Landrieu demands 'clear path forward' for drilling permits
by Bruce Alpert - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Sen. Mary Landrieu is refusing to drop her hold on President Barack Obama's nomination of Jack Lew to head the Office of Management and Budget as she tries to negotiate a compromise to expedite the resumption of deepwater and shallow-water drilling along Louisiana's coast. During a telephone conversation with reporters Wednesday, Landrieu said she is "very sympathetic" to the administration's concern for quickly confirming a budget director with a new federal spending plan due in February. "My position hasn't changed," Landrieu said. "Talks are ongoing and I still remain hopeful we can find a way forward. I know the country needs a budget director, but we need an oil industry on the Gulf Coast." The Obama administration repeated its plea for Landrieu to drop the hold.