Ron Johnson flip-flops on Great Lakes oil drilling

Remember when Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson said he wanted to drill for oil in the Great Lakes, if oil could be found under the lakes?

Well apparently Johnson, who’s finally figured out that supporting drilling for oil under the Great Lakes is a losing position, has flip-flopped on drilling under the Great Lakes, according to a statement his campaign issued yesterday:

“The 2005 Energy Bill, which Russ Feingold voted against, outlawed drilling in the Great Lakes. I would not support any efforts to overturn the provision which outlaws drilling in the Great Lakes as Wisconsin’s next U.S. Senator. Let me repeat: I would reject any and all efforts to drill in the Great Lakes.”

Just to be clear, here’s what Ron Johnson said about drilling for oil in the Great Lakes when asked the question by WisPolitics last month:

“You know, the bottom line is we are an oil-based economy. There’s nothing we’re going to do to get off of that for many years. I think we have to be realistic and recognize that fact and, you know, I, I think we have to, get the oil where it is, but we have to do it where it is.”

Sen. Russ Feingold’s campaign was quick to put out an ad attacking Ron Johnson’s support of Great Lakes oil drilling:

The Chief astutely pointed out last night, the Johnsons campaign’s rebuttal is shoddy, but the ad released by Sen. Feingold’s campaign shows that while Russ Feingold has been many things in his TV ads over the years (wonk, funnyman, storyteller), this year we’re seeing a new Russ Feingold: Fghtin’ Russ Feingold. The Chief put it best: Sen. Feingold is coming out swinging and he is not one to be fucked with.

Sen. Feingold’s campaign aren’t the only ones criticizing Ron Johnson’s comments on oil drilling and his ownership of hundreds of thousands of dollars of BP stock, as the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has started a petition drive calling for Johnson to divest his BP stock and support the BP Victims Fund, instead of using it to pay for his defense of Big Oil on the campaign trail.

Something tells me this is just the first of many flip-flops we can expect from Ron Johnson during the long campaign season, and it sure looks like it’s going to be a long, rough campaign for Johnson.