You forget the George Bush strategery at work.....
Politically, he must be seen as doing something. He held off all calls for releasing oil when the price was climbing due to market conditions. This is not a war, but it is a natural disaster where everybody looks to the White House for help.
When this release of oil has little or no effect on the price at the pumps, Bush should tell the nation that this is why he resisted doing this to lower gas prices earlier this year.
A clever politician will introduce a bill right now, something named the "Emergency Hurricane Relief Bill" that would contain money and other aid, but also emergency lifting of regulations for refinery construction and drilling for domestic oil.
Let's see the liberals fight that with gas going up by $0.25 per gallon per day.