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Schwarzenegger: expecting oil drilling to lower gas prices is 'blowing smoke'

Flying across the country to support the fight against global warming, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Miami Thursday praised Gov. Charlie Crist's efforts, but firmly separated himself from Crist's recent support of off-shore drilling.

"Politicians have been throwing around all kinds of ideas in response to the skyrocketing energy prices, from rethinking nuclear power to pushing biofuels and more renewables and ending the ban on off-shore drilling, and it goes on and on the list," Schwarzenegger said.

"But anyone who tells you this will bring down our gas prices immediately and/or anytime soon is blowing smoke," he said as the audience applauded. "America is so addicted to oil that it will take years to wean ourselves off from it. And to look for new ways to feed our addiction is not the answer."

The Californian's other remarks, however, were unmitigated praise for Crist. He said his Republican counterpart in Florida was "doing such an extraordinary job'' in fighting climate change.

Speaking at the closing luncheon of  Crist's second summit on climate change in Miami, Schwarzenegger listed all the elements, some serious, some not, that California and Florida shared.

With a wry smile, he said each state had a governor with a good tan and each had one who could run for vice president. Then the Austrian-born Schwarzenegger sighed and said, no, as a foreign-born citizen, he couldn't run, but Crist  "can run and I can vote for him."

Read full story here.

-- JOHN DORSCHNER

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