Exactly, what is ignorant is this reporter. Completely different environment. The Gulf of Mexico has currents that scatter the oil. Also, this is a much different mixture of crude/nat gas, than Saudi oil that pools together.
The reason they will not try it is that 25 super tankers emptying their contents into the appropriate American refinery and then heading to the Gulf for sludge and slurry pick-up is that this would so glut the market short-term that prices would be adversely affected. In fact, if 25 supertankers were to show up together there's a good question about where that stuff could be stored!
The oil in the Gulf is less retrievable than the situation the Saudis faced, and, thanks to Obama delaying response to the emergency, which by LAW is his to command, it is now in "plumes" as long as 100 miles.
This method cannot be the only answer, but it is one that will work where applicable, near shore.
There is absolutely no shortage of crude oil on this planet, nor will there be for the next 150 years, at least. There is a shortage of refining capacity which is used to "schedule" deliveries and keep prices up. It still costs the Saudis less than $5 per barrel to produce and deliver to the tanker fleet.