Two months after the BP Deep Horizon oil disaster, the Obama administration is no closer to solving the problem than it was the day after.
And yet, Obama says, "We're going to do everything in our power."
Really? Everything?
Well, I suppose he's done everything if talk is everything.
To be fair, here's what Obama has done:
Talk.
"We're going to do everything in our power".
Make speeches. "We're going to do everything in our power".
Visit the coast four times.
"We're going to do everything in our power".
Call up 17,500 National Guard troops (he says).
Only 1600 of them are actually on the job so far. And, as Mark Levin points out, those 1600 can't work 24/7. So, there may be as many as 5-600 working the gulf coastline at any given time.
Here's a pop quiz for you:
How many miles long is the Gulf of Mexico's coastline?
But, "We're going to do everything in our power".
Here. Read this article.
Don't have the time or inclination to read the article? Well, here's an excerpt or two:
"According to Foreign Policy, thirteen entities that had offered the U.S. oil spill assistance within about two weeks of the Horizon rig explosion. They were the governments of Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.
The U.S. response - Thank you, but no thank you, we've got it."
What did Obama say? Oh, yes: "We're going to do everything in our power".
"Separately, a Dutch news site 'De Standaard' also reported Belgian and Dutch dredgers have technology in-house to fight the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but the Act Jones forbids them to work in the U.S."
What is the Jones Act? Simply put, the Jones act is a little piece of legislation enacted in 1920 which requires that "all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents." (source)
The Jones act can be waived in cases of national emergency. And, it has been in the past.
But, Obama hasn't waived the Jones Act.
But, Obama says, "We're going to do everything in our power".
This is more than Obama's Katrina.
This is Obama's Waterloo.
Cross posted at American Descent.
4 comments:
If it's true that Obama's administration has refused help that would have ameliorated this situation, he needs to be impeached. Forthwith.
What evidence do you have that the Jones has not been waived? Joe Barton's say so?
Governors actually are the ones who call up the guard, Obama authorizes their use but its up to Governors to put them to work. Last I checked they were Republicans.
Also what would you like him to do? Short of putting Rush Limbaugh in the tube nothing is going to stop it. We have no technology to do it, yet you drill baby drill fuckheads support this.
Anon, if EnvironMENTALists had left the oil industry alone and let them do their jobs the way they know best, they wouldn't have had to drill so far out in the gulf that the bottom is a mile below the surface, making it next to impossible to cap the leak.
But, no, because those whiny bleeding heart liberal sob sisters had to make such a fuss about drilling close to shore, where the bottom is easier to reach, the wimpy Federal government capitulated to their insane unrealistic demands and forced them to move way out there where any oil spill would be next to impossible to cap.
Don't blame this on the "Drill, baby, drill" patriots. Place the blame where it rightfully belongs, on you blame-America-first Liberal traitors.
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