Pat McCrory’s first TV commercial of the general election continues his pattern of making untruthful claims about Bev Perdue.

Bev Perdue has consistently said that she supports offshore drilling, urging oil companies to use some of their record profits to immediately begin drilling in the untapped 68-million acres currently under lease, almost half of which are located offshore.

Bev Perdue has consistently supported drilling off America’s coast:

• “Well I’m not against offshore drilling per se… you know we’ve got 68 million acres that are already under lease in America right now, and if oil companies would start drilling there right this very minute then the question of what comes about from drilling would be answered.” [WWNC 570AM in Asheville, 8/8/08]

• “The people who know best are telling me, that with the 68 million acres the federal government already has leased…I’d rather take those 68 million acres that are already leased and let’s just go drill there starting tomorrow.” [WTKF 107.1 FM in Morehead City, 7/28/08]

Bev continues to express concern about the safety of drilling along North Carolina’s coast – the Graveyard of the Atlantic – and the risk it poses to our $2.6 billion coastal tourism economy.

Furthermore, Bev sent a letter to North Carolina’s senior Congressional Democrat David Price outlining her views on a comprehensive energy policy, including requiring oil companies to immediately begin drilling in the 68 million acres currently available. The letter also states that if the current ban is lifted, North Carolina should have authority to make its own decision regarding drilling off our coast, and she would convene a team of independent engineers and scientists “to analyze and make clear all the relevant evidence on drilling off our coast.” Gov. Jim Martin convened a similar team of experts during his administration, and Bev believes that is a good precedent to follow today.

“North Carolina’s policy should be based on science, not politics and polls,” said Perdue spokesman Tim Crowley. “Bev Perdue supports efforts in Congress to find common ground as part of a sensible and comprehensive energy policy for our nation. But we must make sure that any policy on offshore drilling would allow North Carolina to have a final say, it should not just target the Southeast coast, and it must require oil companies to start taking action on drilling in the 68 million acres where they already have leases.”

“Once again, Pat McCrory will say and do anything to deceive North Carolina’s voters. Just like he did on private school vouchers and minimum wage, he’s trying to fool voters because he knows Bev Perdue is the one candidate who will help middle-class families in our state,” added Crowley.