Republicans do not want to abandon the pro-drilling image they cultivated so successfully and probably could not be rid of it even if they wanted to since it is now so embedded in their ideological fabric. But they also do not want to risk an election-year backlash in the aftermath of the gulf crisis, particularly if the damage becomes as extensive as some experts fear it could. And they are heartened by polls showing that while public support for drilling has dropped since the accident, most Americans still support offshore oil production.

At the same time, Republicans would not mind hitting the Obama administration, which itself was pursuing expanded drilling, for what Mr. Pence characterized as a slow response to the spill — a complaint the White House says is groundless and politically motivated. But even as they zero in on the administration’s handling of the disaster, Republicans risk emphasizing the dangers of offshore drilling and alarming the public even more about the ramifications of coastal exploration.

For now, Republicans have adopted a multifaceted approach as they try to finesse the issue. First, call for an inquiry to determine what caused the accident, so as to be able to reassure the public that a recurrence can be prevented. Then, raise the possibility that the White House could have done more, a position that suggests that some of the damage could be a result of bureaucratic inertia rather than a hazardous energy operation.

And, finally, point out that Republicans have called for a broad energy program of which offshore drilling is only one element and that federal revenues generated by drilling would be put toward developing alternative fuel sources.

In discussing the BP accident in recent days, Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leader, has called it a “reminder that America needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy to create jobs, lower energy prices and clean up our environment.”