Obama: I Still Like Drilling, But ...

In the wake of the spill off the Louisiana coast, how goes President Obama's plan to expand offshore drilling? After statements from the president and a top aide, it amounts to: We'll see. The president reiterated today that he likes the idea as part of an overall energy plan. "But," he added, "I've always said it must be done responsibly, for the safety of our workers and our environment." He's ordered a 30-day investigation into what happened, reports USA Today.

His comments followed David Axelrod's statement to ABC this morning that plans to lift the moratorium are on hold until the Gulf investigation is complete. Given that any potential drilling is years away, that doesn't have much practical effect. "All he has said is that he's not going to continue the moratorium but no additional drilling has been authorized and none will until we find out what happened here and whether there was something unique and preventable here." (More President Obama stories.)