Game, set and match to Van Hollen. Well done, and these are key talking points we should always have at hand when addressing this issue. Oil companies have been granted the right to drill in huge tracts of public land. Oil is at record prices. If they still can't turn a profit developing their existing leases, they should lose them. Giving them more leases makes no sense. They are already essentially in default regarding their agreement to develop American oil resources.

Mr. McCain plans to say. “We have proven oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States. But a broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production, and I believe it is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use.’’ Mr. McCain first made public his position on the moratorium on Monday in Virginia.

In his remarks in Houston, Mr. McCain also plans to cite investment firms.

McCain did not say how far offshore companies would have to be to drill for oil along the coastline, saying that is one of many things that would be part of a negotiation to lift the federal ban.

McCain's call is also sure to annoy two key Republican allies -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist -- both of whom have said they are opposed to drilling off of their states' coastlines.

If the moratorium were lifted, pressure would quickly mount on both of the governors, who have so far been able to deflect calls for action to allow private oil companies to begin exploration for oil.

Environmental groups say an expansion of drilling is unnecessary because the oil companies have not yet maximized the exploration of current oil fields.

You can blame McCain, however, for switching to the wrong position. Controversy over offshore drilling originated in the United States in 1969, when a cracked sea floor created a huge oil spill near Santa Barbara, California. The danger of a reoccurrence still exists, as do risks associated with having oil tankers routinely servicing offshore rigs. More important, offshore drilling is a band-aid. According to the federal Energy Information Administration, lifting the offshore drilling moratorium would have a minor impact on production and prices:

This year started no differently. John McCain insisted that he plans to fight it out in California - and his campaign probably would tell you no different today. But McCain officially conceded California on Monday when he called for an end to the ban on offshore drilling and adopted a Bush administration proposal to offer states a larger share of the tax revenue if they allow oil and gas exploration. He plans to offer more details in a speech today.