Beltway Snark

I would say it’s because of the GOP’s little stunt yesterday, but I think it has a lot more to do with the reaction in the gallery to the GOP’s little stunt that has provoked this rethinking of his opposition to offshore drilling. To be sure, Obama left himself a good amount of wiggle room in case he has to give a more nuanced answer to this question later, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Shifting from his previous opposition to expanded offshore drilling, the Illinois senator told a Florida newspaper he could get behind a compromise with Republicans and oil companies to prevent gridlock over energy…

“My interest is in making sure we’ve got the kind of comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices,” Obama said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.

“If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage — I don’t want to be so rigid that we can’t get something done.”

The nutroots will be pissed, the conservatives will call it a flip-flop, and a few of us will note that once again Obama’s position on a touchy subject is beginning to look an awful lot like McCain’s position.