Only two weeks after the GOP convention concluded with shouts of "Drill, Baby, Drill," the Interior Department's own Inspector General released a two-year, $5.3 million report detailing graft, drug use and sex at the Denver office of the Minerals Management Service.

Female employees of the MMS, which oversees oil and gas leases and collects royalties for taxpayers, were known as "MMS chicks" by oil and gas company representatives, who apparently had sexual relations with some of the employees.


Democrats accused the agency of allowing Big Oil to rape America's natural resources. One agency employee disputed that description. "Sure they drilled, but it was consensual," she said. "And frankly, 'Big Oil' is a joke. Their rigs are kinda small."

No word on whether petroleum products were used in the scandal.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has said she favors even more drilling and wants to "squeeze every drop" from Congress as it considers opening new areas to drilling next week. Palin also favors the industry lay pipe from the North Slope southward.