The Coast Guard shuts down sixteen oil-vacuum barges commissioned by the state of Louisiana…:
“We are all in this together. The enemy is the oil,” said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer.
But the Coast Guard ordered the stoppage because of reasons that Jindal found frustrating. The Coast Guard needed to confirm that there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board, and then it had trouble contacting the people who built the barges.
Er, if the Coast Guard shares the same mission as Louisiana does, why couldn’t they have lent them the damn life jackets? I’m told they own a few.
In addition to the story, I want you to listen to two things in the following video:
1. Bobby Jindal – who is kicking as much butt as federal regulations will allow him to in this crisis, and who would seem to have redeemed himself from his flop of a speech last year, and I think it’s fair to say will be going back on the short list for GOP Presidential hopefuls shortly here. He’s doing a great job with this catastrophe in a way that his buck-passing predecessor did not with Katrina. Side note: Hearing a man of Indian descent talking in a fluent Louisiana accent is a kick for this language geek.
2. Do you hear that other sound? That wobbly sound in the background? That’s the sound of the wheels coming off Barack Obama’s presidency.
My oh my! Didja catch the organizational chart for this thing? How many trees are killed doing the paperwork to order more paper?
X: :^)
I would have assumed that a Harvard trained lawyer like Obama would clue in to the fact that his inaction is giving BP an affirmative defense against liability lawsuits, but apparently not. Of course, I’d also have guessed that Obama would have figured out that using the escrow fund he got established as a slush fund for pet programs ALSO would be legally dubious; but apparently not, either.
I’ve got a hunch why Obama’s not releasing his law school transcripts, as he’s making some very basic mistakes that I’d not expect of any lawyer, unless that lawyer thought his Attorney General would cover for him.
No, Mitch, that’s the sound of the tires bouncing off of the ditch you’re hearing. The wheels came off long ago.
Hope they got all their TPS reports properly stapled and filed.
I am mad as Hell. Obama should have waived the Jones Act SIX FRIGGING WEEKS AGO. But he’s got the unions so far up his skinny butt he can”t see the damage he’s done.
There have been oil-skiimers sitting anchored in foriegn harboe around the world, IDLE, because this incompetent asshole is busy “organizing” research groups and committees.
Guess what, White House? We know. Your days of hiding behind George Bush are OVER.
Actually there is no indication whatsoever that the escrow established by BP is going to be used for any kind of slush fund (or in this case, more of a ‘sludge’ fund). That is a notion that appears to be pulled out of someone’s rear end, with no substantiation.
What is evident from history is that without a fund like this, the legal challenges last for decades, in part a a legal stratagem to keep from paying people. Look at the history of the claims for the Exxon Valdez; many of the claimants died before being paid, years upon years after the actual spill.
Given this little tid bit of information from the opening of the oil spill investigation in Congress, the one chaired by Oberstar, it makes a lot of sense for Obama to do what he did. The Jones Act is the least of his worries. (You can see more of the Oberstar proceedings, which goes into the actions being taken to address this, on penigma.blogspot.com)
“On May 13, 2010 Transocean filed a complaint in Federal court in Houston to limit its liability to about $26.7 million under a little-known statute – the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851. The Department of Justice has since filed a motion opposing Transocean’s petition.”
“
You might also find this article by an economist and law professor of interest, that one of my blogging colleagues was kind ennough to bring to my attention this afternoon.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/buchanan/20100617.html
Dog Gone should have said:
“the escrow established by BP is”
…
“a notion that appears to be pulled out of someone’s rear end”
I see DogPile is back from researching where Pinal County is. Funny how ALL madlibs are worried about is money, money, money. Nothing about actually “plugging the damn hole”. Well, other then getting in the way of legitimate efforts.
Our friend Tim the Dyslexic Blogger is boots on the ground down in the gulf. If you want a good first-hand (if grammatically challenged) view of what the government that Doggie puts so much faith in has accomplished, read his comments.
http://www.anti-strib.com/component/content/article/39-blog/1258.html
Actually there is no indication whatsoever that the escrow established by BP is going to be used for any kind of slush fund
God, are you naive or just stupid?
God, are you naive or just stupid?
For a person who categorically and unequivocally and out of context states that Pinal County is in the center of the state — right in the area of Prescott, I vote for both.
You know, Dog Gone’s idea has a lot of appeal.
Rather than wait for an actual jury to reach an actual verdict that BP is actually liable for any specific amount to any specific person, why not just skip the whole legal process and go straight to the payoff?
Oh, and since we have President Defarge deciding who’s guilty and what the punishment should be, can we bring back tumbrills? It’d make excellent television.
Of course, we’d have to do away with the whole “rule of law” thingy, but that’s boring anyway, mostly a Dead White Men issue. Not at all edgy.
.
GWB suspended usual gov’t regulations to get the Katrina mess cleaned up, and also to get oil wells pumping ASAP to prevent economic collapse. ANd he didn’t toot his own horn over it.
MSM seems to want to use the spill to get Democrats elected, as they are saying that we need more regulation of bussiness, and Republicans are just tools of Big Oil. Not sure it that will work since Republicans have been powerless for some time.
Actually, contrary to Doggone’s comment, the White House has already announced plans to use the escrow account to fund programs. Yes, it is a slush fund, and..
….OK, when do we impeach?