Obama's Deepwater Response Another Disaster

The year and a half disaster known as the Obama administration has completely crystallized in their response, or should I say in the President's non-response, to the outrageous oil spill containment measures, and lack thereof, in the Gulf of Mexico.

On April 20th, an eon ago as far as appropriate disaster response by the government should be concerned, there was a fire and explosion on a British Petroleum (BP) licensed oil drilling rig known as the 'Deepwater Horizon' which was operating approximately 42 miles off the Louisiana coast at the time. Two days later the rig sank, and a 5-mile long oil slick became visible.

By April 25th, the US Coast Guard estimated that the rig was leaking approximately 1,000 barrels of crude oil per day into the waters of the Gulf. Within 3 more days that estimate had risen dramatically to 5,000 gallons per day. Still no effective response by President Obama or his administration. It would be another day, nearly a week after the initial incident, before he would announce "every single available resource" would help resolve the situation.

It would take until May 2nd before the President deemed the oil spill important enough to clear space from his busy schedule of private-industry takeovers, debt-and-tax raising program creation, and irresponsible financial entity bailouts to squeeze in a visit to the disaster area.

Over the next two weeks, the Obama administration would watch stoically and dispassionately as the oil spread towards Louisiana, reaching the Breton National Wildlife Refuge among other places. Despite leaving the incident in the hands of those who created it, Obama himself had the nerve to finally issue a statement on May 14th in which he chided the companies involved for creating a "ridiculous spectacle" of trading blame. Meanwhile, as Obama played Nero and fiddled, his Rome continued to burn as the oil slick continued to spread.

By May 19th the oil slick began to wash ashore at the Louisiana mainland and dangerously spread into heavy currents that could easily carry it on to Florida and beyond. Nine days after that, over a month after the initial incident, Obama finally made a 2nd visit to the area stating "I am the President, and the buck stops with me". But not apparently the oil slick, which continues on now with no end in sight as the month of May draws to a close. Some estimates are that at the current rates of oil spreading and poor effectiveness of response, it will not be contained until August.

During the administration of President George W. Bush, the liberal-controlled and Democratic Party-biased mainstream media and the Dems themselves all displayed self-righteous anger and indignation at the President and his team for what they deemed a particularly slow response in the exact same region of the country in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Waiting for a similar reaction to Obama's non-action in the Gulf, one can hear the crickets chirping.

There will be the usual hand-wringing from the lib circles here. Calls to halt offshore oil drilling have already begun. The President himself had recently commented that the procedures and equipment in today's modern world were safe and secure. He was, in that instance, absolutely correct. Just because of one accident, no matter how large, we should absolutely not stop searching for American resources and doing what it takes to extract and utilize those resources. Just because one plane or bus crashes, people don't stop flying or riding the roads.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin had it right when she led the call to "Drill baby, drill!" during her Veep run two summers ago. New geological surveys have revealed massive natural oil reserves are likely right here in the continental United States. Those are in addition to what we already know exists in her home state in the ANWAR reserves.

Despite her critics cat-calls, Palin loves here home state, and would never endanger it, and has led the fight to get those reserves opened and get the drilling going. She is absolutely correct, and needs to be supported publicly by all those who recognize the truth of energy resource management.

The United States needs to lessen our dependence on foreign sources of oil, be those sources from the Middle East or Russia, or from closer to home in Mexico or Canada. We have an abundance of those resources right here, and we need to go after them. Alternative energy needs to continue to be explored and developed, but those sources are not currently available or viable, and likely will not be for decades to come.

President Obama's excrutiatingly slow and ineffective response to this oil spill disaster is itself yet another disastrous example of the incompetence of his administration. We shouldn't extrapolate that by worsening our national economic situation.

America Boycotts Arizona, BP Oil Spill Impacts Wildlife, Enraged Wall Street Protestors, Strange News Stories - News Headlines 29 Apr 2010

From Denny: It's a thorny issue. How do you balance your own safety and security with keeping out criminals from another country? We have enough of our own criminals to deal with as it is. That's the question Arizona folks kept asking themselves, and, out of frustration came up with this Nazi style "show me your papers" as their answer.

Unfortunately, this type of law has room for a lot of abuse. It isn't just about racial profiling. It goes to freedom of movement for all citizens. You would think carrying a driver's license would answer this issue and this separate law would not be necessary. Here in Louisiana you have to prove who you are, prove you are an American citizen or other place of birth before being allowed a license to drive. Now if they would just start checking people for how many DUIs they amassed before they allow them to renew those same driver's licenses and there would be fewer deaths on the road from drunk drivers in this state... but I digress.

Seriously, Arizona needs to rethink this new law because no one wants to visit a police state. I've lived under martial law overseas and it is very unnerving. You can get arrested for the dumbest things, be innocent and still get executed or thrown in jail. America does not need to become a police state like the Republicans have long dreamed of doing here.

Perhaps Arizona will prove to be a testing ground for a new wrong direction for this country to march off in thinking it will cure all the woes. The Republicans and Arizona also need to ask themselves that if they want all this federal government protection and immigration control then they need to get serious about paying for those taxes it will take to create that presence. You can't complain about the government, limit its size and then demand services.

*** Living here in Louisiana, I am ever mindful of the recent British Petroleum oil spill. In short, the United Kingdom and its BP owes the Gulf Coast states and the American government billions of dollars to clean up their mess. Just like Toyota they have lied to us: repeatedly. Of course, being Big Business, they decided to downplay the situation and claimed it was far less crude oil spilling out than was true - try 75% less than the truth.

There should be an international court and a ready-and-waiting firing squad with shoot-on-sight standing orders to execute lying CEOs as soon as the words come out of their annoying mouths. Fining these guys a few million just isn't enough to stem the tide on the arrogant attitudes, wrong and oh, so destructive, behaviors.

Even $500 billion was not a large enough fine like the American government did to Toyota when they lied and failed to report quickly enough to the federal government, ordering recalls of their vehicles. Until we get serious about making it a 50% take on their gross profit for a ten year period will Big Business get the idea to play straight with us. They only respect tough - not nice, not polite, not easy.


*** As to being tough, why in the world is this White House willing to even consider allowing Iran a place at the table or podium to spout off their usual destructive rhetoric - and in our own backyard? At some point President Obama needs to use some unusual moves to challenge this defiant Iran with a defiance of our own: reject his visa to attend the nuclear summit. He's just using this summit to expand his world presence and place of leadership. He's trying to bully his way into being accepted as a nuclear power along with other countries of good reputations. Show the world he is no leader. Make him wait another five years - if he's still in office.


*** And three strange news stories... Mad as hell protesters march on Wall Street firms and scare the daylights out of them in their lobbies until the police quietly escort them away. Recently, a hermit in India has been found to be living without food and water for - are you ready for this video? - 50 years! Jesus Christ always said, "Man does not live by food alone" so there may be something to consider here as an unusual possibility that strays form the norm. And then there's that "flirting gone bad" where a guy told a woman she was fat at a party and so she tackled him and bit off part of his ear prize fighter style. Those women in Nebraska are more than corn huskers; they are a force to be reckoned with!






More City Councils Move Toward Arizona Boycotts Over Immigration Law: (CBS)

While a number of local lawmakers want their states to adopt immigration measures similar to Arizona's, there is also a growing crop of lawmakers aiming to shun the state for its controversial measure.

The city of San Francisco was at the head of the trend, when its board of supervisors on Tuesday considered a measure to off the city's economic ties with Arizona. The board has yet to officially approve the boycott, but San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has imposed an immediate moratorium on city-related travel to Arizona.

The Arizona law at the center of the controversy, signed by Arizona's governor on Friday, would require immigrants to carry documents verifying their immigration status. It would also require police officers to question a person about his or her immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" that person may be illegally in the country.

City councils in Washington, D.C. , and Los Angeles are also considering economic boycotts of Arizona,..





WH: Oil Spill Could Impact Offshore Drilling Plans
: (CBS)


The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could impact President Obama's plans to consider new offshore drilling sites, administration officials said today.

The White House announced today that it is sending three cabinet members to oversee the effort to control and clean up the spill, which is much worse than first thought. Liberal activists are pointing to the disaster as a reason for the president to reconsider his decision to open up the southern Atlantic coastline and some other areas to offshore drilling.

Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner emphasized today that no plans for new drilling have been established yet and that the president's decision was simply "the beginning of a process" to consider new plans over the next five years.

"There will be ample opportunity for public input, ample opportunity for congressional and governor input," Browner said. "What's occurring now will also be taken into consideration."

Asked if the White House might call for a pause in all offshore oil drilling, because of the incident, Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior David Hayes said, "everything is on the table."

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that Mr. Obama has expressed his concern over the spill and will be examining the cause while considering how it could impact the plans for new drilling.

"Could that possibly change his viewpoint? Well, of course," Gibbs said...





10 Animals Most At Risk from Gulf Oil Spill: (CBS)

...Here's a selection of animals at risk in the open water, along the coasts and in the wetlands.

1. North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna: The Great Bluefin Tuna, prized for sushi and sashimi, is one of the species most in danger of slipping into extinction. Traveling down across the Atlantic seaboard, bluefin tuna spawn in the Gulf of Mexico between mid-April and mid-June.

2. Sea Turtles: Five of the world's seven sea turtle species live, migrate and breed in the Gulf region. Kemp's ridley is the world's most endangered species of sea turtle, and one of its two primary migration routes runs south of Mississippi. Loggerhead turtles, also endangered, feed in the warm waters in the Gulf between May and October.

3. Sharks: Shark species worldwide are in decline. The grassbeds south of the Chandeleur Islands are very close to the oil spill. These grasses are a known nursing area for a number of shark species, which are now beginning their spawning season in the Gulf. Whale sharks, the world's largest fish, feed on plankton at the surface of the water and could also be affected.

4. Marine mammals (whales, porpoises, dolphins): Oil spills pose an immediate threat to marine mammals, which need to surface and breathe. Not only does the oil pose a threat, but also the nasty toxins that the oil kicks off into the air. A resident pod of sperm whales in the spill area could be at risk along with piggy sperm whales, porpoises and dolphins.

5. Brown Pelicans: The state bird of Louisiana, the pelican nests on barrier islands and feeds near shore. Brown pelicans only came off the endangered species list last year, but they've had a rough time in past seasons with storms. Their reproductive rates are low. Breeding season just started, and with eggs incubating the oil could pose a significant threat.

6. Oysters: The coastal waters around the very tip of Louisiana’s boot-shaped coast are home to some of the most productive oyster farms in the country. Oils and hydrocarbons are toxic to oysters. Unfortunately, hydrocarbons can persist in coastal sediments for months or even years. Louisiana oyster farmers, many of whom barely scrape by with high fuel costs and global competition, could have trouble weathering the oil spill if their harvests are affected.

7. Shrimp and blue crab: Coastal marshes are key to the life cycle and development of Louisiana shrimp and blue crab — both staples of the local seafood industry. Inshore shrimp season will open in mid-May, while brown shrimp are in their post-larval and juvenile development stages.

8. Menhaden and marsh-dwelling fish: The young offspring of species such as mullet, menhaden and marsh-dwelling forage fishes are especially vulnerable at this time of year. Menhaden is a little fish you've probably never heard of, but people all over the world use it everyday. Menhaden fish oil and meat are used in everything from cosmetics to animal feed. Louisiana is one of the world’s biggest suppliers and the oil spill comes smack in the middle of menhaden spawning season.

9. Beach-nesting and migratory shorebirds: Overdeveloped beachfronts all along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida have made life difficult for several species of plovers, sandpipers, terns and oystercatchers. Those that build their nests on the ground and feed on invertebrates are susceptible to oil on the beaches. Some migratory shore birds fly nearly the length of the Western Hemisphere and use barrier islands in the Gulf for key resting and refueling spots on their journey.

10. Migratory songbirds — warblers, orioles, buntings, flycatchers, swallows and others: About 96 species of neo-tropical songbirds make a 500-mile journey without a pit stop across the Gulf of Mexico. The next two weeks mark the height of their migration as they travel north from Central and South America to breed in North America. The smoke from controlled burns to mitigate the oil spill could affect the migration, but the impacts will be difficult to monitor.





Iran Claims Top Billing at U.N. Nuclear Conference: (CBS)

The world stage is set for a showdown next week, but this time, the nuclear summit will not be hosted by President Obama in Washington, but by the International Atomic Energy Agency at United Nations headquarters, and Iran's defiant President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at left, is to be a featured speaker.

The event is the latest review conference of the global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. They take place every five years, as mandated by the treaty, and this year, the stakes couldn't be higher...





Wall St. Protesters March Through Bank Buildings: (CBS/AP) Chanting Protesters Enter Buildings With Offices for JPMorgan Chase, Wachovia and Wells Fargo

Thousands of workers and union members angry over lost jobs and the taxpayer-funded bailout of banks are marching on Wall Street.

Thursday's rally was organized by the AFL-CIO and an association of community groups. The protesters included people hurt by the mortgage crisis and held up signs saying "Wall Street Overdrafted Our Economy" and "Reclaim America."

Noisy protesters with signs took over two bank building lobbies on Thursday in a prelude to a Wall Street rally by workers and union leaders angry over lost jobs, the taxpayer-funded bailout of financial institutions and questionable lending practices by big banks.

Hours before the scheduled rally, more than 100 people entered a midtown Manhattan building housing JPMorgan Chase offices. They handed a bank executive a letter requesting a meeting with the CEO, and chanted "Bust up! Big banks!" and "People power!"

...They then walked a few blocks up Park Avenue and crowded into the lobby of the Seagram Building, where Wells Fargo and the bank it merged with in 2008, Wachovia, have offices.

The protesters held up signs reading, "Save Our Jobs" and "Save Our Homes." One included a Great Depression-era photograph. Police arrived on horseback as curious office workers watched the scene unfold from their windows...





Man Claims 70 Years Without Food


Scientists are studying an 82-year-old hermit in Ahmedabad, India who claims to have survived without food or water for most of his life. The goal is to discover new human survival strategies.



Watch CBS News Videos Online





Police: Woman Bites Man After Being Called Fat: (CBS/AP) Nebraska Police Say Woman Tackles And Bites Man's Ear After Being Called Fat

Police say a 24-year-old man is missing a chunk of his right ear that was bitten off by a woman who didn't like being called "fat." Police spokeswoman Katie Flood said officers were called to a Lincoln hospital around 3:25 a.m. Wednesday to talk to the injured man.

He told them that he'd been bitten at a party.

Flood said officers later learned that the injured man and two others had been arguing with other people at the birthday party. Flood says the man told 21-year-old Anna Godfrey that she was fat.

Officers said Godfrey then tackled the man and took a bite.

Flood said the ear chunk was not found...





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