Last Thursday the House passed the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act (H.R. 4761), which could open up the areas off Florida’s coasts to oil and natural gas drilling. Rep. Clay Shaw (R) was one of five Florida Republicans to vote against the bill, but that’s not good enough for State Sen. Ron Klein (D), Shaw’s opponent in FL-22.

Shaw, chair of Florida’s 25-member delegation, came under fire from Klein before last week’s vote, when the Palm Beach Post reported Klein’s charge that the bill’s 14-11 passage among the delegation is attributable to Shaw’s “failure of leadership.” “I ask Mr. Shaw: Why did it take so long to figure out his position on the drilling issue?” Klein asked in a press release. “Why did he not call a meeting earlier so a real opposition could have been mounted?”

Now that Klein has accused Shaw of taking his sweet time on an issue vital to Florida voters, Shaw’s campaign manager, Larry Casey, has responded by raising the issue of Social Security. Casey told the Boca Raton News last week that voters are still waiting for Klein’s promised alternatives to Shaw’s much-touted “alternative” plan in favor of “add-on” accounts. But the Klein camp argues that it’s been awhile since Shaw himself last mentioned Social Security, to which Casey has replied, “Congressman Shaw has been crystal clear with the voters on his Social Security reform proposal.” (Read what Shaw has to say about Social Security here.)

The environment and Social Security are key issues in FL-22 (and in Florida politics generally) and will play a role in determining whether Klein can unseat Shaw, a 13-term incumbent.