President Obama on Wednesday described his proposal to open vast expanses of American coastlines to oil and natural gas drilling, much of it for the first time, as a painful but necessary decision. He said that his plan to allow drilling along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska — ending a longstanding moratorium on exploration from the northern tip of Delaware to the central coast of Florida, covering 167 million acres of ocean — would balance the need to produce more domestic energy while protecting natural resources. But it is also intended to generate revenue from the sale of offshore leases and help win political support for comprehensive energy and climate legislation/John M. Broder, New York Times. More here. (AP 2008 File Photo/Mary Altaffer: The Chevron Genesis Oil Rig Platform is seen in the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans, La.)

Question: Do you support President Obama's decision to open America's coastlines to oil and natural gas drilling?