While we're in this kind of crunch, I don't think we have the bucks for this sort of thing. I have to admit that someone's (was it Carrie_Okie?) comment that oil seeps out naturally and drilling saves us from that type of pollution was convincing. There's no reason to let it go to waste, after all.
This might have been a Simon mistake; the base can't like it all that much, but I doubt any true Greens are going to be impressed. But then again, it was copied straight from the Jeb Bush playbook, so he probably expected more sympathy from the Feds.
Before alleging nepotism on the part of Bush, it's worth noting that California leases would have cost ten times as much (!) to cancel. Florida leases are a lot more affordable, and an oil spill in Florida would ruin their economy, which is based hugely on the beaches and tourism. California has tourism, but it's not as water-based and therefore a great deal less vunerable.
D