In Reversal, Sen. Brown Says He’s Open to Domestic Oil Drilling

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is warming to the idea of lifting the federal ban on domestic offshore oil drilling, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

Brown had been an opponent of lifting the ban, saying that it would do little in the short-term to lower the price of gas.

Republicans, including John McCain, have pushed for the end to the ban. They have said that more drilling is needed to move the country away from a dependence on foreign oil.

Barack Obama has opposed the lifting of the ban, but he is receiving pressure from at least one prominent liberal blogger to change course. MyDD’s Jerome Armstrong suggested Friday that Obama and Democratic leaders accept a more drilling in a package that includes non-carbon energy solutions.