Boccieri: "Immediate Drilling"...Where There's No Oil

This just in...

(CANTON) - Showing he's driven more by public opinion polls than by his own convictions, Youngstown Senator John Boccieri has made a drastic about face on the critical issue of whether America should be drilling. Just a few weeks ago the Senator from Youngstown said drilling wasn't the solution, and now he's claiming to be for "immediate drilling."

Like many Washington politicians, Boccieri wants to force Americans to drill where even experts told Congress Thursday there is no oil. The latest evidence that Washington is broken is Boccieri's insistence that we drill dry holes; this is not a solution to our energy crisis.

"We know he has a long commute into the district, so we're confused as to why he continues to insist Americans pay higher prices at the pump," said Schuring Campaign Manager PJ Wenzel.

"Like the issue of his residency, Boccieri is trying to have it both ways - he calls for drilling but doesn't want to drill offshore where the oil really is; he says he lives in the 16th District, but isn't even registered to vote here."

"The people of the 16th district believe gas prices are a critical issue that affect their pocketbooks every day. If Boccieri spent half as much time talking with them as he does raising money from special interests in Washington, he'd know that, too," Wenzel said.

Campaign finance reporters filed with the Federal Election Commission just this week show Boccieri raised 86% of his campaign cash from outside the 16th District - 51% came from special interests. This news came on the heels of a Tarrance Group Poll released Monday that shows Sen. Kirk Schuring leads Boccieri by 6 points.