Michele Bachman wants to drill for oil "whether that is in the Everglades or whether that is in the Eastern Gulf region or whether that is in North Dakota." Even Republicans think this is kind of nuts, because even Republicans are willing to agree that the Everglades has some nice stuff that it'd be darn shame to ruin forever. But for Bachmann, it's a "wonderful treasure trove of energy that God has given us in this country."
But the Associated Press reports that there is one tract of privately owned land where oil was found in 1943. It's still owned by the same family, the Colliers, and they retain (and use) the right to pump oil out of there. The Bush administration tried to buy back the mineral rights in 2002 to stop those operations, but Congress wouldn't go for it. The resources aren't exactly significant, though; the Bush administration estimated that all of the oil there would feed U.S. demand for about two days. So it’s a little weird for Bachmann to be going all “damn the alligators, full speed ahead!” What’s the deal?
Well, according to the AP, "Collier Resources is the only company that appears poised to gain — at least immediately — should Everglades drilling be expanded." And, oh, by the by, two Collier family members are Bachmann donors. By God and the teensy treasure trove he’s put under our natural resources, we need to give them money — for America!
