You'd think, right? A lot of that land would cost more to drill from than the oil is worth because of the way the oil is stored. Which begs the question of why the oil companies still have the leases on the land, of course.
Really, given that the estimate for getting any oil out of new wells is 10 years from now, the best solution is to stall until after the election, then compromise on a plan that makes sense. Democrats would see any bill signed before an election as a compromise, and given Bush & Cheney's oil ties, they're not about to be convinced that the Republicans are right to want to drill; they see it as a land grab, pure and simple. Of course, since making a deal will have zero effect on the current crisis, it really IS a land grab. Doesn't mean it's not a good idea to drill more, just that the current circumstances aren't right for the government to make a good long term decision (not that they ever really are, but currently they're wronger than usual).
