ONLY A MATTER OF TIME – AT 8:25 A.M. ET:  When President Obama recently approved some limited exploration for offshore oil, skeptics wondered if we'd actually see any drilling, or whether environmental fundamentalists would make it impossible to proceed.  There were suggestions that some excuse would be found for preventing the actual extraction of petroleum.

Well, the excuse has been found.  The destruction of that oil rig off the Louisiana coast, and the resulting oil slick, has given the anti-drilling forces all the ammo they need, and they are reloading:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A top adviser to President Barack Obama says no new oil drilling will be authorized until authorities learn what caused the explosion of the rig Deepwater Horizon.

David Axelrod also defended the administration's response to the April 20 accident, saying ''we had the Coast Guard in almost immediately.''

He deflected comparisons with the government's slow response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, telling ABC's ''Good Morning America'' that such speculation ''is always the case in Washington whenever something like this happens.''

Bush had the Coast Guard in almost immediately as well, and many lives were saved in Katrina as a result.  Bush got only blame, no credit.

Obama recently lifted a drilling moratorium for many offshore areas, including the Atlantic and Gulf areas. But Axelrod said Friday ''no additional drilling has been authorized and none will until we find out what has happened here.''

None will.  Look, this is a disaster.  It shouldn't have happened.  There must be a thorough accounting, with severe penalties, if called for.  But we don't stop flying because a plane goes down.  We don't stop traveling the seas because a ship sinks. 

Drilling should proceed, obviously observing all cautions.  We need that petroleum.  But I'm afraid this incident has set back the cause, and possibly damaged it fatally.  The oil is seeping onto the beaches.  The photographs will be devastating.  Public opinion will be affected. 

There are conspiracy theories floating around the internet that this was sabotage, designed to cripple offshore drilling.  I have seen no evidence to back up the claim.  But clearly it is an idea that will have to be addressed by any investigating body.

The whole mess is just sad because it can affect the future of the country and its economy.  But this round will go to the environmentalists

April 30