While I agree that the scope of governmental failure on the BP leak doesn't approach that of Bush's Katrina "response," I'm not ready to let Obama off the hook totally. The federal regulators responsible for trying to prevent massive accidents like the BP leak and the Massey mine explosion in West Virginia clearly did not do their jobs. After 8 years of industry cronyism, the Department of the Interior needed a much stronger overhaul. I remember progressives expressing displeasure at Ken Salazar getting the Interior nomination because of his mining industry ties. I think this all shows he wasn't the right guy. I'd like to see Obama replace him with someone empowered to clean house.
Meanwhile, Rachel Maddow points out that we've seen a blowout like this before in the Gulf (by the same damn drilling company) and they tried the same things to stop it, unsuccessfully. If the government does nothing else, it needs to force the oil companies to have comprehensive plans for stopping disasters like this in the future.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
2 comments:
I agree with all of your points about regulation, absolutely.
But the Katrina comparison being made by conservatives (I heard it from one of the 2 repubs in the office this morning, bemoaning that Obama is vacationing in Chicago during "his Katrina") is so galling/hypocritical because shouldn't they argue that BP as a private company made this mess and should be responsible? I mean, why are FoxNewsians so quick to want the federal government to intervene? Aren't they--The Feds--a manifestation of purest evil?
obviously i don't monitor Fox to know how they attempt to reconcile this idea ("keep the gov-mint out my medicare"), but it's annoying.
And, (phew) that the oil industry screws up--the soul-mates of Bush-Cheney--are now causing Obama political problems is just un-freaking-real and cosmically unfair as hell.
No question that the Katrina comparisons are galling. Also, and I can't remember where I read this, by making that comparison, the conservatives are by extension acknowledging that Bush royally screwed that up--something they refuse to directly acknowledge.
Still, it's very disappointing that these regulatory agencies haven't shown any improvement in the year that Obama's been in office. This tragedy should light a fire.
Post a Comment