Honestly, if we could just drill in shallower waters, this problem would've been fixed already - just pointing that out.
Is there evidence that if we could drill in shallower waters, that the oil companies would have left this oil "on the table," as it were?
This is not an either/or situation. Either drilling in deep water is safe, or it isn't, but no one is holding a gun to anyone's head and saying you must drill in the Gulf of Mexico, your choice is where.
Have Republicans ever come out against deepwater drilling? Does anyone think MMS would have rejected an application for drilling in the Deepwater Horizon area? What would competitive pressures among U.S. oil companies to find reserves have done to keep all of them from choosing to explore in this region? (How awesome am I at phrasing loaded questions where I already know the answer?)
