Drill It To Me, Baby

So Democrats in Congress have adopted a bill to ease regulations on offshore drilling (after years of hatin’ on the notion), but the measure isn’t going anywhere because Republicans are calling it a sham intended to provide political cover, not actually “tap” significant offshore energy assets.

In the meantime, all this talk of drilling and tapping is getting us kind of hot and bothered, not unlike all those federal employees at the Department of the Interior who recently got caught smoking pot, snorting coke and having orgies with “employees” at big energy firms … not to mention allegedly handing out bribes in exchange for those good times.

All while Americans are getting bent over in a far less enjoyable way …

Anyway, America’s energy debate continues to rage in the wake of the Democrats’ bill, which would permit drilling 50 miles from the coastline if a state gives it’s consent and 100 miles out irrespective of a state’s objections.

The bill would also “impose stricter oversight” at the Interior Department, which presumably means that its employees will no longer receive drugs and sexual favors in exchange for preferential treatment on leases and royalties.

While most Republicans blasted the bill, S.C. Rep. Bob Inglis went against his GOP delegation and supported the measure, basically saying it was better to do something as opposed to nothing.

But Inglis was one of few Republicans to do so – most voted against it because they felt it didn’t go far enough and failed to provide states with a share of the profits, which is a critical component in getting them to permit drilling off of their coastlines.

The Bush administration feels the same way, saying it would veto the current proposal.

Given the attitude of Senate Democrats, however, it’s extremely unlikely that a bill which includes any offshore drilling will end up on the President’s desk.

In other words, the great energy debate will roll on with limitless reserves of “untapped” political hot air.

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