Guard watches coast for oil slick's first wave

[joethiesmanfan]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Funny this oil spill happened while a liberal was in office that gave the OK to start drilling without proper permits. Don't blame conservatives.

Not blaming them, I am shocked at how quick they change their philosophy, drill baby drill bump the environment. Actually they were howling about socialism to protect this BP oil giant. If Obama had've went anywhere near regulating BP they wouldve started the socialism talk. Want it both ways FD?

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by joethiesmanfan

Not blaming them, I am shocked at how quick they change their philosophy, drill baby drill bump the environment. Actually they were howling about socialism to protect this BP oil giant. If Obama had've went anywhere near regulating BP they wouldve started the socialism talk. Want it both ways FD?

No conservative I heard mentioned anything about socialism or "howled" when MMS was found to be negligent in carrying out their responsibilities and having inappropriate relationships with the oil companies. No reasonable conservative would've said a damn thing if the Obama Administration had simply complied with the permit and enforcement practices and regulations in place. Had they done that this problem may have been averted.

Huge difference between necessary regulation (safety of oil wells/rigs) and unnecessary regulation (crap & trade). Expanding drilling should not be a problem if proper safety practices are kept by the oil industry and enforced properly by the government. The U.S. Gov't receives a percentage of the oil revenue from these operations, and as such has the right and responsibility to enforce safety regulation.

Your all-saving federal government dropped the ball in a big way here too. And as you mentioned, they don't have the solution to stop the problem either so what good would it do to federalize BP. You think Hugo, Fidel and the Chinese give a damn about the environment, this could just as easily happened off the coast of Venezula or the Florida strait.

Venezuela Offshore Rig Sinks - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/wa...n/09drill.html

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by Slingin Sammy 33

No conservative I heard mentioned anything about socialism or "howled" when MMS was found to be negligent in carrying out their responsibilities and having inappropriate relationships with the oil companies. No reasonable conservative would've said a damn thing if the Obama Administration had simply complied with the permit and enforcement practices and regulations in place. Had they done that this problem may have been averted.

Huge difference between necessary regulation (safety of oil wells/rigs) and unnecessary regulation (crap & trade). Expanding drilling should not be a problem if proper safety practices are kept by the oil industry and enforced properly by the government. The U.S. Gov't receives a percentage of the oil revenue from these operations, and as such has the right and responsibility to enforce safety regulation.

Your all-saving federal government dropped the ball in a big way here too. And as you mentioned, they don't have the solution to stop the problem either so what good would it do to federalize BP. You think Hugo, Fidel and the Chinese give a damn about the environment, this could just as easily happened off the coast of Venezula or the Florida strait.

Venezuela Offshore Rig Sinks - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/wa...n/09drill.html

Of course you didn't hear any conservative howling socialism during a time of crisis. Why would they, it would be political suicide. Rand Paul was the only fool out there defending BP, but I digress. And I beg to differ that had Obama ratcheted up the pressure on MMS prior to this spill that conservatives would have just sat by silently. You would have seen every Tea Party protest(er) that Fox could point their cameras at calling the president Marxist, Socialist, and everything else under the sun. Republicans have made the calculation, I believe foolishly, that the only way back to a majority in Congress is to flat out oppose all Obama legislation. Even if it's a position they've previously supported.

But I think the larger point to be made, from a political and policy perspective, is that the drill, baby, drill crowd: Sarah Palin, Michael Steele, John McCain et al have been curiously silent regarding how they would deal with BP, the oil spill and the damage it has inflicted on the environment, and how the US should approach off shore drilling in a sensible way in the future. I think this president deserves (of course he won't get it here) tremendous credit for including off shore drilling in his energy policy and having the courage to continue to stand by his decision.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

And I beg to differ that had Obama ratcheted up the pressure on MMS prior to this spill that conservatives would have just sat by silently. You would have seen every Tea Party protest(er) that Fox could point their cameras at calling the president Marxist, Socialist, and everything else under the sun.

We'll just have to disagree on this one. I don't see O'Reilly/Hannity/Rush/Fox News/etc. running segments on the "Marxist Obama Admin. enforcing existing MMS policy and regulation that has been in place since the Bush Admin." Beck, maybe. But only if the red phone and chalk board linking Obama/BP/Mao/Chavez/ Stalin are in the segment.

FWIW, I recall O'Reilly defending the Admin's response a week or two ago.

But I think the larger point to be made, from a political and policy perspective, is that the drill, baby, drill crowd: Sarah Palin, Michael Steele, John McCain et al have been curiously silent regarding how they would deal with BP, the oil spill and the damage it has inflicted on the environment, and how the US should approach off shore drilling in a sensible way in the future.

Which is pretty stupid IMO. No way they should let the Dems and Obama Admin take sole credit for better rules/regs and punishing BP. Now would be the time to work across the aisle to put an unlimited cap on damages, which would force oil companies to assess risks differently than with a cap of $ 75M or $ 350M whatever it is (jtf, that's how a free market should work). Jam BP for every last cent to clean up this disaster and compensate folks in the Gulf whose property values and livelihoods are destroyed, and if BP won't play, shut down every drilling permit they have in U.S. territory. Put in tougher safety inspection and permitting processes and make the oil companies pay a fee/royalty for the increased manpower to support better inspections. Make damn sure every safety device recommended is a requirement.

I think this president deserves (of course he won't get it here) tremendous credit for including off shore drilling in his energy policy and having the courage to continue to stand by his decision.

Let's not break our arms patting Obama on the back for "including off-shore drilling" here. All he did was allow for expansion of exploration on the Eastern seaboard and North coast of Alaska, with the leases for exploration not being bid on until 2012. This decision was calculated to gain support for his cap & tax proposal.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by joethiesmanfan

Not blaming them, I am shocked at how quick they change their philosophy, drill baby drill bump the environment. Actually they were howling about socialism to protect this BP oil giant. If Obama had've went anywhere near regulating BP they wouldve started the socialism talk. Want it both ways FD?

Never asked for it to go both ways. The only thing I ever asked was for Obama to provide as much help as we could to help protect our shores from this oil spill. If we have people with the back grounds to help come up with a way to stop this oil leak then get them on the job. I also think the goverment should bill BP for every penny we spend fixing or helping to fix this spill. I'm not looking for the goverment to take over BP but to protect their citizens like they said when they took office. I was a person who said drill baby drill but I did not know at the time that our goverment and BP was allowed to throw safty out. I was sitting on the beach this weekend thinkng about what if this was our beach getting hit. I still want drilling but we need to clean this up and find a plan b and C when we have a problem. This thing should have been over within 24 hrs of its explosion.

[joethiesmanfan]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Never asked for it to go both ways. The only thing I ever asked was for Obama to provide as much help as we could to help protect our shores from this oil spill. If we have people with the back grounds to help come up with a way to stop this oil leak then get them on the job. I also think the goverment should bill BP for every penny we spend fixing or helping to fix this spill. I'm not looking for the goverment to take over BP but to protect their citizens like they said when they took office. I was a person who said drill baby drill but I did not know at the time that our goverment and BP was allowed to throw safty out. I was sitting on the beach this weekend thinkng about what if this was our beach getting hit. I still want drilling but we need to clean this up and find a plan b and C when we have a problem. This thing should have been over within 24 hrs of its explosion.

Meanwhile, in Utopia World we expand drilling and we keep a beautiful coast. In reality it's just another trade off. Life is about trade offs in Capitalism. What's more important that damn oil, or the Gulf. Different people will have different answers regardless of what their religious affiliation or political , it's that simple . You want the oil? Things like this will happen. We know ain't nobody turning any money down. Let us pray for the environment. Forgive us oh lord for not being good stewards of the blessing you bestowed upon the now almost defunct Native Amercians. Please forgive us for our greed and insolence.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by joethiesmanfan

Meanwhile, in Utopia World we expand drilling and we keep a beautiful coast. In reality it's just another trade off. Life is about trade offs in Capitalism. What's more important that damn oil, or the Gulf. Different people will have different answers regardless of what their religious affiliation or political , it's that simple . You want the oil? Things like this will happen. We know ain't nobody turning any money down. Let us pray for the environment. Forgive us oh lord for not being good stewards of the blessing you bestowed upon the now almost defunct Native Amercians. Please forgive us for our greed and insolence.

You act like this was cause by capitalism. So I guess all the other types of goverments don't use oil or need oil?