Bachmann would consider Everglades drilling

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann says she would consider drilling for oil and natural gas in the Everglades if experts tell her it can be done responsibly.

The United States needs to access all the energy resources it can, including Florida's Everglades and the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Minnesota Congresswoman told the Associated Press Sunday, after a campaign stop in Sarasota.

"The United States needs to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy and more dependent upon American resourcefulness. Whether that is in the Everglades, or whether that is in the eastern Gulf region, or whether that's in North Dakota, we need to go where the energy is," she said.

"Of course it needs to be done responsibly. If we can't responsibly access energy in the Everglades then we shouldn't do it."

In 2002, the federal government, at the urging of President George W. Bush, bought back oil and gas drilling rights in the Everglades for $120 million. Bachmann, who wants to get rid of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, said she would rely on experts to determine whether drilling can be done without harming the environment.

"No one wants to hurt or contaminate the earth. … We don't want to harm our water, our ecosystems or the air. That is a minimum bar," she said.

"From there, though, that doesn't mean that the two have to be mutually exclusive. We can protect the environment and do so responsibly, but we can also protect the environment and not kill jobs in America and not deny ourselves access to the energy resources that America's been so blessed with."

Bachmann's campaign heads to Miami today, wrapping up a four-day swing through Florida that included stops at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz and a Republican Party rally in Sarasota Sunday.

The two events saw the tea party favorite appealing to two key constituencies: those likely to connect with her social values and older Americans upset with what's happening in Washington. Much of what she said seemed geared toward courting a state Bachmann conceded would be pivotal in next year's presidential election.

"Florida will have an extremely important stake in who will be chosen as the next president of the United States," Bachmann said in a press conference outside Idlewild Baptist, the 13,000-member church that has become a mandatory stop for conservatives seeking support in Florida.

"The people of Florida are anxious to replace the current president with someone who has a strong backbone and who understands the economy."

Speaking to about 2,000 people in Sarasota, Bachmann got the crowd going when she talked about repealing the health care legislation spearheaded by President Obama and replacing Bill Nelson, the Democratic senator from Florida. She also scored points by saying Marco Rubio, Florida's freshman Republican senator, would make a good running mate. Rubio, though, said last week he is not interested in running for vice president.

Even while she's trying to endear herself to Florida voters, Bachmann could end up upsetting potential supporters by suggesting drilling in the Everglades, which most Floridians consider "a treasure," said Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida, who heard Bachmann speak in Sarasota and Lutz Sunday.

"Any hint that there might be drilling there can cause a broad base of people to be upset," MacManus said.

But Bachmann's comments are unlikely to cost her politically, MacManus said. Single-issue environmental voters don't plan on supporting her anyway, and casual voters are more concerned with the economy, jobs and foreclosures, she said.

Suzanne Fernandez of Tampa is looking for someone who can help right the country. She lost her job in 2007, and her husband is also unemployed and fighting cancer. They're trying to raise two children, 2 and 4, on Social Security.

Looking over at Bachmann at Idlewild Baptist Sunday, Fernandez, 43, said she might have what it takes to lead the country, if she listens to God.

"I believe God will show her the way," Fernandez said.