While Oil Slick Spread, Interior Department Chief of Staff Rafted with Wife on “Work-Focused” Trip in Grand Canyon

OH, Geez, can’t a guy go on vacation with his wife?
Its not like he’s out of cellphone range, or hiking in Alaska or something..give it a rest, please..

Wow, Jake…you better be careful or they are going to kick you out of the press room.

What … me worry? These creeps are no different from the last set of creeps.

Since it can take up to 10 years to get on a whitewater rafting trip in the Grand Canyone, can you blame the guy for not wanting to give up his seat? Oh, I guess those rules only apply to most of us who don’t work for government or aren’t famous.

“…from day one…”

Looks like Obama found his fall-guy…

I’d fire this stupid arse; immediately. But BO won’t; he loves being surrounded by morons of all stripes.

And don’t forget…the POTUS and his team were on top of this since day one…
Not sure exactly how, but everybody assures us that they were…

Jonesy, NO THEY CAN’T, NOT WHEN THERE IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY! THAT’S WHAT WE PAY THEM FOR-REMEMBER? THAT’S WHY THEY KEEP GIVING THEMSELVES ‘BIG’ RAISES! DON’T YOU THINK THEY SHOULD ACTUALLY ‘EARN’ IT?

But Obama said they were on this… FROM DAY ONE!
NOT!

So what’s the big deal, he’s got a cell phone. The guy who is in charge of the Department of the Interior is Salazar, not Strickland. Salazar can’t make decisions only Strickland? be real.

Jonesy:
So, it would have been OK for Bush to go rafting 3 days after Katrina?
Thought not…
Hypocrite!

On January 22, 2009, Salazar said that at the department he and Strickland – as a former US Attorney and a former Attorney General, respectively – “will hold people accountable. We will expect to be held accountable.”…
Great!! Let’s hold them accountable (by their own words) and have them both step down immediately!!

Careful, Tapper… You’re looking a awful lot like a real journalist these days.

“Heckuva job, Tommy.”

Posted by: Jonesy | May 5, 2010 5:50:46 PM
Hey Jonesy – are you serious?!?! You don’t recall all the flack that President Bush caught from wingnut code pink and other lefties about President Bush’s vacation time during a “crisis”?
Oh, that’s right..do as I say – not as I do. That’s the obama admin. motto.

Of course they went rafting…the snow lift was closed (Underwear bomber, anyone???)

HEY JAKE, The next time you ‘investigate’ a story about this administration, try this – instead of using the word Obama, ‘think Bush’ then maybe we will all get some objective, critical reporting – not just ‘talking points’ given to you each morning! Is this what you ‘really’ wanted to be when you grew up – a ‘lap dog’???

9 days of BO sleeping on this, and now the rafting vacation, just one heckuva job after another with the Obama crew…

I like how ABC protects POTUS in this story.
Guarantee if this was on Bush’s watch, he would be the focus, not the Chief of DOI.

I AM SHOCKED that this is posted at ABC
______________
Oh please. Wake up. Tapper’s been an ambitious hack selling his soul for attention since the Monica Lewinski kiss and tell. He chases Drudge links and put up one of the most ridiculous posts I’ve ever seen from a so-called MSM “professional’ yesterday.

The quote that comes to mind: “let them eat cake!”

The story seems quite consistent with the notion that “give it a few days to cook,” so that we can use it to reverse our decision on drilling along the coast – everywhere and anywhere! This POTUS and his thug administration is beyond transparent!

Bush invades countries illegally, kill millions,(yes millions) the pinheads love it. One of Obama’s apointees “raises eyebrows” and its the end of the world.
Your gonna have to do better than that if you want to save your #### from the ash heap of history.

Seems there’s a lot of appropriate symbolic parallels between the oil leak and this administration. Like, slick, dangerous, greasy, hazardous, no one to blame, runs deep, hard to fix, and I’m sure there are a few others.

at least he wasn’t doing his usual government job: surfing porn.

Don’t let anything upset the apple cart in the Obama administration because they can’t handle stress. They are worse than the Keystone Cops, and these 60 radicals spoiled brats are running the White House….into the ground mind you.

Having worked with (not for) Interior for many years, I can say that the real problem with absent leadership is the overly bureaucratic structure at the agency where everything goes through dozens of layers before a decision is made. Having a significant player absent from DC paralyzes the Department.

Jake, I know that if you dig a little deeper you will find out he wasn’t rafting at all, but instead, clearing brush at his ranch.

Well….it is obvious reading most of the comments, progressives get upset when ABC reports something negative aout the Bamster and his regime. Libs were born with a low watt light bulb and would defend murder if it advances the cause.

Whats new.The Obama admin doesn’t care about the country as long as they have their thrones to sit on

I’m not sure which is more discouraging/outrageous:
a.) That Obama and his minions persist in lying to the public with their “we’ve been on it since Day One” talking point
or
b.) Obama and his minions HAVE “been on this since Day One” and the results of their efforts are nothing short of a gross display of incompetence and ineffectiveness
This is Obama’s Katrina. Heckuva job, Barry.
p.s. Good point raised regarding floods in Tennessee. Not a word from Obama (or even a visit from Joe Biden as he did in GA last year).

While everyone is entitled to a vacation, this guy had the government pay his way in and out.
White water rafting doesn’t allow for
‘seeing’ and ‘studying’ erosion.
When you hold a top level position, you for go vacations to do your work.
Stop abusing the system.
BTW, Jake WON AN AWARD at the Washington Correspondents Dinner.

If this was Bush, the media would be having a heyday, and this would not be a minor blip on the screen. But wait, according to Obama and the MSM, this oil spill, the TN flood, AND the guy who tried to blow up Times Square ARE ALL Bush’s fault.

You need a compliant press to have another Katrina. The press hates conservatives and Bush and in no way would stick it to their baby Obama. Truth has nothing to do with it, it is all politics with this bunch and the press.

You cant bash Bush for 9 years and then expect it to not “come around”
on you.

Bush is no longer President. Yet the Left still blames him for this. Amazing.

Would you expect anything different from a liberal Democrat? He takes a vacation trip at government expense while abandoning his mission critical role then the administration tries to cover up for him by claiming the vacation trip was mission related. Sure it was. If he had been at the track betting on horses that would have been mission related too. World class hypocrisy!

Bush had military helicopters immediately deployed they pulled 35000 people off roof tops.

I am as anti-Obama as they come but this carping is just plain silly. I worked for Agriculture (USFS) and Interior (BLM) and fact is, in this matter they had a zillion folks on the problem already. Moreover, I’m very familiar with NPS management and the Grand Canyon (having been an NPS antagonist more than once!) and having senior management go down the river is frankly a dang good idea. Brings a little reality into their stupid bureaucratic lives and sometimes a little sanity to the management. So I’d argue that the guy was a good manager who just dealt with a different, longer term priority while others dealt with the emergency. Heck, years ago I bailed out of an assignment to fight fire in Yellowstone when I heard the big wheels were showing up–it was a recipe for gumming up firefighting, so I stayed on a different fire and had fun without the mucky-mucks mucking up my life….

want do you expect from an administration such as this, they can do no wrong, master of the universe. we need to change things in washington and get rid of them, they are ruining our country. No good for sure.

Aren’t we a little too busy to be rafting in the Grand Canyon? Sounds like a slick “OL” to me.

I thought all of Obama’s cronies were boycotting Arizona?

Is anyone suprised today to find out that Obama got more money from BP in this election cycle than any other politican? And in March of 2009 they exempted BP from a manditory study of the impact of a major oil spill in the region on the pretext that it was very unlikely that that would ever happen? And THIS IS BUSH”S FAULT? They are delusional……

Sure looks like a peach of a job. Get to tour around the national parks on the tax payers dime. The gov needs to clip its wings. Corporate America has been an engine of productivity over the past decades. The US government just increases in size each year. What a system of clowns and miscreants.

There are reporters and journalists. Reporters are not journalists. They don’t even come close. Jake is a reporter. The story is silly. Maybe he should move over to the fox propaganda network.

They’ve turned the jobs they were elected or appointed to into typical no show union jobs!! Go figure cause I can’t?!?!!!

Here we go, dittoheads blaming the government for something way beyond their control. Once again, repubs and their ilk worshipping at the altar of corporate America. I live on the coast and everyone here knows BP is to blame, BP needs to clean up their mess and the government has little/no resources to stop what’s going. I will say this though, Jake, why not head on to Fox News where you belong. And Jan, you’re a total moron. But it’s funny how you guys never want govt interference – until you do.

Why does Barack Obama hate the environment? What does he have against fish?

“But it’s funny how you guys never want govt interference – until you do.”
Au contraire. Given this event occurred beyond off-shore state boundaries (and because this event has potential to impact several states), it is within the federal government’s jurisdiction.
This administration has proven itself to be incompetent once again. Surprised? No. This is what happens when we have a president that is the least qualified person in almost every room he walks into and who has chosen to surround himself with lawyers, Chicago cronies, and life-long bureaucrats as advisors.

They are the worst ! All having a grand old time on taxpayers dollars while the rest of us suffer this bad economy.
No words left for them…just hope and prayers that come November we will be rid of some !!
The damage has been done, we are the laughing stock of the entire world and the country is totally trashed.

Let’s see, people living on top of their houses for days screaming for help. People living at the Dome with no water or food for days and no help. People dying on the street with no help. Yeah, that’s about like this oil spill. Right! Geez, do you people ever get tired of sounding like total morons?

Well, finally we have something that is factual concerning this administration coming from the MSM. A rig blows up..this guy goes on vacation, Obama is told it will be of little impact. How many people died? AND since when did this administration trust the word of a “private” company? Being so environmentally oriented as the Dems supposedly are and OF COURSE regulated, wouldn’t one think that they would have had all hands on deck? That is unless this crisis was made worse for their agenda..say Cap & Trade (public support you know) or they took a less serious stance because BP was one of Obama’s biggest donors. Hey…do you think BP backs Cap & Trade…just a thought.

BUSH SHOULD BE PREPAIR OIL LEAK BEFORE HE LEFT OFFICE…
IMPEACH HIM !!!
HE HE HE

Since Obama thought it was more important to meet with Bono and didn’t get around to dealing with the oil spill for 12 days why wouldn’t this guy go rafting instead?
It’s just the way Obama rolls.

Ray Nagin said that the school buses in New Orleans are on standby. Also, if you know a hurricane is coming in 4 days and you don’t get out of town, well….. sorry.
Obama controls Cheney’s weather machine now, so he should just create some favorable weather conditions or lower the sea level.

It may be true that Barack Obama took more monet from BP than any other politician….but, Barack is a superior human being who is able to compartmentalize such things….they have no affect on his superior judgement, exptertise and wisdom.
OBAMA 2012!!!
P.S. DEATH TO AMERICA!!!!

I sure hope Janet Napolitano doesn’t put her boot on anyones neck. The view up that skirt… yikes!

Just what are you righties finding fault with the President for. He and his administration responded as soon as the crisis occurred:
A time line of events following the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill belies the absurd media claim that the spill represents “Obama’s Katrina.”—
April 20 (10 p.m.): Oil rig explosion. An April 21 ABCNews.com article reported, “An overnight explosion in the Gulf of Mexico rocked the Deepwater Horizon oil rig off the Louisiana coast, sending spectacular bursts of flame into the sky. The fires were still raging today.” The U.S. Coast Guard’s National Oil and Hazardous Substances Response System assigns primary responsibility for cleaning up oil spills to the spiller as the responsible party.
April 21: Deputy Secretary of Interior, Coast Guard dispatched to region. An April 22 White House statement noted that following a briefing with President Obama, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen, Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe, and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, “Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes was dispatched to the region yesterday to assist with coordination and response.” The Coast Guard announced that four units were responding to the fire, with additional units en route.
* Search and rescue efforts begin for 11 missing. An initial focus of the response was the search for 11 missing crewmembers. The search was called off April 23.
* BP confirms U.S. Coast Guard was “leading the emergency response” In an April 21 press release, British Petroleum stated that it was “working closely with Transocean and the U.S. Coast Guard, which is leading the emergency response, and had been offering its help – including logistical support.”
* CNN.com: “The U.S. Coast Guard launched a major search effort.” An April 22 CNN.com article reported:
The U.S. Coast Guard launched a major search effort Wednesday for 11 people missing after a “catastrophic” explosion aboard an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico engulfed the drilling platform in flames.
Another 17 people were injured — three critically — in the blast aboard the Deepwater Horizon, which occurred about 10 p.m. Tuesday. The rig was about 52 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana, said Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Mike O’Berry. As of late afternoon Wednesday as many as six firefighting vessels were working to contain the massive fire caused by the explosion.
“It obviously was a catastrophic event,” O’Berry said.
April 23: Coast Guard “focused on mitigating the impact of the product currently in the water.” On April 23, the Coast Guard stated:
The Department of the Interior, MMS [the U.S. Minerals Management Service], and the Coast Guard continue to support the efforts of the responsible parties to secure all potential sources of pollution. Both federal agencies have technical teams in place overseeing the proposals by BP and Transocean to completely secure the well. Until that has occurred and all parties are confident the risk of additional spill is removed, a high readiness posture to respond will remain in place.
Although the oil appears to have stopped flowing from the well head, Coast Guard, BP, Transocean, and MMS remain focused on mitigating the impact of the product currently in the water and preparing for a worst-case scenario in the event the seal does not hold. Visual feed from deployed remotely operated vehicles with sonar capability is continually monitored in an effort to look for any crude oil which still has the potential to emanate from the subsurface well.
“From what we have observed yesterday and through the night, we are not seeing any signs of release of crude in the subsurface area. However we remain in a ‘ready to respond’ mode and are working in a collaborative effort with BP, the responsible party, to prepare for a worst-case scenario,” Landry stated early Friday morning.
April 25: Response team implements plan to contain oil spilling from source, weather delays cleanup.
* Storms delay response efforts. An April 25 Associated Press article reported, “Stormy weather delayed weekend efforts to mop up leaking oil from a damaged well after the explosion and sinking of a massive rig off Louisiana’s Gulf Coast that left 11 workers missing and presumed dead.” AP further reported:
The bad weather began rolling in Friday as strong winds, clouds and rain interrupted efforts to contain the spill. Coast Guard Petty Officer John Edwards said he was uncertain when weather conditions would improve enough for cleanup to resume. So far, he said, crews have retrieved about 1,052 barrels of oily water.
* Oil recovery and cleanup were to resume after adverse weather passed. On April 25, the unified command team responding to the spill stated:
The unified command is implementing intervention efforts in an attempt to contain the source of oil emanating from the wellhead at the Deepwater Horizon incident site Sunday.
The unified command has approved a plan that utilizes submersible remote operated vehicles in an effort to activate the blowout preventer on the sea floor and to stop the flow of oil that has been estimated at leaking up to 1,000 barrels/42,000 gallons a day.
Also, BP is mobilizing the DD3, a drilling rig that is expected to arrive Monday to prepare for relief well-drilling operations.
Additionally, the oil recovery and clean-up operations are expected to resume once adverse weather has passed. These efforts are part of the federally approved oil spill contingency plan that is in place to respond to environmental incidents.
April 26: Response crews “to resume skimming operations.” On April 26, the response team stated, “Sunday, an aircrew from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sighted five small whales during an over flight in the vicinity of the oil spill, which currently measures 48 miles by 39 miles at its widest points with varying levels of sheening, and is located 30 miles off the coast of Venice, La.” The command team further stated, “Following adverse weather that went through the area, response crews are anticipated to resume skimming operations today,” including 1,000 personnel, 10 offshore vessels, 7 skimming boats and more than 14,000 gallons of dispersant. At that point 48,384 gallons of oily water had been collected.
April 28: Federal officials realize spill was far more severe than BP led them to believe. An April 28 New York Times article reported, “Government officials said late Wednesday night that oil might be leaking from a well in the Gulf of Mexico at a rate five times that suggested by initial estimates.” The Times further reported:
In a hastily called news conference, Rear Adm. Mary E. Landry of the Coast Guard said a scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had concluded that oil is leaking at the rate of 5,000 barrels a day, not 1,000 as had been estimated. While emphasizing that the estimates are rough given that the leak is at 5,000 feet below the surface, Admiral Landry said the new estimate came from observations made in flights over the slick, studying the trajectory of the spill and other variables.
An April 30 Associated Press article reported, “For days, as an oil spill spread in the Gulf of Mexico, BP assured the government the plume was manageable, not catastrophic. Federal authorities were content to let the company handle the mess while keeping an eye on the operation.” The article continued:
But then government scientists realized the leak was five times larger than they had been led to believe, and days of lulling statistics and reassuring words gave way Thursday to an all-hands-on-deck emergency response. Now questions are sure to be raised about a self-policing system that trusted a commercial operator to take care of its own mishap even as it grew into a menace imperiling Gulf Coast nature and livelihoods from Florida to Texas.
April 29: Napolitano declares spill “of national significance”; BP insists its “plan can handle this spill.” On April 29, BP official Doug Suttles appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America and stated, “At this point, I believe our plan can handle this spill, and that’s what we’re doing.” That day, Napolitano declared the spill “of national significance,” explaining that “we can now draw down assets from across the country, other coastal areas, by way of example; that we will have a centralized communications because the spill is now crossing different regions.”
* EPA preparing for oil to hit shore. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson commented at an April 29 press briefing: “[A]s the oil does hit the shoreline, EPA will provide support to assess the impacts on the coastal shoreline and play a key role in implementing the cleanup. As a daughter of the Gulf Coast, I know that it is our job to ensure people that we will be eyes and ears working with the states who have valuable and vital resources to monitor air, water and land quality.” Jackson also stated that the EPA has deployed air-monitoring aircraft “that is gathering information on the impact of the controlled burn on air quality, both in the area of the burn, and, of course, further away.”
* AP: “Air Force sends planes to help with Gulf oil spill.” An April 30 Associated Press article reported: “Two Air Force planes have been sent to Mississippi and were awaiting orders to start dumping chemicals on the oil spill threatening the coast, as the government worked Friday to determine how large a role the military should play in the cleanup.”
* WSJ: Navy joins Obama’s “robust response.” An April 30 Wall Street Journal article reported that “The U.S. Navy said it will send more than 12 additional miles of inflatable oil booms to the Gulf, as well as seven towable skimming systems and 50 contractors with experience operating the equipment.” The article continued: “The Navy is making two large facilities available to the Coast Guard personnel and BP-employed contractors who are currently taking the lead in fighting the spill. Military officials said the booms and skimmers were being sent to a Naval construction base in Gulfport, Miss. The Navy also opened its air base in Pensacola, Fla., to the effort.”
So read the facts. The Presidents response was nothing like the lethargic response Bush provided during Katrina.

And, they’ve been on it since day one!!!LOL!!

I smell TOAST!!!

Precisely, what did not get done, that Mr. Strickland, individually, could have accomplished but for spending three days on the Colorado River? Nothing about that in Mr. Tappers post.
Cheap shot!

Who can blame him? The stress of dealing with this catastrophe must be awful, and besides, he has underlings that can deal with it in his stead. Rafting is great fun, and I hope the poor, overburdened man is having the time of his life.

Nice cut and paste jackzig, however it doesn’t vindicate your messiah and his total lack of leadership or concern. Obama really shined! LOL! Leaving it all up to some flunkies while he yucked it up with lame jokes.

How can we blame Bush for this. There must be a way!

Hmm, Maybe he “brainstormed” on the raft watching the water flow? Any ideas how to stop a “River of oil”. Sorry as a government employee of the PEOPLE who is supposed to look after this country, you lose the ‘priviledge’ of handing off your responsibility or ignoring them. What a sham this administration is.

Hey pamp205, everyone knows it is BP’s fault. The point is the total hypocrisy of the Obama adminstration. They were not it “since day one”, Obama took more money from BP than any other politician, there were no dept of defense fire booms inthe gulf, Obama did not come out and say anything for days, Obama’s Interior department granted BP an exemtion so BP did not have submit plans for disaster contigencies and could go straight to drilling. These are facts and there are many more…

This is absolutely the same as Bush when he was excoriated for Katrina, except this guy was actually in charge of the groundworking. Its our GOVERNMENT stupid. All of it.

ABC dared to engage in a flagrant act of journalism against the wishes of the Obama regime. Never saw that coming, at least not on a news organization other than FOX.
It would be great if that would happen a little more often but I’m not going to hold my breath.

Heck of a job, Strickie!

Jake- you keep reporting this stuff your’re gonna get dropped from Obama’s Christmas card list.

Oh, by the way, great piece of reporting Jake.

Come now..everyone needs a break now and then..the fish and wildlife guy..I mean, why would he be needed during an oil spill…

Clueless. It all starts at the top; Napolitano. Morons attract other morons, because they are less of a threat. Kick her and all the rest of her crew out as soon as possible. Before they kill again.

Heck of a job!
I like “work focused” trips to Vegas and the Caribbean.

Heckuva job Tommie!!!

Ok, first…Katrina was a NATURAL DISASTER…ok..a hurricane…the levies broke…Bush was not responsible for building or maintaining these levies!
(The mayor and Governor were!)
Seconly, the oil spill in the Gulf is a MAN MADE DISASTER!
A DISASTER MADE BY BP AND TRANSOCEAN!
Stop comparing the two as this is just ignorant.
Obama has received more $$$ than any elected official from BP…or as you liberals like to say…”BIG OIL”!
Obama sat on his hands on this disaster for 10 days and that is a fact.
Obama is in way over his head as President!
He has no leadership skills!
Where was Obama’s response? where was FEMA?
He was too proud to call on companies like KBR and Haliburton who are big enough to handle these spills/disasters!!!!!!!
So our environment gets poisoned because of his pride!
VOTE HIS PARTY OUT OF OFFICE IN NOVEMBER!

For the love of God!!! What is to become of the Humpback Chub. Answer me that!! Damn right an ultra high level administration official should be on this! And motor boats—what of the motor boats!

Even today the states and cities are mobilizing their citizens to respond with emergency action in case the oil reaches land. I am left wondering what the Obama Regime is doing? I don’t think they have it together yet…

Obama was playing golf.

seenbetterdaze
After Obama went to the memorial for the coal miners…it was reported that the miners and their familes felt that Obama would NOT try to shut down coal…
Whether people like it or not, these people actually like their jobs.
Anyway, it was also reported that Obama is trying to find ways to fund environmental groups that had gone to WV and tied themselves to trees!
Obama is the master saying on thing and doing the complete opposite.

Strickland was a sleazy lobbyist for years. His presence in a high-level position in the Interior Department is outrageous. What do you expect?

Looks like all that money BP paid B. Hussein finally paid off!
Now we know where the “change” comes in…

He needs to resign or be asked to leave. He probably really isn’t qualified and just collecting a big check anyway.

You mean he was not boycotting Arizona….how un-politically correct. my god….we should send all that toxic byproduct from this spill down the Grand Canyon in protest.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Federal Government = Too Big To Succeed At Any Task!

It is tiresome that the left is always blaming Bush in full for Katrina. Doesn’t anybody remember that the Democrats in charge of the state and city of New Orleans, Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin, did not take appropriate action to evacuate the citizens when they had buses at their disposal? But it’s okay for Obama to play golf and to meet with important world leaders like Bono of U2. God help us with the incompetent crowd running our affairs in D.C.

Uh, hello? My Pet Goat? …

Tim, Tim, Tim,
You just don’t get it do you???
According to the media and the left, we are living in Obama’s world, and are lucky to have such a great and all-knowing leader.
Either get on the bandwagon or be ready to be shipped to a re-education camp bucko.

WHATS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE….WE ALL KNOW IT HAS TO BE BUSH’S FAULT!

…and meanwhile, President-Ceasar Nerobama was playing the violin at an important state dinner [while the gulf oil industry burned down].
According to WhineHouse spokesman Robert Gibbs, the Mr. Nerobama suspects that right-wing christian militia groups are probably responsible – so more of them will be rounded up in Michigan soon.

Mr. Obama hasn’t contain the oil leak yet. If the oil leaks continue, there will not be any more oil to leak. The same with jobs. Mr. Obama hasn’t contain the job loss yet. If the job loss continues, there will not be any more job to lose. That’s recovery.

The same with jobs. Mr. Obama hasn’t contain the job loss yet.
Posted by: young_voter | May 5, 2010 9:53:46 PM
_______________________________________
You do actually read newspapers and things don’t you? Or like . .. research?
Huh?

… and Obama fiddled.
Epic fail.

What was he going to do mop it up? you people expect everyone to be everywhere even when it is not necessary. If you where on a family trip and you could accomplish everything you needed with your mobile device would you rush back? Don’t be so hypocritical most of you would wait until your short trip was over as long as you could accomplish your job.

I guess he was celebrating Earth Day.

I’m SHOCKED that ABC has this anywhere NEAR the word “Obama” since the MSM has done almost ZERO REAL REPORTING and more covering up for the NARCISSIST-IN-CHIEF! How about asking about the MILLIONS THAT OBAMA TOOK FROM BP TO EXEMPT BP FROM ANY SAFETY STANDARDS? How about those fire booms that were supposed to contain an oil slick and WERE NOT EVEN IN THE GULF WHEN THIS HAPPENED? How about the EPA trying to keep Americans from using ANY WATERWAY IN THE COUNTRY WITHOUT A LICENSE IN THIS NEW BILL COMING UP? Why do DEMS always have to work in the dark with help from these LIBERAL TYPISTS EMPLOYED BY THE OBAMA WHINE HOUSE? Jump on it, ABC, and your ratings will SKYROCKET! Americans want the TRUTH NO MATTER WHO IT HURTS!

So Jake Tapper – please don’t ask any tough questions on this one. Instead, defer to Bill Maher and Al Sharpton. I’m sure they’ll have a brilliantly stupid comment to make which is just as stupid as this article.

Why didn’t Obama throw the magic switch to make everything all right. People blamed Bush for a perceived slow response to 9/11, and for his response to Katrina. Now the conservatives are blaming a slow respose to this oil spill. All idiots, they still don’t know how to solve the spill — a 15 minute head start isn’t what people are crying about, it is just we rather play politics than look at the problems. The problems of 9/11, Katrina, and the oil spill do not lie within the response, they lie within the oversight. Find out when and who allowed no preventers on the oil rig, find out why our intelligence failed at 9/11, and find out who did not figure out that after a huricane passed New Orleans-it would go up river and the rain would come back to the levies. The mistakes are from not looking forward, not from some imaginary timeline to push the imaginary “everything is ok” button.

I went rafting in the Grand Canyon once. It was great! I never thought of work even once. Hey obama regime! We are not idiots!

Let them eat cake…covered in oil.

The problem people, in my opinion, is our culture, not the government! That takes personal responsibility beyond our working schedules. So, thats where they have us. No time to pay attention to what is wrong.
keep us busy, and we won’t complain. Idea:
We the people can make a law, really, that Senators and congressman are limited to two years in office. Our right to vote properly will change things that are obviously wrong in our culture. Its wake up time.

We really do have “The Not Ready For Prime Time” players in charge of the Federal government.

“Though his agency was charged with coordinating the federal response to the major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Department of the Interior chief of staff Tom Strickland was in the Grand Canyon with his wife last week participating in activities that included white-water rafting, ABC News has learned.” – ABC News
[sarcasm]
Well I see that Mr. Tom Strickland just may be overqualified to be on the Obama Team.
A normal Department of the Interior chief of staff would have been rafting with some hired Bimba.
[/sarcasm]

Yeah “tierra”,
Being a well-informed American I’ll certainly consult the White House blog, and MSM, -it’s certainly entertaining. Then I’ll do my own research and discover the elements not mentioned, -MSM doesn’t do such homework.
The free-ranging internet empowers the inquisitive. And AM talk is another avenue. Do allow yourself to explore. Wearing a leash is limiting.

Obama-incompetant ….from day one! I guess being a street thug organizer is different than the real world.

Dave wrote: “When do you think they will get tired of being made to look like fools?”
.
They apparently don’t mind at all. We know that after Anita Dunn spilled the beans on how they totally controlled the message to the Press Corpse during the campaign. Now they willingly lap up the spin from Gibbs in the same manner.

Anyone pulling this stunt in the private sector would be canned the following Monday…only in the govt can this be excused!! Doesn’t matter, Rep. or Dem…lets throw them all out in Nov!!

This bozo is a wannabe who can’t get elected. So, he defaults to smiling fundraiser/political appointee. He has no clue about reality, by definition. His yes people see to that. His only purpose in life is to fawn over the other appointees and elected officials. He could be on a raft in the middle of the Gulf just the same as he is on a raft in the middle of the Colorado River. He would still be just as clueless and just as redundant.

Let’s see now … hmmm…the Feds gave BP an exclusion” from the NEPA in 2009. OK, so they didn’t have to have an environmental impact analysis. Coincidence? I think not.
Here’s a riddle for you: When in the Senate and, when running for president, who do you think the top recipient of BP and their employee’s political campaign donations was over the past 20 years? Who was the POTUS in 2009?
Here’s a hint: the last name rhymes with Osama. Can you guess it?
I know politics is a dirty game but the indignation and utter ignorance this administration feigns is laughable. They make every other administration look like angels and lily pure. What’s the Kenyan work for La Costa Nostra?
I have a feeling someone up there in D.C. is playing the fiddle while the U.S. burns. And everyone thought that Nero was a narcissist, silly us.

ProPublica notes: “In the months before BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig sank in a ball of fire in the Gulf of Mexico, the company had four close calls on pipelines and facilities it operates in Alaska, according to a letter from two congressmen obtained by ProPublica .
In that letter, dated Jan. 14, 2010, Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Bart Stupak, D-Mich., noted that the company’s efforts to cut costs could imperil safety at BP facilities.
Between September 2008 and November 2009, three BP gas and oil pipelines on Alaska’s North Slope ruptured or clogged, leading to a risk of explosions, the letter said. A potentially cataclysmic explosion was also avoided at a BP gas compressor plant, where a key piece of equipment designed to prevent the buildup of gas failed to operate, and the backup equipment intended to warn workers was not properly installed.”
John Cole, a blogger, comments, “Surprised I have not heard this on ABC, NBC, CBS or other networks. Probably because their serious journalists are busy successfully churning Drudge bait. In the beltway media- inconsequential tone deaf behavior that translate into easily promoted gotcha moments with anonymous internal sources infighting are far more important than causes, blame, and solutions. Because there is important and useful, and then there is SEXY.
But things will be better once we have a Republican congress!” (Balloon Juice)
Well deserved sarcasm and bite.

Salazar during this crisis bears striking resemblance to “Brownie” during Katrina.
Oh wait…He’s a disciple of “The One”. Sorry, no resemblance at all.

Aren’t Liberals boycotting Arizona?
Posted by: LaChula | May 5, 2010 11:28:00 PM
Here’s an interesting little tidbit: Carlos Lee broke out of a 3-for-24 slump with a towering two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Astros beat the D-backs, 4-2, to end an eight-game losing streak. Wonder if he had a little extra motivation?

I’m waiting to see the price of shrimp and other sea life that gets harvested from the Gulf go up 10-15% as the price of gas has in the past two weeks. Maybe up to 50% more, but since shrimp is not a commodity like oil, I’m sure it won’t.

So–uh–”progressive mama” explains its mot Obama’s fault that the oil rig blew up, but most assuredly she thought it was Bush’s fault that a hurricane landed on a “chocolate city” per the last mayors description–and while its OK for Obama’s executives to go river rafting while the crisis unfolds it was not ok for the Bush era FEMA chief to go on TV and get an atta boy.
————-
So where exactly do I explain that? I know honesty isn’t a strong point for many, but yowza, dude. Good luck backing that one up.

The more I see about this, the more suspicious this looks. It appears to be sabatoge, and right at a critical time for the Obama administration. This is just too coincidental to think this is BP’s doing.

His physical absence shouldn’t be a matter of concern. He is as close as the telephone – probably a cell phone in his pocket.

Why should they pay “royalties” to the U.S. when 12 miles out is international water?
Don’t go there with the Republicans being lapdogs because the very same thing applies to the Democrats.
Shame on us, the voters, for allowing for this crap to go on. Do you think Republicans are evil and the Democrats are “pure of heart”?

“Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job”

So first it was Brownie, and now this clownie. Okay, so all you Bush haters out there, can you put your anti-Bush rhetoric aside now and just discover what the rest of us have known? That government sucks no matter who is in charge. That’s why there ought to be a whole lot less of it.

@ Progressive Mama – No it isn’t the Governments fault but what are they doing to help correct the problem? Not much. Our president sent a swat team??? Hello I don’t think the swat team is qualified to fix an oil leak. Funny how everyone blamed Bush and the Government for Katrina when People knew for a long time this could happen. In fact the local Government told people to leave and they didn’t. That is like in Kansas people blaming the Government for not going to the basement when the tornado sirens go off.

Nice job. Glad my tax dollars are going to a good cause. White water rafting. Oh yea, I forgot, it’s Bush’s fault. Yup, I do miss him. This administration is the biggest scam this country has ever experienced. Bring on November! Bu Buy!!

government sucks no matter who is in charge. That’s why there ought to be a whole lot less of it.
Posted by: Mark | May 6, 2010 12:55:41 AM
—————————————–
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And you want Republicans back in the white house to be the lapdogs for the oil companies.
Will wonders ever cease to exist?
Posted by: Angie
—————————————-
Will LIBERALS ever learn to read? Why don’t you do a little research and find out how much MORE BP, AND OTHERS, gave to DEMOCRATS than to Republicans. Same with Wall Street. Obama is OWNED by Goldman-Sachs! Sheesh!! There must be SOME way you can blame Bush for this fiasco!!

Good lord, this country is being run by white collar gangsters. If you folks haven’t started listening to Glenn Beck, you need to. He really does have the big picture pretty well in focus.
Posted by: Pat | May 5, 2010 10:14:19 PM
—————————————–
Unfortunately, Glenn Beck is the ONLY person who has the cojones to draw back the curtain and reveal all the workings of this CORRUPT White House. He isn’t even a “journalist!” But neither are the fools in the Main Stream Media. They are Ostriches and Lap Dogs! Glenn is making them all look like a bunch of incompetent morons. If the shoe fits….

Isn’t a Chief of Staff a glorified aide? Can’t Salazar handle this? I don’t see the scandal here.
The Obama Admin can blame BP all they want…the Feds still have to share some of the blame for lax oversight.
Drill Baby…Drill.

“His physical absence shouldn’t be a matter of concern. He is as close as the telephone – probably has a cell phone in his pocket.”
Essentially then, you are saying his job function doesn’t require a govt office. I would disagree. He has an assigned workplace so that he can be onsite and running things with direct overview. I wonder if we’ll see any of the pics from the whitewater funpark ride. My guess is they’ll not want us to see shots of a giggling laughing official as an environmental disaster continues unabated under the administrations eye. “Barry’s Katrina” indeed.

I wonder if someone in the WH is still proud of her government?

Obama Admin’s new motto:
Screwing up from Day One.

Fire his **s. No excuse. Do not pass GO. Unfortunately we cannot send him straight to jail.

Obama’s been in office for about a year and a half, long enough for his appointees to show their qualities. Maybe it’s time he got rid of some of the less efficient and the less politically sensitive. It would provide the others with a moral lesson. I don’t know what Strickland could have done in person that wasn’t already being done, but he should have known better. Salazar and Geithner are other candidates for canning.

At least he was supporting Arizona.

Like the Twin Towers and New Orleans levees before, the oil rigs were deliberately brought down to fit the agenda of the current Administration.
First, Obama used the environmental lobby’s support to help win election. Then he held secret meetings with them in the White House (claiming executive privilege, just like Bush) and whips up a scheme to get climate change legislation passed. Obama then announces support for new drilling in the Gulf while the greenies howl about being sold out, all the while gaining support from the right. Obama them orders supper-duper secret agents to blow the rigs. Support for drilling new wells begins to wane. Greenies get what they want (drilling is “dead on arrival”- Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL) and the right gives Obama credit for at least trying.
Now, if only intellectual heavy-weights like Rosie O’Donnell, Charlie Sheen, Woody Harrelson, and the crew of The View to chip in their support, we can get the “Oiler Movement” started.

So once again one of Obama’s men was caught “fiddling while Rome burned”. How many times is this going to happen?

Obama’s boys are really a bunch of incompetent political hacks. Why wasn’t the oil brurning booms available as was provided for in the 1994 legislation? Why after 8 days in the whole of US thye couldn’t even locate one?

I’d like an expense paid trip, “work focused” of course, to the Grand Canyon, wouldn’t you? What an inept, lackadaisical, corrupt, thuggish government, we now have.

Stop whining people. It’s not like these people are “republicans”, so whatever they do is fine.
When George Bush went golfing it was a sign that he didn’t give a rip about black people. Obama playing ten times as much golf already (as GWB played his entire presidency) PROVES that Obama really cares about us (it’s nuanced and you need to be smart to understand).
If you can’t see this, then it proves we’re far more intelligent than you, and we need new laws to keep you in line and out of our face.

What I would like to see is a citizen oversight committee with subpeona powers, to investigate congressional and executive branch malfeasance. First up for the committee would be investigating whoever authorized this boondoggle trip to the Grand Canyon. I would think that it could be a lot more interesting than investigating Goldman Sachs. It never can happen, but it would be fun to watch the squirming then.

Look from “day one” (seems to used very seldom) this administration has been on vacation on our (the peoples) expense. Their priorities are themselves first. They are inept,inexperienced, incapable of handling or even knowing a serious issue.

Global Warming anyone?
Protect Mother Earth anyone?
THESE HYPOCRITES!
When our Environment actually really NEEDS humankind to help it, they turn their BACKS! HYPOCRITES!
Strciland will enjoy Mother Nature but not protect her?
Now they will demand Cap and Trade!
Stop DRILLING poor Mother earth.
There was an Emergencey Plan in Place since 1994! to contain and burn an oil spill in the GULF. The Federal Government DID NOT ACT TO IMPLEMENT AND PREPARE! HOLD THEM AND BP ACCOUNTABLE!

Did a Terrorist Really go through EVERY SECURITY FUNCTION at New YOrk’s Airport and GET ON A PLANE while he was on the NO FLY LIST?
Is anyone else GTERRIFIED BY THIS ADMINISTRATION?

Reminds me of when Richard Clarke wanted to warn me about a terrorist attack, but I decided to vacation in Crawford instead.
Oh Geeze…. give me a break ABC.

I would like the MSM to find out why the Obama administration did not start gathering and burning the oil on “DAY ONE”? Any chance they will ask until they get an acceptable answer? They would have been pounding Bush for an answer.

Day One level of incompetence

I was irate about this until I heard that he was discussing humpback chub. That excuses everything. All kidding aside, this just proves that incredibly poor judgement is a virus that is endemic in Washington, and an equal-opportunity scourge that knows now political party boundaries.

Different party, same incompetent results. Don’t you people get it? Progressive Republicans and Democrats don’t give a crap about you. It’s all about power and control. Our enslavement follows.

Isn’t it amazing that British Petroleum, which got a big Libyan oil contract due to Mr. Obama releasing the non-sick Lockerbie bomber, just happens after Obama “says he will open oil exploration” which is no exploration at all, to blow up an offshore oil well it was drilling.
This was a deliberate act of sabotage by the cartels to shut down American oil security, putting it back into BP oil wells enriching Libya and OPEC.
Do not be fooled oh ignorant kidlings, these false flags and sabos happen all of the time.
Obama sent SWAT to prevent any other investigators and to set things up for nationalized oil, another serfdom marxofascist takeover.
He is petty and vindictive, he needed to mock “drill baby drill” and to stick us with $10/gallon gas while enriching Qadafi and BP and take over yet more American industry.
At some point Obama, you’ve seized enough industry, you fascist!
Qadafi…he just gave him $2.5 million of YOUR dollars last year!! Qadafi is a terrorist! He also gave Soros billions for offshore drilling off Venezuela.
Obama hates America and is doing everything he can get away with to destroy it.
He’s taking over resources to pay off his thefts..oil, fishing, water, even more federal lands he will sell off. WE pay. He needs to MAXIMIZE DAMAGES to shut down US oil so he can take it over.
At some point this marxofascist has to know he’s just seized enough power.

I swear this administration is being run by a bunch of frat boys.
Tom Strickland was enjoying the great outdoors (in Arizona to boot – I am sure they thank him for the tourism dollars!) and Obama was yuckking it up with Hollywood elitists and other Limousine Liberals over a black tie dinner while the Gulf was under imminent assault by an oil spill that has not been seen since the Valdez spill ravaged the West coast.
Glad to know where their priorities are.

This Administration is worse than that vile Nixon Administration – all lies, coverups, revenge, mis-truths, half- truths, sealed documents and genuine fear of the American people – Obama cannot relate to us because he was educated under the Muslim ways.. and it becomes clearer every day that we elected (I should say liberals elected…) a “fraud-in-Chief.”

This regime hates the white people of the Gulf Coast. This was obama’s fault. See how it feels now all you Katrina people.

November cannot get here fast enough. 100 seats OUT.

Hooray! Now the Obama Administration can exploit the deaths of 11 workers and an oil spill to proclaim the greatness of his political agenda!
After all, we can’t let a good crisis go to waste. Right, Rahm?

With all due respect Mr. Mason how do we know that’s your real name?

Vince said “Obama WANTS this oil spill to produce maximum damage to the environment so that he can proclaim how evil and destructive oil and oil companies are.”
Sad but true. I couldn’t have said it better my self.

For all you limited Government types who are now screaming that GOVERNMENT IS NOT DOING ENOUGH!!!, and also the MSM like Jack Tapper, who love this meme, this oil well blow up is not the same thing as Hurricane Katrina.
One, the Hurricane, is a natural disaster, and one, because it was being tracked on satellites, anyone watching the Weather Channel knew was coming and where it was going to hit 48 hours before the storm landed.
The other, the Oil Well blow-out, was a MAN-MADE disaster, a disaster that the company drilling the well told the Government could never happen (see two years of propaganda around “Drill Baby, Drill”) and then mislead the Government about the leaks for several days. In other words, this is another example, like the banks, of private profits, socialize the losses.
but instead, jack tapper wants to focus on the guy running the parks going to visit one of the most important parks, a park with huge environmental problems, that was scheduled months in advance, He rather ignore the safety record of a major advertiser for ABC, BP, THE BIG FREAKING OIL COMPANY, that earns 3.4 Billion in profits each MONTH this year, is after all responsible for the oil leak and whose contractor, Transocean, caused the disaster.
The current President has done a great job restoring competent, efficient, Government, despite the Republicans in the Senate obstruction and delay of his appointees. This can be seen in the response to this disaster, to response to the Cumberland River/Nashville Flood, and the investigation in the attempted bombing in New York.
When the guy came into the office, the economy was in free fall and the stock market was collapsing. 15 months later the economy is growing again, jobs are finally starting to be added and not subtracted, the market is up 50%, and a start has been made on health care reform. Most of the deficit is inherited and the result of the worst recession in 70 years, a recession that the previous two administrations’ adoption of crony capitalism help bring on. My only criticism is that with Summers and Geithner, a little to much of the bankster influence is reflected in his policies.

@ Tim 7:41:10AM
Gee I wonder if you said that about President Bush and his administration during Katrina? Doubt it.

Seems like most of you are rushing to judgment on issues you are politicizing. Oh wait that’s what most of you do now-a-days. I’m so proud of many of my countrymen and women!

You’re doing a Helluva job, dingle Barry!

Hey! He thought he could get a better view of the problem in the Gulf, from the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Typical Bureaucrat in Washington thees days and more to come when Obamacare kicks in.

Bad judgment, sure, but what difference would it have made if Strickland was in the office?
The underlying assumption here is that it’s the governments job to clean up this spill. I disagree.
How many people does it take to call BP and Transocean and say “get on it, stat, guys?”

I don’t know about anyone else but I usually don’t plan my vacations 3 days in advance. They are usually planned months in advance and if you pay for them in advance, there is usually no refund or a partial refund if one is lucky enough. If we all had to remain on standby for disasters, no one would ever have a vacation. I say cut the guy some slack. I doubt there is a whole lot he could have done anyway. If he was Superman and the only one who could stop the disaster, I might criticize him.

This coming from the same administration that wants to control your healthcare. Very reassuring. Well, at least if they’re on vacation the death panels will be adjourned.

Looks like our Administration is just doing things as if they were part of a “country club.” If someone in private industry did that they would be looking for another job.

This is the most leftist and the most inept administration in over 50 years. Obama and his minions are a disgrace to this nation. This Obama is a complete fraud and knows nothing but to constantly give platitudes and lies to the public.

“David”
Keep lying to yourself.

This is the most leftist and the most inept administration in over 50 years. Obama and his minions are a disgrace to this nation. This Obama is a complete fraud and knows nothing but to constantly give platitudes and lies to the public.
Posted by: walter12 | May 6, 2010 9:14:44 AM
______________________________________
More hysteria and hand wringing from the Republican right.

With the country going banrupt and adding millions to the debt daily, how these elitist SOBs possibly justify a “work related” boondoggle? How much of this crimminal’s staff went for the joy ride as well. These elitists must be held accountable and promptlt fired for looting the treasury- let alone dereliction of duty while a disater is looming.
Posted by: Kevin Robinson | May 6, 2010 9:22:22 AM
_________________________________
The country already went bankrupt under Bush – and the economy almost completely collapsed under Bush.
Pay attention.

The reason it is important for the Interior Department Chief of Staff is because government workers work at the speed of the title of the person requesting the work to be done.
So, if you’re the IDCoS, and you say “GET OUT TO THE GULF!”, it carries more weight and gets things done quicker than someone lower in the Department.
THAT is why it was important for Mr. Strickland to be in his office and not on a raft.

>”The country already went bankrupt under Bush – and the economy almost completely collapsed under Bush.
Pay attention.”
And Obama’s “solution” has been to…bankrupt it further by a multiple of four. In one year. With no end in sight.
Bush unemployment = around 7% when left office and Democrats controlled Congress (once Democrats started passing laws in 2007, the unemployment rate started to rise and continued to rise for the next two years).
Obama unemployment as of May 2010 = 9.7%
Pay attention.

The whole discussion is a “non-issue”, in other words, a total croc. I spent 25+ years in the Department of the Interior, working as a career executive for all the administrations that occupied the White House during that time. Salazar has had his disaster response team on a 24/7 schedule ever since the scope of this disaster became known, and would have his Republican predecessor, Jane Norton.

Pay attention.
Posted by: tierra
—
What, pay attention to the filthy PAC money in Ubama’s campaign account? …the $1,000,000 from Goldman Sachs?

What, pay attention to the filthy PAC money in Ubama’s campaign account? …the $1,000,000 from Goldman Sachs?
Posted by: smartlillena | May 6, 2010 9:34:12 AM
___________________________________
Hypocrite – Republicans take money from all the same sources and you point your finger at Obama – phony.
Obama’s first contributor was the University of California – I guess they’re all corrupt too. Right?
Everybody’s corrupt except for the Republicans? Hah!
Fool.

Try to get the simple facts first . . .
Strickland and his wife arrived in the Grand Canyon the night of Tuesday, April 27.
Strickland made his way to New Orleans Thursday, April 29.

>You apparently have no idea of the effect of an almost complete collapse of the economy on local, state and federal deficits and budgets.
Aw. The poor widdle government. Guess they shouldn’t have been spend, spend, spend, spending us into debt, debt, debt, debt during the good years, huh? Maybe some public sector unions shouldn’t have been raping taxpayers for spiraling expsnese to line their pockets and feather their own nests, huh? Thanks for providing us evidence that that government – particularly when your collectivist looter/moocher gangs are in charge of it – is the problem, not the solution.
>You also apparently unaware of the the world-wide approach of industrialized nations to the economic collapse. Tax relief, deficit spending and stimulus spending has been the approach of every G20 country – and its working.
Really? Where are all of the jobs? Where is the deficit and debt reduction? Where is the economic growth?
I’ll tell you where – under the boot heel of an overbearing, hyper-expensive, corrupt, inefficient, over-rated, under-performing, government footprint.
“Stimulus spending” is not “working” – it’s taking money from your left pocket to pit it in your right pocket. That money comes from taxpayers and has to be repaid – no matter how much you try to ignore it, you haven’t solved any problems. You’ve kicked the can down the road.
Congratulations on problems not solved!

>Sure, blame it all on Obama.
Turnabout is fair play. The buck stops at Obama. We were told by his supporters that he NEEDED to be in charge after they spent 8 years blaming Bush for hurricanes, “a jobless recovery,” 9-11, and everything else under the sun. Fine. Now Obama’s in charge. And when stuff goes wrong, it happens on his watch. And he’s going to share the responsibility and blame. BECAUSE THAT’S THE NATURE OF THE JOB.
Can’t handle the heat? Get out of the kitchen.

Right about now, Borak Ubama is probably pissing crude oil. He should’ve stayed in Chicago. We’d all be better off.

Of course the Interior Department Chief was white water rafting.
He’s only following the example set by the basketball playing golfer-in-chief.

>Almost all of the world’s economists believe the economy is recovering from the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression.
Tell it to the EU. By the way, the markets dropped over 200 points in the last few days over the government debt crisis in the EU.
And here’s another newsflash, Obama spambot – the economy was bound to recover whether your President intervened or not. It always does and always has – and always will. Anybody that’s ever opened up a history book knows this. Economic activity is cyclical.
The question is how solid, how quick and how sustainable the recovery will be. And unquestionably, the government’s response has prolonged the suffering, caused market uncertainty and has plunged the nation into unprecedented, unheard-of levels of debt that the nation has never EVER seen. That was Obama’s decision and the Democrats’. For the record.
So spare us the “blah blah blah since the Great Depression” White House talking points. Obama has jacked up the nation’s debt to record levels.
The problem comes when people like yourself attribute this (jobless) recovery to some act of government. The government caused the crisis in the first place by intervening heavily in the marketplace (the real estate market, to be exact). Capitalism is ultimately what rebounds – despite the burden of government. It doens’t happen the other way around.
Without capitalism, you have no huge government because nothing will pay for it. Without huge government, there will still be capitalism. And it will sustain us. Government won’t, never will, and never has.

Try to get the simple facts first . . .
Strickland and his wife arrived in the Grand Canyon the night of Tuesday, April 27.
Strickland made his way to New Orleans Thursday, April 29.
__________________________________
Who do you think you are talking to?
Me or you?

>Under Reagan unemployment was over 10% for 10 straight months. Under Reagan unemployment was over 9% for 19 straight months.
And we recovered because Reagan did exactly the OPPOSITE of what Obama is doing. Reagan cut taxes across the board and kept them down while the Democrats in his Congress spent, spent, spent. The result was massive economic growth (due to the tax cuts). The resulting growth was enough to pay down some of the debt to a more acceptable level.
Obama is spend, spend, spending, rackingn up debt, and then imposing new taxes and regulations. That will NOT lead to economic growth. It will stifle it, as we’re now seeing. There are no new jobs being created. Government jobs are being created by fiat, but private sector jobs are not because it is not growing quickly enough to outpace the rate of government growth.
Educate yourself about basic economics, because you appear to have a limited understanding of how they work in the real world.

Obama voted for ALL of Bush’s spending bills when in the Senate except for one bill that would have supported funding the troops in Iraq – as a “protest.”
What a fiscal hawk he was, eh?

“Work-focused” my butt. Irresponsible is what it is. Sounds like a rafting trip to build teamwork skills, lying on a couch “ideating” to increase creative thinking followed by a bunch of free meals to promote “wellness”. This must be one of the guys Napolitano says was busting his hump on the oil slick problem “from day one”.

tierra—”Try to get the simple facts first . . .
Strickland and his wife arrived in the Grand Canyon the night of Tuesday, April 27.
Strickland made his way to New Orleans Thursday, April 29.”– Why don’t you get your facts straight..”– I think the facts are straight.. by this very article.. He left for the grand Canyon (ON A GOVERNMENT FUNDED TRIP) 2 days AFTER the spill and had to be air vac’ed out 3 days later…Really on the ball don’t you think.. We have a blossoming major ecological problem in the gulf, but the guy whose watch that falls under decides not to disrupt his vaction plans for it… and by the way.. just to note on your earlietr posts.. stop spreading the reagan unemployment numbers you like to spew.. we have already went over that.. its an intentional effort to make his record look bad and it doesn’t hold up… you happily mention the 10 months and 19 months of high numbers but fail to note that FOLLOWING his actions (tax cuts ), we had 48 months of unemployment numbers that continually DECLINED.. And an ecomomy that became stronger than it had been since the end of WW 2.. How come you don’t mention that???

Could you imagine the outcry from the media if this kind of stuff were happening in the Bush Administration…total hypocrisy that is all it is.

Wondering why Obama isn’t visiting the flood-ravaged regions in Tenessee or Kentucky today. Haven’t heard much about his poor response to that, either. People died there because of these events.
Maybe they should change their state names to Los Tenessee or Los Kentucky to get a “shout out” from Obama.

I can understand the urgency to see the Grand Canyon. After all, with Global Warming, Terrorism, the uncontrolled flood of Illegals, Economic Collapse and the impending invasion of Earth by Flesh-Eating Space Monkeys, it might not be there next week.
Besides, we can just designate the Gulf as a “National Deep-Fat Fryer” just in time for Cinco de Mayo.
Forget it Jake.. It’s Chinatown.

>If I manage to get a few true progressive independents in there, I’ll have made progress and, truth be told my eye is on the long game.
So installing regressive socialists espousing the failed crackpot economic theories of long-dead white European losers is your definition of “progress.” Check.

Obama appointed?

So the government’s work on the oil spill and the flooding in Tennessee and Kentucky would have been a lot better if this high-ranking cabinet official had been sitting at his desk all those days? Nonsense. People at that level of government are an impediment to action, not a stimulus. They should all take permanent vacations and exercise their anti-social impulses elsewhere. Cuba, I hear, needs help with its next Five Year Plan. So does North Korea.

“Here’s an interesting little tidbit: Carlos Lee broke out of a 3-for-24 slump with a towering two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Astros beat the D-backs, 4-2, to end an eight-game losing streak. Wonder if he had a little extra motivation? ” – ProMa
I don’t know ProMa, why don’t you get a urine sample and find out.

Focused like a laser beam on the country!
New York was under attack and Obama continued to read to “My Pet Media”
This administration is for crap.

I used to work at the department of interior. Believe, me it is one big country club. Boondoogles galore.

The media seems to forget that four days after the oil spill began, Obama and his wife also went on vacation to North Carolina. They went hiking and golfing. Wish someone would mention that on Big Media.

Oh progressive mama! I’m so impressed with your intellect! What are you doing wasting such a mind here blogging?

>My intellectual of choice is Noam Chomsky.
LOL

The left is all about getting into your personal life, controlling and restricting it. The proof is in the pudding. The left comes up with a knee-jerk reaction bill or law for every event in your life. They seem to think every time money changes hands, they deserve a portion. That is just in their progressive DNA makeup. Now they want to control the information they don’t like. They want to control the internet. They won’t even let you wear Red, White and Blue t-shirts to an American school during a Mexican holiday.
The country is in the worst financial shape it has ever been in and some Washington ass-clown is taking a taxpayer paid family vacation and lying about it being work related. Obama sucks! He promised change. He just never promised it would be positive change. He promised a transparent government. It is. I can see right through them.

Great job, Brownie!

Another self centered Obama pick. Where is the outcry for this guy to resign?? So what he had a trip planned with the family. He took a job with the stress and demands that required him to act and be there. Its time to take back out country and let these people know we had enough.

Progressive Mam,
You’re a funny gal. Although amusing, you’re less the intellectual you pretend to be and more like a hack. All of your writings and certainly your opinion that more than half the country is not very bright shows you’re an elitist idealogue like obama. And your references to a “gullible, easily duped voter base–getting older and more out of touch by the minute” smacks of the Alinsky-esqe technique of “recognize your own shortcomings and then ascribe them to your opponent, loudly and often” — which makes your opinion no more valuable and certainly no more intellectual than that of a simple huckster, a con man.
And yes, you have been bought and sold — by a nice suit, teleprompter-aided oratory, black skin and everybody else’s money. Your pseudo-intellectualism and simmering anger shows you know what’s about to happen in November 2010 and 2012.
Republicans and conservatives give your type jobs even though you resent it, and keep you safe which you also resent. The country is on to you and your kind. They have figured out that liberals mean well but they just don’t know how to manage anything. It’s sad and I do feel sorry for you, but you brought it all on yourself. Enjoy the next 5 months– after that, its all uphill. Sorry.

Chomsky is a fraud. Just like all progressives.

Fellow Americans, we are to blame because we are too passive. We as the people let this country fail. stop blaming everyone else. In the past, people in this country stood up to the Gov. We are fatten cows. Like it or not its our fault.
vince

Amazing story, thank you ABC for airing this one.

Gee, I thought this only happened with a Republican administration.

This Proved Obama Lied!!
Day one my you know what
This is worse then Katrina, because the feds had a plan in place since 94 that would of lessed the impact, but Obama was more worried about sending Lawyers!!
and even that took hime 8 days!!

Heckuva job!

We have to give the buffoons in the administration a break. What possible goood would it have done if they were actually on the job? The rule of thumb from the obamination is to hide from what is really going on. What has he done about any crisis that made it better? I think it’s best if all of Washington stays on vacation.

President Obama’s view on politics is like a little kid who just discovered his belly button. He thinks it is more important than it is, thought he isn’t sure of its real role. He thinks it’s the center of everything. And he is sure that if you unscrew it, your butt will fall off.
Posted by: Scott | May 6, 2010 11:54:45 AM
Scott, thanks so much for the great laugh!

All of the Obama administration are just following his lead…..all he does is vacation, dine out, party, campaign, party, photo ops, vacation on AF One, dine out and campaign. The problem ALWAYS stems from the top.
Obama and his entire miscreant group are totally devoid of gravitas, decorum, credibility, honesty, integrity and leadership. Just a bunch of hubris, delusional fools.

“And it was well done :>)” – ProMa
Thanks, I knew I could get a giggle out of you!
: o )

All of the Obama administration are just following his lead…..
___________________________________
Try to get the simple facts first . . .
Strickland and his wife arrived in the Grand Canyon the night of Tuesday, April 27.
Strickland made his way to New Orleans Thursday, April 29

No pitchers! … Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to my pitcher book. It is exciting and informative!
___________
So you’re into books about baseball?
And the relevance?
lol.
As I’ve said in the past, American right wingers aren’t exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer.

Just like when the Detroit Christmas bomber tried to blow the plane up over Detroit..Obama officals also then went on their vacations; just like the Fort Hood Shooter, the FBI came right out within minutes (not even knowing for sure if there was a 2nd shooter) and saying that it wasn’t a terror attack..but it was. This Obama Regime is way too immature and way to inexperienced to handle anything; they (including Barry Soetero Obama) are way over their head. They should all resign now.

Well done Stricky! Michael Moore may make a “documentary” about the oil incident, and he will surely show you happily rafting the Colorado river. After all he did show former pres. Bush reading to schoolchildren while the twin towers blew up. Or am I dreaming?

Because people read books they think are horribly written and hopelessly dull several times – especially 1,200-pagers.
Who was your favorite character? Why?
Posted by: Good Lt. | May 6, 2010 11:18:05 AM
I don’t micromanage when my book club picks a book I’ve already read and disliked. Plus a second read through gave me an opportunity to critique other aspects.
As for characters, I didn’t like any of them. That was part of the problem. Fiction Writing 101, make your characters interesting.

Additionally, Deputy Secretary David Hayes missed his daughter’s 18th birthday on April 21 to respond to the disaster.

TP, In wake of massive oil spill, support for offshore drilling has ‘fallen dramatically’ :
“The Rasmussen poll also found that 43 percent of voters rate President Obama’s response to the major oil leak as good or excellent while just 26 percent view the president’s response as poor. Only 29 percent “say the response of BP and Transocean has been good or excellent, while 28 percent rate it as poor.”

He went to Arizona????? How dare he!!!!
I thought they were boycotting Arizona.

This administration is a complete and total failure. We ARE the political laughing stock of the world.
Maybe we should have Barak Hussein Obama go BOW to the oil slick for concessions?
Maybe the DEMS should have a meeting to discuss what are going to talk about at their next meeting when they will make a meeting maker to talk about the problem: aka “Pelosi style?” Don’t forget to snag a bunch of airforce jets and personal to shuttle you and your family around in; its not like its the American taxpayers money or anything…
Or how about blaming all the capitalist pigs who have made America the greatest country in the history of man? That never gets old; attack those who have a clue at how to actually run things efficiently.
But whatever you do; DON’T TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON YOUR WATCH! THAT’S WHAT REPUBLICAN’S ARE FOR!!!
Oh don’t forget to commission a couple hundred thousand government Union jobs that pay $85/hr to surf porn and drive new cars on the taxpayers dime while your at it. Also make sure not a single one of the union laborers has an IQ over 60 and disqualify anybody with any relevant work related experience skills or education (see also the California DWP for a great example).
We will probably need a new all powerful regulatory agency that will run laughably in the red just like EVERY SINGLE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY IN EXISTENCE.
And of course to top it all off:
BLAME BUSH!!!

GO TO Big Government. com and read
about all the money OBAMA has taken
from BP and how in APRIL 2009 the
federal government gave a pass for
inspections on the blown up oil rig.

>I don’t micromanage when my book club picks a book I’ve already read and disliked. Plus a second read through gave me an opportunity to critique other aspects.
——-
“Other aspects?” Such as…?
See, I have this sneaking suspicion that you can’t identify a character in the book you like because…wait for it…you didn’t read it. EVER. Not once. Just like the millions of others like yourself who criticize it in the harshest terms, yet can’t name a single character or plot point, or provide anything approaching a refutation of any philosophical position presented in the book.
Of course, you can prove me wrong.
Who is your favorite Atlas Shrugged character? Why?
You claimed that you “read it several times.” Prove it.

You claimed that you “read it several times.” Prove it.
Posted by: Good Lt. | May 6, 2010 2:53:13 PM
I believe I said I read it twice– though I’ve reread a few parts of it more than that to discuss it since there are a couple of Randians in the book club– obviously, they chose the book.
The characters I remember are Dagny, Dagny’s brother (forget his name), Hank, Hank’s wife, John Galt, of course, who is a mystery much of the time, Wesley whats-his-name, Francisco.
Want me to skim it again? I’d have to find it, but I do tend to write notes in the margin. We could have a book club here and discuss it in detail?

re: adams comment
why lie about voting for Mccain, you comment is stupid

Isn’t anyone else digusted that this guy had to be flown out of the Grand Canyon–at taxpayer expense–to get to work when he should have been there in the first place? Just one more example of the arrogance of this entire administration.

And this is so important because ??? he is the only person who can do his yob!!
Honestly reporters of today sound like my 5 year old grand daughter — C’mon Jake somthing worthwhile. This is about as time wasting as Chip Read’s multiple questions at the Presser the other day –

Where can I get a job where YOU pay me to go rafting into the Grand Canyon and ride a helicopter out?

I’m asking you to tell me who your favorite character in the book is. And why.
Posted by: Good Lt. | May 6, 2010 5:43:57 PM
My post recapping some of the notes I’d scribbled in the margins got scrubbed.
As I said, I didn’t like the characters– i remained pretty detached from all of them despite Dagny’s supposed set up as a sort of Everywoman we were supposed to relate to. My main beef was that the speechifying and telling which was rather preachy and redundant as it had already been spelled out via the action. My impression was that there was a lot of action, then speechifying about what the action had just shown. Reminded me of the morality plays from way back when that you had to read in English lit.
So, no favorite character but I did like that Dagny was assertive, active, strong, successful and attractive to men that were supposed to be heroic within the framing of the story. It wasn’t a particularly feminist story– but it was still feminist, from my perspective, due to Dagny.

Update on public perception via Greg Sargent’s PlumLine:
“Fox polls “Obama’s Katrina,” gets wrong answer: Despite the right’s ongoing attacks, the new Fox poll finds that 50% approve of “how the Obama administration is dealing with the oil spill in the gulf coast.” Only 29% disapprove.
Fifty-two percent of independents approve. Only Republicans don’t like his handling of the spill, with 31% approving.
That mirrors a Rasmussen poll released today finding that barely more than one-forth thought Obama’s spill performance was “poor.”
* Also: Both polls show a big drop in support for offshore drilling, though both find a majority still favors it.”

Posted by: progressive moma | May 6, 2010 7:35:44 PM
Maybe if you weren’t simply a creepy, immature copycat with bad spelling unable to come up with your own schtick– you’d feel better about yourself.
I know progressive mama. You’re not her.

a good place to be.
pick up your pay check – your”FIRED”

To the attack itself, these reports continue, the North Korean “cargo vessel” Dai Hong Dan believed to be staffed by 17th Sniper Corps “suicide” troops left Cuba’s Empresa Terminales Mambisas de La Habana (Port of Havana) on April 18th whereupon it “severely deviated” from its intended course for Venezuela’s Puerto Cabello bringing it to within 209 kilometers (130 miles) of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform which was located 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of the US State of Louisiana where it launched an SSC Sang-o Class Mini Submarine (Yugo class) estimated to have an operational range of 321 kilometers (200 miles).
On the night of April 20th the North Korean Mini Submarine manned by these “suicidal” 17th Sniper Corps soldiers attacked the Deepwater Horizon with what are believed to be 2 incendiary torpedoes causing a massive explosion and resulting in 11 workers on this giant oil rig being killed outright. Barely 48 hours later, on April 22nd , this North Korean Mini Submarine committed its final atrocity by exploding itself directly beneath the Deepwater Horizon causing this $1 Billion oil rig to sink beneath the seas and marking 2010’s celebration of Earth Day with one of the largest environmental catastrophes our World has ever seen.

More interesting than a lot of the posturing on here is this compelling WaPo account of the collapse of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig: “Oil riggers on ship that exploded in Gulf of Mexico describe fateful night”. Also I’ve discovered an interesting site called Drilling Ahead (a forum for gas and oil professionals) that has interviews and up-to-date information on the explosions and things like oil reaching Louisiana shores, etc.

They should all resign due to negligent duty. None of them are doing the job they are employed to do. They are all in one focus with the self-anointed one – destroy America.
Remember Come November.

I dont understand why the U.S. government has not taken over the clean up and bill BP the cost. What is the U. S. Government thinking, they are not protecting our borders or our beaches and wildlife preserve. What kind of a president do we have. PRESIDENT OBAMA DO YOUR JOB!