Newt Gingrich Expresses Support for Offshore Drilling Off The Coast of Louisiana

In a wide ranging conversation with KPEL News, Republican Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich talked about his ideas for making America better.  Among them was the support for the oil industry, specifically offshore drilling.  This is an area of the industry that brings many benefits to the State of Louisiana, not least of which are jobs.  When he was asked just how quickly it could happen, the former Speaker of the House said,  "There's no question you would see people start to move into these fields very, very quickly. You know, in some cases, they're already there. So you're just expanding existing operations, or adding another well."

A noted historian, Gingrich couldn't help but note past history and how America could apply itself to problems and solve them quickly.  He stated, "If we could win [World War II] in 44 months, beating Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and imperial Japan, [we] can probably do better than we're doing in these other areas."Support for the oil industry is not something that applies to Gingrich alone, with his fellow rivals for the Republican nomination Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum also expressing support for offshore drilling.  With dwindling options for the nomination, Southern States like Louisiana will be crucial if Mr. Gingrich wants to wrestle the nomination away from his GOP rivals.  An issue like offshore drilling being central to many lifestyles in Louisiana, it's not a major surprise to hear him address it.