Haven't seen this subject in the Backroom yet, and it's probably the biggest story of the year.

First, and most important, what if there ain't jack-all we can do with a 5,000-foot deep oil spill?

Tomorrow BP is attempting the "top kill" maneuver -- pumping mud into the well. If it doesn't work, well ... then what? Junk shot? Top hat? Loony stuff like nukes? Relief wells will take months to drill and no one's sure if they'll work to relieve pressure. It's entirely possible, even likely, that we're going to be stuck helplessly watching as this well spews oil into the Gulf for years. Even if the flow were stopped tomorrow, the damage to marshes, coral, and marine life is done. The Gulf of Mexico will become an ecological and economic dead zone. There's no real way to undo it, no matter who's in charge.

I'm curious to see how the public's mood shifts once it becomes clear that we are powerless in the face of this thing. What if there's just nothing we can do? That's not a feeling to which Americans are accustomed.

This is pretty close to voicing my deepest fears. 5k feet is just shy of a mile, and a mile under the ocean is a supremely hostile working environment. I am appalled that shutoff valves were not required for these rigs, but what are we going to do? It's not as though we can fire up the time machine and undo Dick Cheney's energy task force. The damage is done, and it may keep on being done for some time.

It's not likely (but possible) that we have screwed up the Gulf of Mexico for a generation. Think on that for a moment.