update: title changed from Stop GOP Oil Mania:National Monument Designation Could Save Ecosystem

A coral ecosystem exists off the southeast coast that is roughly the size of the land area of South Carolina.  

Economically, that ecosystem:

1. Provides food for Millions of Americans

2. Protects our coasts from Hurricanes and Nor'easters(like a winter Hurricane)

3. Protects our ports like Savannah, Wilmington, Morehead City (supports a Marine base) and the nation's most important Hampton Roads where the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay guarding Norfolk Navy Yards, Portsmouth, Newport News and Baltimore.  (Newport News is where the large Navy ships are built like Air Craft carriers)

4. Provides Millions of jobs to American by providing fisheries, deep water ports (including the US Navy's biggest base), tourism nand forestry (much of the USA's pulp wood is grown in the coastal Southeast).

Why even worry about protecting something so important to the well being of the United States of America.  Surely NO USA CITIZEN would threaten such a valuable National Treasure.

crossposted at Not Larry Sabato

Growing up in Virginia Beach, I never knew Virginia Beach or Hampton Roads for that matter to be a "political" area.  Generally low turnout in primaries and generals reinforced that idea.  Even in 2004, when working for Gen. Wesley Clark in Virginia Beach, we had trouble garnering a large crowd for his visit 2 days before the primary (I believe we ended up with about 500 people at VA Wesleyan).   Last night changed all of my long held beliefs about the political scene in Hampton Roads.