Seriously? Why isn't it stopped??

I've volunteered already. Hopefully I'll get to go wash birds. This is absolutely horrible.. And the worse thing is.. its not getting any better..


:( :( :(

Firedoglake Coverage of the BP Oil Disaster | Firedoglake (http://firedoglake.com/bp-oil-disaster)

YouTube - BP Oil Disaster Update #1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ONM0ed-OI&feature=related)

My cousin's wife is already there, scooping up birds, cleaning them off.

I want to do that so bad! I volunteered through National Audobon Society... Put on my form I'm willing to travel...

This is so sad! And they're drilling again... soon in the arctic

What are they doing with the cleaned-up birds and other animals? If they release them back into the wild, they'll just get all gunked up again.

I think, but not certain, they go to a sanctuary and then moved to a part of the coast that is not funked up...

I'm not certain though..

I commend you on your efforts.

There are 3 other OP on the subject in the Current Events board. We have commented extensively on the issue.

Clearly it is more complicated then"why isn't it stopped ?"
I think there is plenty of room for finger pointing and debate. But there can be no doubt that the stauts quo is in no one's best interest . Attempts to stop the flow from the well have to date failed. More ideas are in the works .
BP attempting to stop leak Wednesday...maybe - 14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader- (http://www.wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=12534392)

Basically it comes down to this . The government has no clue about what it takes to plug the gusher .They could enlist other oil companies like Exxon-Mobil to assist .But other than that ;they are dependent on BP to fix the problem.

It is our worst nighmare come ture :(

It's bad, it's sad, it's ugly... but if this is our worst nightmare I'll sleep much better.

Sweet dreams to you!

What's done is done.. But what is making this horrible, is the fact that BP is drilling yet again.

How many more creatures and people does BP have to kill before someone wakes up and says, "Hey, this isnt right".

I watched on a news channel last night.. Mr. Keith Olberman -- Who said, "Why are we letting the murderer run the investigation"

BPs solutions are not working. They're laying down more poison in the oceans to clean up their disaster. When we tell them they can't do that, they just snap back at us and agree to not use as much. That's pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

BP needs to take all their efforts into stopping this leak. They got the pipes down there, why can't they stop it? And further more, why are they drilling someplace else now?

I think, but not certain, they go to a sanctuary and then moved to a part of the coast that is not funked up...

I'm not certain though..


Nope, that's what they are doing. At least that's what they are doing until the sanctuary is full. I believe it's in Georgia.

BP needs to take all their efforts into stopping this leak. They got the pipes down there, why can't they stop it? And further more, why are they drilling someplace else now?


As I understand it the Obama Interior Dept is issuing new permits and environmental waivers as we speak.
Despite Moratorium, Drilling Projects Move Ahead - NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/us/24moratorium.html)


Why are they still drilling ? Because we still need oil for fuel our economy. Do you think our not drilling will prevent Mexico ,Venezuela ,Cuba from drilling in the same neighborhood ?

Whats done is done.. But what is making this horrible, is the fact that BP is drilling yet again.

Let's get some things straight and not rely on Olby for any rational analysis.

As I noted (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/current-events/now-gulf-mexico-ruined-470441-6.html#post2363983) yesterday, Obama's government is still issuing environmental waivers to drill in the Gulf. Not one of the 5 waivers (http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/us/20100524-moratorium-waivers.pdf) granted since the spill were granted to BP. I bet Olby didn't rant about that did he?

And, in spite of all the rhetoric about BP, the guy in charge down there, USCG Admiral Thad Allen, trusts BP's CEO (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-23/obama-picks-a-democrat-and-republican-to-probe-spill-update3-.html). “I trust Tony Hayward,” Allen said of BP’s chief executive officer when asked if he trusted the company. “When I talk to him, I get an answer.”

As tom as said many times, this is new territory. Lessons will be learned, technology will emerge, and Obama will go on keeping his boot on the throat of whoever is in his sights at the moment.

It's bad, it's sad, it's ugly ... but if this is our worst nightmare I'll sleep much better.Hello Nero:

The sentiment you expressed explains WHY you don't care much about environmental matters.. You don't think they amount too much...

Me?? I think they could wipe us out. Really. They could END it for us. How is it that you don't grasp that? Do you understand the term EXTINCTION??

excon or chicken little
Take your pick

The sentiment you expressed explains WHY you don't care much about environmental matters.. You don't think they amount to much...

Me???? I think they could wipe us out. Really. They could END it for us. How is it that you don't grasp that? Do you understand the term EXTINCTION??????

excon or chicken little
take your pick

Chicken (or would you rather me call you little?),

I called it bad, sad and ugly, that wasn't good enough? One of the differences between you and I is I have faith in nature’s ability to recover, which come to think of it, should be something all you evolutionists should have as well. The earth will recover.

I much more fear nukes in the hands of radical Islamic dictators bent on establishing a global caliphate. That, would be a nightmare.

One of the differences between you and I is I have faith in nature’s ability to recover, which come to think of it, should be something all you evolutionists should have as well. THello again, Nero:

Oh, I have faith that nature will recover. I don't know why you think that means we will too. I really DON'T think you grasp the notion of extinction...

excon

Extinction is a reality of existence on this planet. It is as natural as evolution.
The latest on human evolution is that all of us have a bit of neanderthal dna in us. But they did not survive and homo sapiens did . I am not positive about this, but I doubt that there is much difference in extinction events today than in the past.
Are humans a plague on the planet ? Some humans thinks so. Theyhave created an organization called " Voluntary Human Extinction Movement" (VHEMT) .The best thing about them is that they tend to discontinue their own lineage first .

I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was the catalyst for human extinction, my mistake.

Hello again, Steve:

An environmental calamity WAS the catalyst for ALL the extinctions we know about. How do you not know that?

Like I said. I don't think you get the concept of extinction. The dinosaurs didn't either. But, we're supposed to be smarter than them. Guess not.

excon

As I understand it, scientists are leaning toward the Chicxulub event (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater#Chicxulub_and_mass_extinction) as the reason for that mass extinction. The second theory is the Deccan traps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps) as the catalyst, and the third is the dinosaurs just weren't tough enough to adapt to changing conditions.

Which of these is similar to the Gulf spill?

An environmental calamity WAS the catalyst for ALL the extinctions we know about.

You need to amend that to mass extinction. Individual species have gone down for a number of reasons.

Flashback 2005:


BATON ROUGE, La. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness are coordinating with other federal, state and local agencies to clean up and reduce the environmental impact of the oil spills in Louisiana. Just two months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita spilled more than nine million gallons of oil, the oil recovery effort is now 95 percent complete according to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has led the oil recovery effort. To date they have recovered 3,888,808 gallons of oil. More than four million gallons of oil has either evaporated or dissipated naturally. Additionally, 403,578 gallons of oil, or five percent of the total oil spilled, remains to be removed. The USCG has nearly completed waterway oil recovery and is working closely with the Louisiana DEQ to complete the recovery.

While the overall environmental impact of the oil spills remains unknown, Environmental Protection Agency and Louisiana DEQ have damage assessment teams throughout the area evaluating the impact of the spill.

With more than nine million gallons of oil spilled in Louisiana, this disaster approaches the magnitude of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1992, when an oil tanker ran aground in Alaska, releasing approximately 11 million gallons of oil.
https://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=20320

you need to amend that to mass extinction. Individual species have gone down for a number of reasons.

Yeah, and if we protect many more Delta Smelts from extinction it just might be us that suffers that fate. But then this is about the fifth time I've raised this issue and Chicken little doesn't seem to think it's a problem if we turn central California into a dust bowl while keeping all those illegals out of those jobs we Americans won't do.

But then this is about the fifth time I've raised this issue and Chicken little doesn't seem to think it's a problem if we turn central California into a dust bowl Hello again, Nero:

There are environmentalists who are nuts, and there are environmentalists who aren't. It takes wisdom to know the difference. Yours appears lacking.

Since we're counting, for the fifth time, what makes you think that WE are immune from extinction? If, like all the other MASS extinctions we know about, an environmental disaster CAUSED it, what about THIS environmental disaster makes you sleep well at night? You don't think losing our fisheries might do it??

So, what is it, Nero? Do you think it'll BE solved shortly?? What, in your primitive right wing brain, would give you THAT idea? Or if it isn't solved shortly, do you, like Rush Limprod and that idiot Brit Hume, think that the oceans can absorb this oil, and it ain't nothing to get my liberal pants into a bunch about?? Is THAT what you think?? Just like the trash we throw into the air can be absorbed?? Really?? Dude!

excon

Chicken Little, you can keep chasing this rabbit all you want, but after all the stuff I've personally gone through this year, this certainly doesn't keep me up at night and I'm OK with letting you chase it on your own.

I wonder where all the dead fish and other marine life is going to wash ashore?

I saw a heartbreaking clip on last night's news of an island full of cranes that had gotten covered with oil while diving for fish, were hopping around trying to fly, but couldn't, were weighted down by the oil. Multiply that by a million more stories and you might begin to get an idea of what this disaster has done, is doing, will continue to do.

That is so sad! I can remember when I was a child there was a big oil spill at a refinery, I think in Oregon OH, maybe Toledo. I remember my dad bringing home ducks covered in oil and we washed them as good as we could. I don't remember what happened to them after that.

Actually, speechless.. I don't rely on Obly for anything. I just thought what he stated was kind of interesting.

Honestly, I would take a hit in the high gas prices to have this fixed. What needs to happen for humans to realize that we are killing the Earth? Does every animal have to be stuffed in a museum or locked away in a zoo? Is that really what human kind wants to do to Earths creatures?

Not only are we killing the wildlife, but we're also wrecking Ma & Pa fishery businesses, the coastline, peoples boats, vacation money that is collected throughout the summer by travelers. The entire coast industry is threatened. But hey, WE HAVE GAS!!

I see very few BP gas stations in my area. I'm not sure if this is a very popular company in the US. This company should be raked over the coals. News media scolding them and Obama thinking about how to fix it is just not working.

This is not right. You can lecture me all you want about what the economy needs... this is still not right. I, for one, do not care if gas prices go up. In fact, if gas prices need to go up so that BP can focus on saving the ocean, so be it. Itd be money well spent in my mind.

This just isn't right. I just don't care about what the economy needs. Maybe the economy needs to think about what is right instead of what benefits them. You know darn well the only reason BP executives are upset about this issue is because they're losing billions of dollars worth of oil to the sea. They could care less about the coral reefs that take YEARS to grow, the whales that swim that way to breed and have their babies, the colorful fish that call that place home... They don't care about that. That's useless to them. So are the worker on the oil rigs...

I think humans should go back to being hunter/gatherers and live in home made grass and mud yurts.

I think humans should go back to being hunter/gatherers
We still are, but we pay illegal immigrants cash to gather our farm crops, and instead of going out and hunting, we put the animals in inhumane conditions and then slaughter them after we've fattened them up with chemicals.

and live in home made grass and mud yurts.
They were made of branches covered with animal skins. Yurts are in Mongolia.

We still are, but we pay illegal immigrants cash to gather our farm crops

Except when we're cutting the water supply off from the most productive areas of the country and turning them into dust bowls to save the smelt.


They were made of branches covered with animal skins. Yurts are in Mongolia.

Even the yurt (http://www.yurts.com/) has been modernized and manufactured in Oregon for decades.

The point is that everything is the economy. I consider this the unintended consequences of denying coastal and inland drilling . Like it or not ,our economy is fueled by oil .

I think humans should go back to being hunter/gatherers and live in home made grass and mud yurts.

Like that is a solution to anything, such a lifestyle is possible for few million people but not billions, you would quickly have the "mongol" hordes raoming the Earth. Tom we don't need trogladite solutions here

doh !!!.... forgot to activate the sarcasm font!!!.

doh !!!.... forgot to activate the sarcasm font!!!.

Yes I suppose you did, I had my sarcasm detector turned off too but don't worry, even though this affects many people in the Gulf, it only affects a very small proportion of the world's population so it really is a small scale disaster and needs to be seen for what it really is, an inconvenience

The top kill appears to have succeeded . But it's not in the clear yet .
'Top kill' effort succeeds in blocking oil leak, Coast Guard admiral says - latimes.com (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-top-kill-works-20100528,0,4282960.story)

There is still some pressure coming out of the well ;and that has to be reduced to zero before they attempt to put a cement cap on the well.

This top kill method was the same one used last year to plug a leak in the Timor Sea . The West Atlas rig had spilled 100s of thousand gallons for a 3-4 month period before the top kill attempt was made there also.
My guess would be that future SOP would say that should be the 1st attempt made in these situations.

even though this affects many people in the Gulf, it only affects a very small proportion of the world's population so it really is a small scale disaster and needs to be seen for what it really is, an inconvenience

Just like the difference between recession and depression...
Recession is when your neighbor looses a job. Depression is when you do.

So, Obama's "just plug the damn hole" solution seems to be working, and tomorrow he can show up in LA and take credit for being so smart and on top of things.

He apparently threw his head of MMS under the bus as the sacrificial lamb (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37377018/ns/gulf_oil_spill/). So far, so good at least. I've been watching a bit of the live feed (http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/homepage/STAGING/local_assets/bp_homepage/html/rov_stream.html) and see no signs of the gusher that was there.

From what I hear the top kill was in the works from day one ;but at the depth it was a huge engineering challenge.

There is no guarantee that this will hold ,but by taking their time ,they increased the chances of success.

"plug the damn hole" hmmm probably don't want to go there . My guess that comment was strategerly timed to coincide with the progress updates that BP was surely supplying the administration.

The birds and fish a suffering, The fisherman and the riggers and out of work. Governor Jindel is trying set out sandbars to filter to oil before is hits the wetlands. By the way this the U.S. rain forest. But he's being stopped by the EPA got to do that impact study. The Fed's obstruct every move. st they loose the money set aside in 1985 to handle and have the equipment to stop the spill from reaching the shore. No one has been able to tell me what happened to that federal program. Then the president want to take credit for plugging the hole. If it wasn't such a sad attempt it would be funny. I've lived in oil country all of my life. Plugging the hole was always on the table. Finding a way to control the pressure had to be addressed first or plugging the hole would not have lasted. Drill a well to remove the need for the plug is the next step. Let the drillers do their job. Stop the oil. The Fed's need to get of their high horses and find away to cut the red tape and these lands protected. To the issue of it's only the gulf. Look up the gulf steam and see who that affects. To the issue of stop all drilling. Take a look and you will see
Almost every country in the world drills in the gulf. The U.S. pulling out makes no sense,

Stop the oil....The U.S. pulling out makes no sense,
This makes no sense. Do you want more drilling or not?

Did you watch the President's press conference today? It's BP that has the technology and equipment to fix what got broken. He said the easy oil has been removed. Now companies are going deeper and drilling as much as three miles down to find oil. The complications of that are many, and stopping a break in a well is beyond difficult. It's not like plugging up a hole in a swimming pool.

This makes no sense. Do you want more drilling or not?

Did you watch the President's press conference today? It's BP that has the technology and equipment to fix what got broken. He said the easy oil has been removed. Now companies are going deeper and drilling as much as three miles down to find oil. The complications of that are many, and stopping a break in a well is beyond difficult. It's not like plugging up a hole in a swimming pool.

WG, he also said he's been in charge from Day 1. Even the MSM couldn't swallow that. Using this accident to rescind his drilling permits is so convenient a conspiracy theorist would be thinking Bob Gibbs went and played cherry bomb in the toilet just so an accident would happen.

WG, he also said he's been in charge from Day 1.Hello again:

There's no being in charge. There's only LOOKING like you're in charge. Bush couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag, but, he LOOKED like he was leading when he spoke through the bullhorn at ground zero. The president needs to get into a rowboat at the site and address the workers through a bullhorn.

Like the health care debate, Obama lost the conversation. Strike 2.

excon

To answer I don't see why we should stop the drilling. The US needs it. With every other country drilling in the gulf us pulling out only drives up prices unemployment
But what we do need the safety people to back away from the porn and do their job's. Wait a Fed employee has their job for life just like the Union and they are protected from law suits because they are civil servants. Wow what a deal! Great pay, and I don't have to do a good job. By the way Obama has given them all raises.

This makes no sense. Do you want more drilling or not?

I think "stop the oil" was the answer to "Let the drillers do their job." Not stop drilling, stop the leak.

WG, he also said he's been in charge from Day 1. Even the MSM couldn't swallow that.
He said it took place on his watch and he takes responsibility.

MSM or MMS?

“Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy” Did he really use that (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20006183-503544.html)? What a putz.

just like the difference between recession and depression .....
recession is when your neighbor looses a job. depression is when you do.

Recession, Tom, is when business finds the solution, depression is when the government imposes their solution. In this context I expect certain parts of the US will be in depression for years with the government providing handouts as a solution but don't worry; a great new industry, off shore drilling, will take the place of fisheries and the recession will recede

He said it took place on his watch and he takes responsibility.

MSM or MMS?

Main Stream Media, normally his biggest fans.

The actual quote was:


The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort.Obama on BP oil spill: "I'm fully engaged." Press conference transcript - Lynn Sweet (http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/05/obama_on_bp_oil_spill_im_fully.html)

but don't worry; a great new industry, off shore drilling, will take the place of fisheries and the recession will recede

It is my understanding that anglers have a lot of luck casting their line towards the platforms . They attract the fish much like an artificial reef .

Of course now you have the added benefit of pan-frying them without adding butter.

The president needs to get into a rowboat at the site and address the workers through a bullhorn.

Like the health care debate, Obama lost the conversation. Strike 2

Here is what Obot Peggy Noonan says now that she is coming down from the koolaid high .


"The president, in my view, continues to govern in a way that suggests he is chronically detached from the central and immediate concerns of his countrymen. This is a terrible thing to see in a political figure, and a startling thing in one who won so handily and shrewdly in 2008. But he has not, almost from the day he was inaugurated, been in sync with the center. The heart of the country is thinking each day about A, B and C, and he is thinking about X, Y and Z. They're in one reality, he's in another."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269204575270950789108846.html?m od=WSJ_hpp_sections_opinion#
It isn't that he is losing the debate.It's because he is disconnected from reality . It took a rant by James Carville to wake him from his slumber .

It isn't that he is losing the debate.It's because he is disconnected from reality . It took a rant by James Carville to wake him from his slumber .Hello again, tom:

I said that same thing back then. Nothing has changed - except the world found out I was right.

excon

It is my understanding that anglers have a lot of luck casting their line towards the platforms . They attract the fish much like an artifical reef .

Of course now you have the added benefit of pan-frying them without adding butter.

That's fine Tom if you like three eyed fish

That's fine Tom if you like three eyed fish

'Clete, are you trying to set up a blue and bold font as "deadpan response to sarcasm?" I can work with that.

I just received this:


BP says "top kill" has failed to stop flow of oil from well and it is "time to move on" to another approach.

Here it goes again...

I just received this:



Here it goes again...

Yes we have heard the bad news. What this demonstrates is we have stepped over the threshold of our technology into the abyss. Let us hope we can find a way of harvesting the oil and cutting off the flow. Perhaps the reason the problem exists is we don't understand the pressures at that depth. There must be a reason why the rig failed and it may be the same reason the leak isn't stopped

The drilling of relief wells is the ultimate answer to this .But that takes time. These other attempts are at best stop-gap measures.

The drilling of relief wells is the ultimate answer to this .But that takes time. These other attempts are at best stop-gap measures.

Yes, Tom, that may be, however there is nothing to say these wells won't suffer similar problems handling the pressure

Remember this is corporate America here.

BP may declare bankrupsy and take vacations just like the banking industry. Then what?

Remember this is corporate America here.

BP may declare bankrupsy and take vacations just like the banking industry. Then what?

Well then you know who will be left with both the bill and the cleanup, so much for taking ultimate responsibility

Yes, Tom, that may be, however there is nothing to say these wells won't suffer similar problems handling the pressure


But we know it can be done because it has been done .In fact this BP exploration isn't the deepest in the Gulf let alone the world .It's not even the deepest one BP has drilled in the Gulf .

The Tiber well is about 250 miles southeast of Houston in U.S. waters. At 35,055 feet, it is as deep as Mount Everest is tall, not including more than 4,000 feet of water above it.

Read more: BP drills deepest oil well in the world (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/09/03/20090903biz-gulfoil0903.html#ixzz0pSdQSGig)

This was an accident that occurred during the drilling. There have been no problems associated with wells completed .

I thought they were cementing it for "future use"?

This was an accident that occured during the drilling. There have been no problems associated with wells completed .

And so you think that because something has been successful it should work without a problem all the time. I expect this is the theory inside BP too which may be why they haven't been successful in plugging the leak. I expect that the conditions of each well are unique.

I wonder why the Hay option hasn't been used in the cleanup?

The depth of the drilling is only a concern because of the engineering challenge it presents to fix the leak . Human nature being what it is ;we will continue to move beyond the edge of our technical knowhow ,and yes accidents have always and will happen when we probe.

Although I agree that prudent caution and all known safeguards should obviously be employed ;
It appears to me that risk adversion due to accidents like 3 Mile Island sets back human technological development.
We should by now have a larger share of our energy generated by clean nuclear power.

I think that when all is said and done it will be demonstrated that intentional decisions by BP regarding things like worker safety,complaceny (overlooking simple things like making sure the battery was sufficiently charged in the blowout preventer), and shortcuts to save money (despite knowing the inherrent risks ),were the real cause of the accident .
Combine that with a basic flaw in the regulatory design (the Minerals Management Service had the duel role of ensuring oil drilling safety and royalties from oil and gas companies... a clear conflict of interests )

I will remind you that a blowout spill off Santa Barbara 41 years ago still haunts the US . That began the movement to ban off shore drilling in shallow waters ;which in turn compelled the oil companies to look for reserves in deeper water.

A spill by the Exxon Valdez ( the captain was drunk and AWOL)created a nationwide ban that went on until oil prices started to change the risk equation .
Some of us for years have been promoting drilling on land in remote areas where there are vast reserves.. in places like ANWR Alaska. I imagine a blowout there would be much easier to deal with than one in the deep waters of the Gulf ;with much less of an environmental and economic impact .

When the shuttle Challenger exploded an investigation revealed a flaw in the design of a simple O ring. But investigations also revealed a complacent group-think at NASA ,its contractors, and leadership bred by success. We did not end manned space missions because of the accident .We corrected the problems and moved on . That is what should happen here .

What should the President do ? While he enjoys his holiday barbecue in Chi-town ;instead of posturing on issues he knows nothing about ;he should call on someone with experience to head up a task force to oversee the Federal response to this crisis.Ideally that person would have the time to devote 24/7 in dealing with it. Someone who has run a task force previously and has had a great degree of success dealing with the oil companies . Someone who has compelled them to get on board with the program despite tremendous political opposition ,even from that person's political party. Someone who could field dress them if necessary.

Yes ,President Obama should reach across the political divide and appoint Sarah Palin to head his executive task force to deal with the BP Deepwater spill.

Yes ,President Obama should reach across the political divide and appoint Sarah Palin to head his executive task force to deal with the BP Deepwater spill.Hello tom:

For a minute there I thought you were going to say Cheney. As wrong as that would have been, Palin is even wronger. She's an idiot of the first magnitude. You guys say a lot of things that shock me. This tops it.

excon

I will remind you that a blowout spill off Santa Barbara 41 years ago still haunts the US . That began the movement to ban off shore drilling in shallow waters ;which in turn compelled the oil companies to look for reserves in deeper water. .

Yes and we could well expect that this blowout will ban offshore drilling in deep water for the same reasons, when the risks are realised people are found to be very risk averse

.
Yes ,President Obama should reach across the political divide and appoint Sarah Palin to head his executive task force to deal with the BP Deepwater spill.

What is it you think another air head career politician can contribute to the solution?The best will in the world and all the rhetoric will not make any difference, BO is not God and nor is Sarah Palin. The solution is apparently, according to the present logic, to drill an intercept relief well and that is proceeding as planned. We are in the relm of action seeming to take place and being seen to take place and yes there has been much action and little of it has proved effective in doing anything. Time for radical solutions, which I hope don't include bankrupting BP or seizing their assets which might be counter productive

Obama Cancels Asia Trip, Heads to Gulf (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704764404575286312465908330.html?m od=WSJ_latestheadlines)

For the second time, that is. Personally I don't see why he would need to cancel, the spill hasn't stopped him from partying on...

MzllR24e-FY

If you're counting (http://hotair.com/archives/2010/06/04/video-how-obama-showed-his-singular-focus-on-the-gulf-spill/), that's:

* Two days of media events (White House Correspondents Dinner and a tête a tête with Bono)
* Three days of fundraising
* Four commemorations (graduations, Cinco de Mayo, etc)
* Six days of vacation
* Six days of campaigning
* Six sports events
* Seven days of golf

And that little soirée with Calderon while 15 million Americans are jobless and the Gulf is being ruined at Club 1600 (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/as-economic-worries-worsen-white-house-puts-on-the-glitz-94648609.html)?
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4625128105_dbb86e0673.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4625193652_fe83a07f47.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4625121771_d1b9c4ed5b.jpg

Heckuva job, Barry.

From the guy who brought you "plug the damn hole" as his solution to the spill, Obama is getting tough after all that partying.


“I was down there a month ago, before most of these talkin’ heads were even paying attention to the gulf. A month ago I was meeting with fishermen down there, standin’ in the rain talking about what a potential crisis this could be. And I don’t sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar, we talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose a$$ to kick.”

Has he been taking lessons in being presidential from Biden?

Hello again, Steve:

I know you don't like him... but for saying a$$?? Dude!

excon

Hello again, Steve:

I know you don't like him... but for saying a$$???? Dude!

Dude, if he wants to look like an a$$ that's his choice.

A month ago I was meeting with fishermen down there, standin’ in the rain talking about what a potential crisis this could be. And I don’t sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar, we talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose a$$ to kick.”

Too bad he didn't think it worth his while to talk to BP chief Tony Hayward.

I don't get it . It has been his mo to haul into the WH every executive from every industry he plans on enforcing his will over. Why not the BP exec who has taken a lead role in the crisis ? Perhaps the delays and confusion has been a lack of direction i.e. leadership ?

I don't get it . It has been his mo to haul into the WH every executive from every industry he plans on enforcing his will over. Why not the BP exec who has taken a lead role in the crisis ? Perhaps the delays and confusion has been a lack of direction ie leadership ?

That's just it tom, he's either disconnected or misdirecting, I suspect both. He's known all along that this could go on for months (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-04/obama-briefed-in-april-by-carol-browner-on-how-bad-bp-spill-was-/), and if he doesn't know to talk to Hayward he's an idiot as Adm Allen has said he's the guy he trusts and gets answers from as I've documented here elsewhere. Not to mention his administration already boasting of keeping their boot on BP's neck... this is all for show, again.

Perhaps the delays and confusion has been a lack of direction ie leadership ?Hello tom:

Perhaps... Or it's been GOOD leadership, depending on how it eventually works out... His mistake, if there was one, was believing BP from the get go. But, who else SHOULD he have believed?

He DOES seem to be chasing events, instead of standing in front of them... Is that communication or leadership, or are they one in the same?

excon

I think leadership would've been thinking ahead. Once he knew that it would take time to cap the spill ;the next course was to see how he could contain it.

He is NOT dependent on BP for that . He has the resources of the entire US government including the Navy ;Coast Guard ,the Engineers . The best illustration of this is the lack of a timely response for Governor Jindal's urgent requests .

There has also been a lack of imagination as was illustrated in the straw demonstration on Rick's OP ,and the use of skimmers which the Saudi's have effectively used in Persian Gulf spills .

He says he consults experts .Fine ;I take him at his word. He also consulted his experts before making decisions about Afghanistan . Then he waffled for months. It is becoming a pattern.

I think leadership would've been thinking ahead. Once he knew that it would take time to cap the spill ;the next course was to see how he could contain it.

He is NOT dependent on BP for that . He has the resources of the entire US government including the Navy ;Coast Guard ,the Engineers .
Why does HE have to contain the oil spill? He's big government. Keep him out of it. Industry knows what it is doing. The military doesn't deal with oil drilling.

Hello again:

One COULD say that the government SHOULD have had the emergency equipment necessary to clean it up, or contain it, or even stop it from happening in the first place...

One could even look for somebody to blame for NOT having that stuff, too, if one wanted to. But, it don't make no never mind. Government IS going to have it in the future.

Is that what you want, tom - bigger government?

excon

Why does HE have to contain the oil spill? He's big government. Keep him out of it. Industry knows what it is doing. The military doesn't deal with oil drilling.

He said he was in charge, you want to excuse him now?

He said he was in charge, you want to excuse him now?
You don't want him to be in charge. You want private industry to be in charge. So far that is the case, despite what he says. There is nothing he can do to contain the oil spill. He can mobilize cleanup, but that's all. Only BP can fix what they broke.

You don't want him to be in charge. You want private industry to be in charge. So far that is the case, despite what he says. There is nothing he can do to contain the oil spill. He can mobilize cleanup, but that's all. Only BP can fix what they broke.

I never said I wanted Obama in charge - of anything. He claimed he was in charge, said he takes full responsibility, his administration said they had their boot on BP's neck and now he's talking about kicking someone's a$$. So we're supposed to give him a pass now?

I never said I wanted Obama in charge - of anything. He claimed he was in charge, said he takes full responsibility, his administration said they had their boot on BP's neck and now he's talking about kicking someone's a$$. So we're supposed to give him a pass now?
Well, he is not in charge of this no matter what he says. He can yell and scream all he wants; nothing will make a difference. He can't plug up the oil leak. Only BP can do that.

Is that what you want, tom - bigger government?

Why does HE have to contain the oil spill? He's big government. Keep him out of it. Industry knows what it is doing. The military doesn't deal with oil drilling

Excuse me ? You are really stretching to suggest I have ever argued there was not a role for the national government in crisis management .It is a clear distortion of the position I and other conservatives take .

In fact the only agency that has a central authority in territorial waters is the National Governmment . If that wasn't the case then why is it necessary for those nasty big businesses to pay leasing fees ;get licences and permits for any exploration ?

Therefore regardless of who has the equipment it is the job of the Federal Goverment's to ensure the job is done properly.


The military doesn't deal with oil drilling.
Yes but it is not without assets that could be utilized to assist and direct containment operations.

Well, he is not in charge of this no matter what he says. He can yell and scream all he wants; nothing will make a difference. He can't plug up the oil leak. Only BP can do that.

As tom pointed out, and you should have known, the federal government IS in charge no matter what. How's he doing?

In fact the only agency that has a central authority in territorial waters is the National Governmment . If that wasn't the case then why is it necessary for those nasty big businesses to pay leasing fees ;get licences and permits for any exploration ?
It doesn't seem to have made much difference this time. BP was able to bypass rules and regs. Industry wins out. Wonder how many more cases are out there like BP.

As tom pointed out, and you should have known, the federal government IS in charge no matter what. How's he doing?
He's at the bottom of the ladder. Who was in charge when regulations were put in place? And overseen?

Here is the law :

Section 311 of the federal Clean Water Act.

Section 311 now provides in part that: (A) If a discharge, or a substantial threat of a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility is of such a size or character as to be a substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the United States (including but not limited to fish, shellfish, wildlife, other natural resources, and the public and private beaches and shorelines of the United States), the President shall direct all Federal, State, and private actions to remove the discharge or to mitigate or prevent the threat of the discharge.

(B) In carrying out this paragraph, the President may, without regard to any other provision of law governing contracting procedures or employment of personnel by the Federal Government–

(i) remove or arrange for the removal of the discharge, or mitigate or prevent the substantial threat of the discharge; and

(ii) remove and, if necessary, destroy a vessel discharging, or threatening to discharge, by whatever means are available.

Here is the law :

Section 311 of the federal Clean Water Act.

Section 311 now provides in part that: (A) If a discharge, or a substantial threat of a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility is of such a size or character as to be a substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the United States (including but not limited to fish, shellfish, wildlife, other natural resources, and the public and private beaches and shorelines of the United States), the President shall direct all Federal, State, and private actions to remove the discharge or to mitigate or prevent the threat of the discharge.

(B) In carrying out this paragraph, the President may, without regard to any other provision of law governing contracting procedures or employment of personnel by the Federal Government–

(i) remove or arrange for the removal of the discharge, or mitigate or prevent the substantial threat of the discharge; and

(ii) remove and, if necessary, destroy a vessel discharging, or threatening to discharge, by whatever means are available. What would McCain/Palin have done?

prevent the threat of the discharge.
Why didn't it get prevented?

Why didn't it get prevented?
That's the point. Once he was told that it would take time to plug the blowout he should've taken the lead in containment (and the way I read the law he is required to).
Platitudes like 'plug the damn hole' 'kick a$$' etc .are a poor substitute for leadership .

That's the point.
I asked, why wasn't it prevented in the first place?

What would McCain/Palin have done?

Irrelevant, Obama is in charge.

Irrelevant, Obama is in charge.C'mon, expand your horizons a bit. What would a republican do in this case?

What would McCain/Palin have done?

Don't know about McCain . I already gave my opinion that Palin should be appointed by the President to assist in this .

Her greatest success in Alaska was not letting her state's energy policies be run by the oil industry .She actually did kick their a$$es .While she was governor she learned as much as any other executive in the nation the corporate infrastructure of the industry. She set up the “Petroleum Systems Integrity Office” (PSIO)specifically to monitor oil company compliance.
Before she was Governor she was Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, overseeing the state’s oil and gas fields for safety and ethics.

Don't know about McCain . I already gave my opinion that Palin should be appointed by the President to assist in this .

Her greatest success in Alaska was not letting her state's energy policies be run by the oil industry .She actually did kick their a$$es .While she was governor she learned as much as any other executive in the nation the corporate infrastructure of the industry. She set up the “Petroleum Systems Integrity Office” (PSIO)specifically to monitor oil company compliance.
Irrelevant since her state's policy would be worthless for this federal crisis.

Irrelevant ? Let's see... an executive with experience dealing with oil industry or a dolt community organizer...

dolt community organizer ...
Have you ever tried to organize a community? It's like herding cats.

You remind me of the principal who told me when he hired me to sub in kindergarten for a week -- "Just take them out onto the playground a lot. All they do anyway is play." (P.S. I worked harder in that classroom than I ever did with seventh graders.)

irrelevent ? let's see ...an executive with experience dealing with oil industry or a dolt community organizer ...The fact that you put Palin on such a pedestal says a lot. :D

C'mon, expand your horizons a bit. What would a republican do in this case?

My horizons are fine and I see no need to take any attention from who's in charge.

My horizons are fine and I see no need to take any attention from who's in charge.Ok, what solutions do you propose to fix the gushing oil?

Have you ever tried to organize a community?

Lead.. no .I have been involved in community projects both inside and outside government and have worked in various campaigns

He lists his accomplishments as trying to find jobs for laid off steel workers (unsuccessfully) . He tried to organize a network of community churches (he was advised by one of the pastors that he actually should attend church first and that is when he began attending Trinity United ). But his biggest victories followed. He expanded the summer job program and he was able to get some asbestos removed from an old housing project (Altgeld Gardens) . Yes something to add to a very thin resume.
By then he determined he was wasting his time being a community organizer .So he enrolled in law school.

Now do I think he is a capable organizer ? Of course . His campaign for the Presidency proved that . But I think he lives for the campaign and gets bored with the job. That is why he moved on so frequently during his rise. He never actually stayed around long enough to accomplish anything .

He never actually stayed around long enough to accomplish anything .
Says the man who is neither a lawyer nor a senator. LOL!

I stand by it too. He was only Senator long enough to have a cigarette break and to find the men's room.

There's a reason why no one takes you seriously here:

Barack Obama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama)

State Senator: 1997–2004
U.S. Senator: 2005–2008

What have you accomplished?

he lives for the campaign and gets bored with the job.
You're wrong. His problem is that he tries too hard to make everyone happy and still hasn't realized he will never be able to do that. He should have been a member of this site for at least three years before running for president.

You're wrong. His problem is that he tries too hard to make everyone happy and still hasn't realized he will never be able to do that. He should have been a member of this site for at least three years before running for president.

Ah! That's be really good! :D

There's a reason why no one takes you seriously here:

Barack Obama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama)

Let's narrow that down to the one you can answer for, YOU don't take him seriously.


What have you accomplished?

I don't know about tom, but I can build a shopping mall with a pocket knife and a Q-tip. Obama's main accomplishment is campaigning, he never stopped. By now he should have stopped the rise of the oceans and healed the planet.

I can build a shopping mall with a pocket knife and a Q-tip.
How do you know you can? Have you tried? Post photos.

Obama's main accomplishment is campaigning, he never stopped. By now he should have stopped the rise of the oceans and healed the planet.
No, that's Gore's job. And ours. Obama has other items on his agenda.

How do you know you can? Have you tried? Post photos.

Sigh, should have engaged the sarcasm font.


No, that's Gore's job. And ours. Obama has other items on his agenda.

Uh, no. His ascension to power was "the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal." He said so himself. All that oil belies the claim though don't you think?

He said so himself.
Please cite your source.

Sigh, should have engaged the sarcasm font.
In other words... you have... nothing.

In other words....you have....nothing.

Wondergirl, when I'm not obviously being sarcastic (or stealing from movie lines) I'm always prepared to back it up. You shouldn't get ahead of things here...

Obama's Nomination Victory Speech In St. Paul (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/03/obamas-nomination-victory_n_105028.html)

Last paragraph. And for your viewing pleasure.

kbbIQFcEhcQ

Wondergirl, when I'm not obviously being sarcastic (or stealing from movie lines) I'm always prepared to back it up. You shouldn't get ahead of things here...
I meant the pocket knife and Q-tips.

I don't know about tom, but I can build a shopping mall with a pocket knife and a Q-tip. You think that compares to graduation from Yale, being a lawyer and a senator? Really? That's why you guys whine on anonymous discussion boards all day, it's all you can accomplish.

Looks like you have found the perfect scapegoat, a politician who doesn't know when not to take responsibility in a crisis

I meant the pocket knife and Q-tips.

I answered that here (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/current-events/gulf-coast-oil-spill-473144-11.html#post2384934).

You think that compares to graduation from Yale, being a lawyer and a senator? really? That's why you guys whine on anonymous discussion boards all day, it's all you can accomplish.

Have you ever tried to build a shopping mall with a pocket knife and a Q-tip? Do you have a sense of humor? And how exactly does the fact that we're not Obama disqualify us from stating our opinion? He's a narcissistic community organizer that apologizes for his country when he's not dithering about how to exploit a crisis instead of solving one (or voting present).

Chris Matthews is nattering on and on now about how Obama should talk with BP's CEO (the one who's always smiling), not to the "little people." If I wanted to know something about a public library, I would not talk with the director; I would go straight to the employees. The director sits in an ivory tower; the employees deal with books and patrons day to day, minute to minute.

(or voting present).
"Voting present" is peculiar to a few states, including Illinois. It means, "Not good enough to vote yes on. Go back and fix it, or you will get a no for the final vote."

He's a narcissistic community organizer
Actually, no, he's not narcissistic. If I diagnosed him, I wouldn't label him with that.

There's a reason why no one takes you seriously here:



That's why you guys whine on anonymous discussion boards all day, it's all you can accomplish.

And you come here periodically to ankle bite and hurl insults from the cheap seats without contributing substantially to the discussion . The board does very well without you .

and you come here periodically to ankle bite and hurl insults from the cheap seats without contributing substantially to the discussion . The board does very well without you .

I knew I called him NK for some reason, aNKlebiter.

hurl insults

I knew I called him NK for some reason, aNKlebiter.
Wow! You're a fast learner, quick study!

Wow!! You're a fast learner, quick study!

Indeed I am. On the other hand, have you figured out my pocket knife and Q-tip reference yet?

Indeed I am. On the other hand, have you figured out my pocket knife and Q-tip reference yet?
Are you sayin' I'm stoopid?

You think that compares to graduation from Yale, being a lawyer and a senator? really? That's why you guys whine on anonymous discussion boards all day, it's all you can accomplish.

NK, George W. Bush was the latest Yaley in the White House. Barry went to Columbia.

Barry went to Columbia.
Yale students = Elis (after Yale benefactor Elihu Yale)

I'd rather be a Columbia grad. Elis are generally rich kids and snobs.

and you come here periodically to ankle bite and hurl insults from the cheap seats without contributing substantially to the discussion . The board does very well without you .
Are you saying that someone shouldn't keep your constant spreading of FUD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt) in check? I hope not. You should not get carte blanche to continue whining about everyone who does share the same particular political affiliation as you.

And how exactly does the fact that we're not Obama disqualify us from stating our opinion? He's a narcissistic community organizer that apologizes for his country when he's not dithering about how to exploit a crisis instead of solving one (or voting present).Ok, how do you propose the situation be handled?

I would not talk with the director; I would go straight to the employees.

But Nobama doesn't do that either. Has he been to the shore? Has he visited the restaurateurs who this affects? Has he talked to the tourists who have lost money on their vacations because they booked them prior to the oil spill?

He's afraid to get his pretty manicured nails dirty.

Not like Bush. Bush was in the trenches of New Orleans after Katrina. Would Obama do that? Did Nobama actually visit Nashville during the floods?

Has he been to the shore?
Yes.

Has he visited the restaurateurs who this affects?
Yes, and the fishermen.

Has he talked to the tourists who have lost money on their vacations because they booked them prior to the oil spill?
Yes (but not all of them).

Nashville"Obama had no plans to go there, but the president had spoken multiple times with Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) about the situation."

Not like Bush. Bush was in the trenches of New Orleans after Katrina.
Yep, Bush is well known for his handling of Katrina:
The Washington Monthly (http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_09/007060.php)

BTW using "nobama" makes you sound like a child.

Has Nobama been "in your face" like Bush was with 9/11 or Katrina? No, he hasn't, he's afraid to get his clothes dirty.

So you want your president to be a down-home farm type in overalls?

BTW using "nobama" makes you sound like a child.


Okay, the Hussein then. I don't like the man, never have, never will. His approval rating is declining rapidly.

Obama Weekly Approval Average Dips to New Low of 46% (http://www.gallup.com/poll/139337/obama-weekly-approval-average-dips-new-low.aspx)

Hatred is a nasty thing - you should let it go lest it cloud your judgement.

So you want your president to be a down-home farm type in overalls?

Yup, I do. I want a man who can relate to the common family. My family lived a very comfortable lifestyle prior to my getting an education. Since the election, and my induction from blue collar to professionalism, my family has been suffering terribly.

I could go on, but I have privacy issues to deal with. At least I have chicken patties in the freezer to feed the kids tonight.

NK, you don't have to worry about that. You don't live here.

Hatred is a nasty thing - you should let it go lest it cloud your judgement.

I don't HATE anyone. It's not in my vocabulary. Now, dislike is.

At least Obama's Gallup rating isn't quite as far down as Bush's lowest at 29 yet.

Give him time, but the trend is obvious

Yup, I do. I want a man who can relate to the common family.
Obama's early years were spent with a white mom and black dad who divorced. His mom remarried (so he had to learn how to live with a stepdad). He was half-raised by a grandmother. He moved around and had no stable home except with his grandmother in Hawaii.

If anyone had an elitist upbringing, it was G. W. Bush.

Give him time, but the trend is obvious
Happily, he is a good learner.

Hatred is a nasty thing - you should let it go lest it cloud your judgement.

Considering NK's stated opinions of Sarah Palin, this should be noted as the voice of experience.

Are you saying that someone shouldn't keep your constant spreading of FUD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt) in check? I hope not. You should not get carte blanche to continue whining about everyone who does share the same particular political affiliation as you.

I welcome challenges to my opionions and facts. That happens all the time here without the personal insults.

Ok, how do you propose the situation be handled?

Vote for someone else.

BTW using "nobama" makes you sound like a child.

Which brings us back to my earlier point - POTUS sounds juvenile by trying to find someone's a$$ to kick instead of being a leader.

POTUS sounds juvenile by trying to find someone's a$$ to kick instead of being a leader.But he didn't say that did he? He was asked before his response, on whether it was time to "kick some butt". His words were a tongue-in-cheek response, using Matt Lauer's words back at him. Watch the whole thing. He's not trying to be badass. He's just paraphrasing the reporter's words.

Scarborough: People will "hyperventilat[e]" over Obama's " to kick" comment because they're "idiots" | Media Matters for America (http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201006080006)

If he's civil, you people that he's not getting pissed off, so he gets pissed off, and you complain that he's not civil.

But he didn't say that did he? He was asked before his response, on whether it was time to "kick some butt". His words were a tongue-in-cheek response, using Matt Lauer's words back at him. Watch the whole thing. He's not trying to be badass. He's just paraphrasing the reporter's words.

The president of the United States, allows himself to be goaded into a schoolyard taunt and you think that's leadership, you think that's presidential. You think him talking to people so he knows "whose a$$ to kick" instead of so he'll know how to solve the problem is leadership.


We talk to these folks because they potentially had the best answers so I know whose a$$ to kick. Right?

Wrong! He didn't run on a platform of assigning blame, he was not elected to assign blame, that is not "change you can believe in."


If he's civil, you people that he's not getting pissed off, so he gets pissed off, and you complain that he's not civil.

As if you gave Bush any slack?

a schoolyard taunt My you're a delicate little creature aren't you. :) It's amazing what offends you. You politically correct types must get offended hundreds of times a day.

My you're a delicate little creature aren't you. :) It's amazing what offends you. You politically correct types must get offended hundreds of times a day.

Obviously, taunting and goading are tactics you find relevant.

Obviously, taunting and goading are tactics you find relevant.As do you since that is you're raison d'être here.

I would think that a prequesite to kicking a$$ would be to actually meet the person who's a$$ you are going to kick.

Doesn't have to be a physical thing does it?

LAUER: Have you spoken directly to Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP?

OBAMA: I have not spoken to him directly and, and here's the reason. Because my experience is when you talk to a guy like BP's CEO, he's going to say all the right things to me. I'm not interested in words. I'm interested in actions. And, and, and, and we are communicating to him every single day exactly what we expect of him and what we expect of that administration.

Let's see, how many CEO's have they dragged into Washington to cross examine?

I realize that he meant a rhetorical beat down ;or more likely sick the dogs of the justice dept on BP after he isn't dependent on them anymore.

Still as I already mentioned ; he is not shy about summoning into his office other captains of industry when he wants to impose his will on them. But when it makes sense during "the worse environmental crisis in the country's history " he fails to consult with the person from BP primarily responsible for action.

Don't you think that's strange ? I think a closer examination of the relationship between the Obama machine and BP is warrented .

Don't you think that's strange ? I think a closer examination of the relationship between the Obama machine and BP is warrented .

Matt Laeur to his credit has been tougher on Obama lately, his response was "In all due respect, that feels strange to me."

It should feel strange considering how quickly executives of Toyota and other corporations in their cross hairs have been summoned for an "a$$-kicking."

Don't you think that's strange ? I think a closer examination of the relationship between the Obama machine and BP is warrented .Hello again, tom:

Yeah, he was a big supporter of "drill, baby drill". You're in good company, though. Sarah Palin thinks he's in bed with the oil industry too...

Bwa, ha ha ha ha.

excon

You see Palin as a discredited politician . I don't . (Check out how many primary winners were endorsed by Palin yesterday. )

Obama biggest recipient of BP cash - Erika Lovley - POLITICO.com (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36783.html)

Of course Palin also received oil company donations in her time ;but she has a track record of imposing her will on them for the benefit of her constituency.

You see Palin as a discredited politician . I don't Hello again, tom:

I don't either, although I think quitting on her constituents to make money is kind of shabby. I believe you. I think she DID do some good stuff while governor. That isn't why I disdain her. I do that, because she's an idiot. Even idiots get stuff done once in a while.

She didn't know anything about the world when she first came upon the national scene. That's OK. She's had TIME to brush up on stuff, but she hasn't. Book learning is probably TOO elite for her. She knows as little about the world as she did back then. She's even dufuser than the original dufus.

excon

I won't try to change your opinion about her intellect and neither of us know if she has done any international study . I don't see her as running in a national campaign any time soon so I think that issue can be shelved for now.

But you are giving her a bad rap about the circumstances that sort of forced her to resign . The fact is the ethics reforms she championed ,and pushed through the Alaska legislature were used against her by the unscrupulous . The unproven ;the false ,the libelous charges were forcing her to waste time and money on her defense ;and as a result affecting her ability to be an effective executive. She did the people of Alaska a favor by resigning so some normalcy could return to the state government . She also needed to raise money and she has of course also been very effective at that.

But you are giving her a bad rap about the circumstances that sorta forced her to resign . Hello again, tom:

Nope. I'm not buying it. ALL politicians are accused of wrong doing. NONE of them quit until they are actually FORCED (ala Blago), and she wasn't. Not even close.

Look. I'm a capitalist. I think it's FINE to make money. It's even FINE to quit a job to make more money. But, then don't run around the world making value judgments on everybody else. Value judgments and sound bites are ALL she's got.

excon

Jon Stewart makes the point that Captain Kicka$$ has to kick his own first...

Obama launches A$$quest 2010 (http://www.therightscoop.com/jon-stewart-skewers-obama-on-his-response-to-the-gulf)

Ex here is more "sound bites " for your enjoyment
Sarah Palin: Less Talkin?, More Kickin? | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=397148258434)

Ex here is more "sound bites " for your enjoyment
Sarah Palin: Less Talkin?, More Kickin? | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=397148258434)Just a question: do you think she writes those "notes"?

Do you have any information to the contrary ?

I got a question for you . Do you think Obama authored his books ?

There's Just No Way Sarah Palin's Writing Her Facebook Notes (http://gawker.com/5336475/theres-just-no-way-sarah-palins-writing-her-facebook-notes)

Who Is Writing Sarah Palin's Facebook Notes? | Mediaite (http://www.mediaite.com/online/who-is-writing-sarah-palins-facebook-notes/)

Palin's Q&A + fun: PROOF! Sarah Palin Doesn't Write OR Read Her Facebook Posts - UPDATED (http://palinquestions.blogspot.com/2010/01/proof-sarah-palin-doesnt-write-or-read.html)

Lol and you pan my links !

I mean, there are so many offensive commercials out there and, um. There's commercials out there that belittle women and demean them and make them feel like sex objects and I haven't heard a whole lot of protest from N.O.W. on that. H/T Bree Palin and a Guest commenter.

Here is the collaborative link for the last posting . http://breepalin.blogspot.com/2010/01/mrs-palins-guide-to-now_30.html

Here is the collaborative link for the last posting . http://breepalin.blogspot.com/2010/01/mrs-palins-guide-to-now_30.htmlDead link and non-existent blog.

Do you think Obama authored his books ?
Yes! Do you think I authored the four that I wrote?

The newest line of attack on Palin, even her boobs are fake (http://wonkette.com/415838/did-sarah-palin-buy-herself-a-couple-of-luxury-items.).

All I can say is besides helping launch a number of women to primary victories, she looks great in a t-shirt.

All I can say is besides helping launch a number of women to primary victories, she looks great in a t-shirt.She's a MILF all right.

Hello again,

In terms of writing, anyone can put any name to it. I make my judgments on the triviality coming out of her mouth.

excon

Yes! Do you think I authored the four that I wrote?

If you say you authored 4 books I have no reason to suspect otherwise. The only time I ever heard a politician say they didn't actually author something they put their name to is when Ron Paul denied he wrote racist rants on his newsletter .
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_skeeter__080113_racist_rantings_in_o.htmte

In truth there is no reason to suspect either that Palin isn't penning her own FACEBOOK comments or that 'Dreams of my Father 'was actually penned by William Ayers. But both smears are on the web.
Book confirms: Ayers wrote Obama's book (http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=110781)

Ayers isn't even a blip on Obama's screen.

I've never read Palin's FB stuff. Maybe I should make her my friend.

The rumor of Ayers penning 'Dreams' is as credible as NK linking to an obscure blogger who claims Palin doesn't write her own FB comments .She is active on both FB and Twitter .
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=397148258434

I hear Kevin Costner wants to get in the act, do you have any more actors with a solution or should we just rely on BO

Still waitng for what Hugh Jackman ,Eric Bana ,and Nichole Kidman have to contribute.

still waitng for what Hugh Jackman ,Eric Bana ,and Nichole Kidman have to contribute.

Tell you what; Pluckaduck and Ozzie Ostrich are at a loose end these days but our superheroes aren't for rent. Ask Russell, he might throw a phone at it and Krudd will soon be looking for a new job, you could do worse than hire him, they tell me he works 26 hours a day.

Meanwhile, the US and BP rejected some serious help.

U.S. and BP slow to accept Dutch expertise (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/steffy/7043272.html)

K Rudd and Zero.. perfect together... although I hear tell that if KRudd used terms like "kick a$$ " it would be the mildest most polite thing he says that day.
Kevin Rudd under pressure after losing temper on television - Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article7124920.ece)

Meanwhile, the US and BP rejected some serious help.

U.S. and BP slow to accept Dutch expertise (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/steffy/7043272.html)

God forbid we should accept help from one of our allies !

Meanwhile, the US and BP rejected some serious help.

U.S. and BP slow to accept Dutch expertise (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/steffy/7043272.html)

Looks like this is one case where the US has protected itsself into a black hole

What will we do about it? At this point in time, nothing — no stopping of the oil flow, no amount of attempted cleaning up, no amount of apologizing, paying for the damage, or promises to behave better in the future — will fix the problem that has been created by greedy men who apparently have so little regard for the lives of others that they are willing to kill everything on Earth for a few shekels, for a few bars of gold.

The current oil disaster will spread around the world in a mere two to three years, first killing all life in all the oceans, then all the birds who fly through the air, and lastly, all the humans on this planet.

There will be no recovery from this disaster. You won’t be able to hide anywhere. There is nowhere you will be able to survive. The Earth is now a poisoned planet, wrecked by the hands of greedy men, destroying all life. At best, if you live far away from where the oil is now doing its deadly work, you may have a decade or two remaining. But what is CERTAIN is that once the oil has circulated around the world, at some point the air will turn sour, become unbreathable, and every lifeform on the surface of this planet will perish.

This is not macabre fiction or pathological prophecy. It is certain, according to existing science. It’s obvious. When the fish and birds are gone, so are we.

This is not macabre fiction or pathological prophecy. It is certain, according to existing science. It’s obvious. When the fish and birds are gone, so are we.

So apocalypse now! Let's face it that well can only be so big. We don't know how big it is but how much oil can it contain? Enough to create a toxic lake in the Gulf of Mexico? I suspect that might be possible, but enough to create a toxic lake of all the oceans of the world? Let's not get carried away, even God has told us a third of the fish will die, not all of them.

Oil in the seas is not a new phenomenon . Satellite imaging showed this week that another rig has been leaking in the gulf since 2004 . If the impact was as dire as you make it out to be ,it would've been detected .

Taylor Gulf Wells Leaking 6 Years After Hurricane (Update1) - BusinessWeek (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-09/taylor-gulf-wells-leaking-6-years-after-hurricane-update1-.html)

The earth is good at healing itself . Oil in the ocean disperses and is food for microbial life as studies of the natual seepage off Santa Clara reveals .
Natural Oil 'Spills': Surprising Amount Seeps into the Sea | LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/environment/090520-natural-oil-seeps.html)
Here is an account in Scientific American about gulf oil.

Natural Oil Spills; November 1998; Scientific American Magazine; by MacDonald; 6 Page(s)

Beneath the Gulf of Mexico, to the south of Texas and Louisiana, tiny bubbles of oil and natural gas trickle upward through faulted marine sediments. Close to the seafloor, these hydrocarbons ooze past a final layer teeming with exotic deep-sea life before they seep into the ocean above. Buoyant, they rise through the water in tight, curving plumes, eventually reaching the surface. There the gas merges with the atmosphere, and the oil drifts downwind, evaporating, mixing with water and finally dispersing.

The best time to witness such a natural "oil spill" is in summer, when the Gulf stays flat calm for days at a time. In the middle of the afternoon, with the full heat of the tropical sun blazing off the sea, one can stand on the deck of a ship and watch broad ribbons of oil stretch toward the horizon. Cruising upwind along one of these slicks, one will notice that the sea takes on an unusual smoothness. The clarity of the water seems to increase, and the glare of the sun off the surface intensifies. Flying fish break from the bow waves and plunge into the water again almost without making a splash. Presently, the scent of fresh petroleum becomes evident--an odor that is quite distinct from the diesel fumes wafting from the ship--and one sees waxy patches floating on the water or clinging to the hull.


The Deepwater blowout will eventually be capped ;the local environment cleaned up . My greater concern is the human impact at the local level . What will make their lives more difficult would be if they lost the petroleum industry also .

We're all doomed, doomed I tell you! BP has killed us all for filthy lucre!

Enough to create a toxic lake in the Gulf of Mexico? I suspect that might be possible, but enough to create a toxic lake of all the oceans of the world? let's not get carried away,

Let us not forget that the hurricane season is on the horizon.

This is not macabre fiction or pathological prophecy. It is certain, according to existing science. It's obvious. When the fish and birds are gone, so are we.Hello again,

Magprob and I have NEVER agreed on anything - but we agree on this.

excon

The current oil disaster will spread around the world in a mere two to three years, first killing all life in all the oceans, then all the birds who fly through the air, and lastly, all the humans on this planet.



So we should each go out to the garage, close the doors, start the car and use up the harvested petroleum by going to sleep? Have fun with that.

So we should each go out to the garage, close the doors, start the car and use up the harvested petroleum by going to sleep? Just wondering, how did you arrive at that conclusion from the text you quoted?

Just wondering, how did you arrive at that conclusion from the text you quoted?

The general tone of the entire post was suicidal. I quoted the relevant doomsaying.

The bottom line is that it doesn't matter who is in office. People are going to complain and find fault.

Oh yes, and all the worlds problems aren't going to change either, regardless of who is in office. I really don't think any American president has really ever changed the world, so what's the point of arguing about the Presidency?

The general tone of the entire post was suicidal. I quoted the relevant doomsaying.Ah I see. I don't see a suicidal tone at all, I guess that's why I was confused.

He actually did say that I have to say...

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment - this was the time - when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Obama's Nomination Victory Speech In St. Paul June 3, 2008.



NOTE: my posting this in no way affiliates me with Obama or is an indication that I agree or disagree with either Obama OR any poster in this thread.

... At this point in time, nothing — no stopping of the oil flow, no amount of attempted cleaning up, no amount of apologizing, paying for the damage, or promises to behave better in the future — will fix the problem...

they are willing to kill everything on Earth for a few shekels, for a few bars of gold.

The current oil disaster will spread around the world in a mere two to three years, first killing all life in all the oceans, then all the birds who fly through the air, and lastly, all the humans on this planet.

There will be no recovery from this disaster.

You won’t be able to hide anywhere.

There is nowhere you will be able to survive.

The Earth is now a poisoned planet, wrecked by the hands of greedy men, destroying all life. At best, if you live far away from where the oil is now doing its deadly work, you may have a decade or two remaining. But what is CERTAIN is that once the oil has circulated around the world, at some point the air will turn sour, become unbreathable, and every lifeform on the surface of this planet will perish.

... When the fish and birds are gone, so are we.



You're right NK. This is all sweetness and light.

The bottom line is that it doesn't matter who is in office. People are going to complain and find fault.

Oh yes, and all the worlds problems aren't going to change either, regardless of who is in office. I really don't think any American president has really ever changed the world, so what's the point of arguing about the Presidency?

Actually I believe that 3 of them have so far.

Kennedy ( in standing down the russians during the cuban missile crisis.)

Nixon ( for opening China good or bad to the world)

Reagan ( for bringing down the old guard in Russia and ushering in a new order to things )

He actually did say that I have to say....

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility.

Yeah, but Captain Kicka$$ has all that complicated stuff under control...

yghFBt-fXmw

You're right NK. This is all sweetness and light.Do you the difference between suicide and dying at the hands of something/someone else?

Captain Kicka$$ Those autotune videos are awesome, you should see all their others.

I just wanted to say how awesome this whole "self regulatory" thing has worked out for me. Cheers!

You mean like the Federal Regulators who were supposed to be watching the ship, watching porn on the tax payer's dime instead ?

On day 68, some half a million or so barrels of oil have been skimmed. There's a ship on the way (http://www.dailypress.com/news/oil-spill/dp-nws-oil-skimmer-20100625,0,3072230.story) that's waiting to clear all the regulatory hurdles whose owner claims it can skim that many barrels a day.


The vessel's billionaire owner, Nobu Su, the CEO of Taiwanese shipping company TMT Group, said the ship would float across the Gulf "like a lawn mower cutting the grass," ingesting up to 500,000 barrels of oil-contaminated water a day.

But a number of hurdles stand in his way.

Really? If this ship can come close to doing in a day what's been done up to this point can't someone knock the %@$$ hurdles out of the way and get this ship out there?

That would be leadership .

The Clean Water Act gives the President all the power he needs to cut the red tape BS .In fact ;it obliges the President to act.

(2) Discharge posing substantial threat to public health or welfare
(A) If a discharge, or a substantial threat of a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility is of such a size or character as to be a substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the United States (including but not limited to fish, shellfish, wildlife, other natural resources, and the public and private beaches and shorelines of the United States), the President shall direct all Federal, State, and private actions to remove the discharge or to mitigate or prevent the threat of the discharge. (B) In carrying out this paragraph, the President may, without regard to any other provision of law governing contracting procedures or employment of personnel by the Federal Government— (i) remove or arrange for the removal of the discharge, or mitigate or prevent the substantial threat of the discharge; and
(ii) remove and, if necessary, destroy a vessel discharging, or threatening to discharge, by whatever means are available.

United States Code: Title 33,1321. Oil and hazardous substance liability | LII / Legal Information Institute (http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/33/usc_sec_33_00001321----000-.html)

The President won't suspend the 1920 Jones Act restricting foreign vessels operations in coastal waters because of the unions. But he could quickly.

The precedence was set by President GHW Bush during the Gulf War . He realized it would hamper our efforts to supply the troops in Saudi Arabia . President GW Bush also suspended the act to help during Katrina.

BTW ,the Jones act should be repealed anyway .It is antiquated and protectionist.

There's a ship on the way that's waiting to clear all the regulatory hurdles whose owner claims it can skim that many barrels a day.

What's the problem ? Not enough life jackets ?

That would be leadership .

The Clean Water Act gives the President all the power he needs to cut the red tape BS .In fact ;it obliges the President to act.

(2) Discharge posing substantial threat to public health or welfare
(A) If a discharge, or a substantial threat of a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility is of such a size or character as to be a substantial threat to the public health or welfare of the United States (including but not limited to fish, shellfish, wildlife, other natural resources, and the public and private beaches and shorelines of the United States), the President shall direct all Federal, State, and private actions to remove the discharge or to mitigate or prevent the threat of the discharge. (B) In carrying out this paragraph, the President may, without regard to any other provision of law governing contracting procedures or employment of personnel by the Federal Government— (i) remove or arrange for the removal of the discharge, or mitigate or prevent the substantial threat of the discharge; and
(ii) remove and, if necessary, destroy a vessel discharging, or threatening to discharge, by whatever means are available.

United States Code: Title 33,1321. Oil and hazardous substance liability | LII / Legal Information Institute (http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/33/usc_sec_33_00001321----000-.html)

The President won't suspend the 1920 Jones Act restricting foreign vessels operations in coastal waters because of the unions. But he could quickly.

The precedence was set by President GHW Bush during the Gulf War . He realized it would hamper our efforts to supply the troops in Saudi Arabia . President GW Bush also suspended the act to help during Katrina.

BTW ,the Jones act should be repealed anyway .It is antiquated and protectionist.

What's the problem ? Not enough life jackets ?

Hmmm, I wonder if he could be impeached for slacking?

Democratic Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi said the administration's response has been "incompetent." (http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2010/06/coast_congressman_fuming_over.html)


"I'm having a Katrina flashback," said the Bay St. Louis Democrat after an aerial survey of the Mississippi Sound and barrier islands Saturday morning. "I haven't seen this much incompetence since Michael Brown was running FEMA."
...

"Vessels of Opportunity do not identify themselves," said Taylor. "There is no way to communicate with them.

All those boats are running around like headless chickens. None of them are skimming for oil. It is criminal. Between the amount of money, the amount of wasted effort, there shouldn't be a drop of oil in the Mississippi Sound, but because of this incompetence, it is there."

Hasn't seen this much incompetence since "heckuva job Brownie?" That's cold...

Have you been following Bubba Clintoon lately ? He's been feisty since coming back from South Africa listening to the vuvuzela symphony.

He's endorsing Andrew Romanoff's candidacy for Senate in Colorado (you know... the other guy the Obots tried to bribe) .

Then yesterday he said that Obama should send the Navy in and set explosives in the well to cave it in.

This isn't a coincidence. Add to this the general lack of respect and recognition that the President has shown the office of the Sec State under Evita's leadership ;and that Evita had been General McChrystal's champion in the administration ; I just have to wonder how much time she has left before she is wearing bus tire tread marks .But with her attack Bill dog by her side;she won't go quietly .

I saw Clintoon talking about blowing the well up. I'd be feisty too if I'd been subjected to the vuvuzela symphony, I pray they don't make to to NFL stadiums. I can see her not going quietly but I have a hard time visualizing Obama throwing Hillary under the bus. But, stranger things have happened. He needs to swap her and Biden, she'd be much better in the executive office and Biden could run around he world calling people "smarta$$."

gdwUq_JLg18

Exit question: Would you want the same government handling the spill response to manage your health care?

Say what ever happened to the oil spill, old news now eh?

Nope ;it was the lead story in every radio news segment this morning .But it was same old ;same old... oil is still spilling out ;tar balls in Texas ;heavy seas suspending operations ,still haven't decided if they want to use the super tanker skimmer; BP is trying to pass off some of the expense to their partners on the rig, the oil could reach Miami .

It will be another month or so of this before relief wells are completed ;and if they fail... possibly years .


Here is some perspective for what it's worth . The 1979 Pemex/Ixtoc I blowout lasted ten months, releasing between 10-30 thousand barrels per day for a total of 3.3 million barrels into the Gulf of Mexico. It was bad but not an end of the world event. Actually I don't recall that getting much coverage at all.

At the conclusion of the 1990 Gulf War Saddam Hussein released between 5.7 and 11 million barrels of oil into the waters off Kuwait.Everyone remembers the land wells burning (fixed by Haliburton);but few recall that massive spill.

But the biggest man made spill on record occurred during WWII . German U Boats sunk over 450 oil tankers off the Atlantic coast spilling 29.4 million barrels . Everyone on the east coast went to the beach this weekend and no one came out coated with oil.

Yes this spill is bad for the local environment . But the good news is that there will be recovery.

Are all these oil spills the worse man made disasters in American history ? Not even close . That distinction goes to the 6 year dust bowl of the 1930's... caused primarily by poor agricultural practices and a drought .
Dust Bowl conditions fomented an exodus of the displaced from Texas, Oklahoma, and the surrounding Great Plains to adjacent regions. More than 500,000 Americans were left homeless. 356 houses had to be torn down after one storm alone. Many Americans migrated west looking for work. Some residents of the Plains, especially in Kansas and Oklahoma fell ill and died of dust pneumonia or malnutrition.

The Dust Bowl exodus was the largest migration in American history within a short period. By 1940, 2.5 million people had moved out of the Plains states; of those, 200,000 moved to California. With their land barren and homes seized in foreclosure, many farm families were forced to leave.

Dust Bowl - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl)

Hello again, clete:

There's a little news, but it's not about the oil spill. There's been a smattering of reports, recently, about BP security guards being ham handed with the press. Well, those reports aren't so smattering anymore.

Mother Jones' Mac McClelland, who has been covering the spill since the first day it happened, detailed how local police and federal officials work with BP to harass, impede, interrogate and even detain journalists who are covering the spill and the clean-up efforts. She documented one incident which was particularly chilling of an activist who, after being told by a local police officer to stop filming a BP facility because "BP didn't want him filming", was then pulled over after he left by that officer so he could be interrogated by a BP security official. McClelland also described how BP has virtually bought entire Police Departments which now do its bidding: "One parish has 57 extra shifts per week that they are devoted entirely to, BP security detail, and BP is paying the sheriff's office."

The very idea that government officials are acting as agents of BP (of all companies) in what clearly seem to be unconstitutional acts to intimidate and impede the media is infuriating. Obviously, the U.S. Government and BP share the same interest, preventing the public from knowing the magnitude of the spill and the inadequacy of the clean-up efforts, but this creepy police state behavior is intolerable.

excon

say what ever happened to the oil spill, old news now eh?

Hardly, even though the Obama administration would love for that to be true (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/06/access-hard-to-come-by-in-reporting-on-health-in-the-gulf.html).

I fully agree with Excon on this and another incident related to another BP disaster in Texas that they'd like to cover-up.

It involves a BP refinery in Texas that “spewed tens of thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into the skies” two weeks before the Deepwater explosion.
Photographer Briefly Detained by Police Near BP's Texas City Refinery - ProPublica (http://www.propublica.org/article/photographer-detained-briefly-by-bp-and-local-police)

The 1st amendment free press is fundamental to a free country and it is disturbing that local law enforcement ,and probably the Eric Holder Justice dept . Turns a blind eye to this.

It absolutely is, but you must remember that this president thinks information in the hands of the people is a distraction (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/09/obama-ipad-xbox-turn-info_n_569289.html). It's no wonder information on the spill is being restricted by not only BP, but by local law enforcement, the Coast Guard and government officials (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/us/10access.html).

Don't know if this has been posted yet didn't want to read the whole thread.

Have you guys heard about the nuclear option yet?

I really hope they don't go with that. I read that if things went wrong they could wipe out most/all life on earth by blowing up frozen natural gas under the earths surface.

Hi Carl

Yes that was brought up ,as well as former President Clinton suggesting using conventional munitions . I think there is a consensus here that it is a stupid idea.

Here is one of the many sites you can link to if you would like to contribute to the Gulf region relief.

Gulf Restoration Network - United for a Healthy Gulf (http://www.healthygulf.org/)


Coast to Coast - Nationwide Benefit Concerts for the Fishermen & Wildlife affected by the Gulf Coast Oil Spill (http://www.gulfcoastbenefit.com/)

Hi Carl

yes that was brought up ,as well as former President Clinton suggesting using conventional munitions . I think there is a concensus here that it is a stupid idea.

Well what do you expect from Bubba?

For your enjoyment, discussion, consternation or whatever, a brilliant takeoff of one of my favorite tunes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1wg1DNHbNU) from back in the day:

psJGHGeLSeE

I'm impressed, Time Magazine has it right twice this week. I covered the first in the Wikileaks thread, now they're agreeing with Rush Limbaugh (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2007202,00.html#ixzz0v5s8vVHQ)?


Well, Rush has a point. The Deepwater explosion was an awful tragedy for the 11 workers who died on the rig, and it's no leak; it's the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. It's also inflicting serious economic and psychological damage on coastal communities that depend on tourism, fishing and drilling. But so far — while it's important to acknowledge that the long-term potential danger is simply unknowable for an underwater event that took place just three months ago — it does not seem to be inflicting severe environmental damage. "The impacts have been much, much less than everyone feared," says geochemist Jacqueline Michel, a federal contractor who is coordinating shoreline assessments in Louisiana. (See pictures of the Gulf oil spill.)

Yes, the spill killed birds — but so far, less than 1% of the birds killed by the Exxon Valdez. Yes, we've heard horror stories about oiled dolphins — but, so far, wildlife response teams have collected only three visibly oiled carcasses of any mammals. Yes, the spill prompted harsh restrictions on fishing and shrimping, but so far, the region's fish and shrimp have tested clean, and the restrictions are gradually being lifted. And, yes, scientists have warned that the oil could accelerate the destruction of Louisiana's disintegrating coastal marshes — a real slow-motion ecological calamity — but, so far, shorelines assessment teams have only found about 350 acres of oiled marshes, when Louisiana was already losing about 15,000 acres of wetlands every year.

I also read this morning that the oil sheen on the surface of the gulf is virtually gone. Still waiting for the apocalypse from this spill?

I've seen this but I don't want to jump to conclusions on this yet because I have concerns about the dispersant that was pumped into the leak. Of all the responses, I think that was the riskiest. The chemical used makes the oil sink. It may have been better to let it float to the top and skim and burn.

It could very well be that natural microbes are eating the oil ,and the nature of the oil (light sweet crude ) is probably better on the wildlife than the Valdez spill which I believe was a heavier crude. Also water temperatures and the effect on viscosity may have played a role in the 2 spills .

I hope all the optimism is justified .

Hello again, Steve:

What that liberal dude just said.

excon

Conservation is a very conservative concept. I refuse to let the liberal greenscammers coopt it as their own.

Hello again, tom:

Yeah, Teddy Roosevelt and all that. But, had you guys CONTINUED in that tradition, it WOULDN'T have been picked up by the left.

Nonetheless, the environment doesn't care about the politics of those who save it. Welcome back.

excon

I never left . I am not someone who champions TR . If I had my way his face would be sand blasted off Mt Rushmore. But the championing of national parks was the right thing to do. You will find that many of the so called 'Robber barons' played a significant role in their formation also.

What that liberal dude just said.

Of course I'm cautiously optimistic, I posted it for perspective. The reports coming back now should somewhat alleviate your fears of our impending extinction (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/current-events/gulf-coast-oil-spill-473144-2.html#post2365180) due to this oilpocalypse.

In La., signs of regrowth seen in oiled marshes (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100811/ap_on_re_us/us_gulf_oil_spill_healing_marsh)

I'd like to relate some items about the disaster the appeared in an industry publication.

1. MMS granted BP a series of permits on 14-15 April that allowed BP to install a cheaper single walled pipe.
2. On April 20, BP's executives cam on board and celebrated the safety record of the rig. At the same time Halliburtan was aboard trying to cement the well.
3. Readings indicated that it wasn't holding, but a second test said it was. The test showed "a very large abnormality".
4. Although the pressure was still rising, technicians were withdrawing mud and replacing it with seawater. Mud effectively holds down the gas and oil.
5. As they were injecting seawater they observed a large jump in pressure from oil and gas rising in the well. The rig exploded.
6. When the techs received approval to operate the blowout preventer, they discovered it had no hydraulic power.

The article appeard to be suggesting that complacency, substandard engineering, weak project management and improper installation come back to bite you in the end.

Good news ?

Microbes are eating BP oil without using up oxygen - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100907/ap_on_sc/us_sci_gulf_spill_where_s_the_oil)

good news ?

Microbes are eating BP oil without using up oxygen - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100907/ap_on_sc/us_sci_gulf_spill_where_s_the_oil)

For microbes, I see the question of dispersants like the question about DDT, it takes a long time to see the effects as the toxins climb the food chain

Yes... long term it became clear that the complete ban of the use of DDT was a terrible mistake that cost millions of human lives.