Today brought dueling demonstrations at the Capitol, with groups rallying both against gas drilling and in favor of it. The report in the Ithaca Journal says that hundreds of people turned out for the rally (and that’s with over an inch of rain pouring down there today). They say that there were local Southern Tier people on hand, as well as those traveling from New York City.

From where we sit, it sounds like both sides employed a common tool of exaggeration. Some examples reported; first the pro side:

“The jobs would be astronomical,” said Moore, 49, adding, “Without it, we’re done.”

and sounding off against:

environmental and conservation groups said in a statement that the proposed drilling “is arguably the most pressing threat to the health of the state’s environment.”