He sees the tragedy, but can’t stop being a Senator from Alaska. While the rest of us are paying our taxes, Alaskan citizens look forward to fat government checks derived from oil royalties; curtailing offshore exploration and drilling would spell an end to a major source of revenue for his state.

Before the camera rolled, I gave him the chance to back out of the interview, saying that his position was “the Republican view, or at least a Senator from Alaska’s view.” To his credit, he gave me a few minutes on the topic.

It pains me to have a Democrat agreeing with Sarah Palin on any topic, but the truth is that in this economy all Alaska has is oil, fish, and wilderness. Turning away from oil may be extremely difficult for Alaska.