Republican rival accuses LoBiondo of lying about offshore drilling A.C.Press

A congressional candidate said that her rival, U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, lied to fellow Republicans earlier this month when he said "I voted for offshore drilling to open up exploration for oil and gas."

Linda Biamonte, who is challenging LoBiondo in the June Republican primary, called the congressman's statement "a distracting distortion of the facts."

She cited the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and Ontheissues.org, which said LoBiondo introduced legislation to ban drilling off the New Jersey coast and supported keeping a moratorium on offshore drilling.

Asked her position on offshore drilling, Biamonte forwarded questions to her campaign manager, Nathan Martin...
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Fact Check (Stein for Congress...........The 2008 web site)

From early July 2008 Stein for Congress; "Consider his ideas on new energy policy. He says he's for a fast-track broad based plan with laser-type focus, then as a Republican, he probably should be for new offshore drilling, and fast. He is not. Is he saying let's send the most dollars we can to foreign governments, and sit on our reserves?.....

Returning to the energy issue, Mr. LoBiondo is lobbing softballs at this ticking time bomb. "We must encourage smarter use of existing options while developing more fuel efficient technologies" How then is he, "(I remain) opposed to drilling off of New Jersey's coastline"....

Ironically, with the other party now inching towards the Republican position on new drilling, one day he's going to find himself to the left of the Democrats, or maybe he flip flops at $5 a gallon. I think he's overplayed his environmental reputation with the voters, and in this election we shouldn't let him have his cake and eat it. If he thinks he's Al Gore, fine, he should step out from behind his warm and fuzzy words and take a leadership role as an environmentalist. I'd still disagree with him, but I could respect his position.

9/18/2008

Like I predicted in July, Congressman LoBiondo flips his position..
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Substance (Abuse) http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Frank_A._LoBiondo

In September 2008, LoBiondo backed a energy bill that passed the House, but not the Senate, that would have loosened offshore oil-drilling restrictions and included alternative energy initiatives. Two months before voting for the measure, LoBiondo said he opposed offshore drilling: "With more than 68 million acres nationwide already leased though unexplored for oil and natural gas, we should be focusing on those areas before drilling in sensitive locations such as off the Jersey Shore." Murphy, Dan, "Most NJ politicians oppose McCain on offshore drilling" The Star-Ledger, June 17, 2008⁽¹⁷⁾Murphy, Dan, "Most NJ politicians oppose McCain on offshore drilling" The Star-Ledger, June 17, 2008

Following the vote, LoBiondo said he backed the bill because it called for increased use of renewable fuels, not necessarily because offshore drilling was gaining popularity in his coastal district.Chebium, Raju, "NJ congressmen split on offshore drilling bill" Gannett News Service, Sept. 18, 2008⁽¹⁸⁾

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Go LInda! Good luck, don't hold back, be yourself. Linda, if you ever see this, I'm wondering.....did you speak to the A.C. Press reporter at length only to have him throw that one ambiguity- in what turned out to be only 2 paragraph article about you? Hmmmm, I remember 2 years ago when I said to a A.C. Press reporter in regards to some silly matter, (long story, very interesting though) that "I made a spontaneous outburst, that's why politicians avoid spontaneity like the plaque." That got written up as "Stein said it was a spontaneous outburst." Quite a different interpretation??!! Sounded like a I was having a "hot flash" *

* p.s. The mysterious "M" is not going to like that I said that?