make the plan more palatable, more marketable, or more likely to succeed now that it has the imprimatur of a wildly unpopular president? I am at a loss.

For bonus points, in which state is offshore drilling particularly controversial? Florida. And in which state has Senator Obama just opened his first lead in the latest poll? Guess. And that poll was conducted before this offshore drilling debate.