Oil's sway in Gulf states may be tempering politicians' response to spill

[TomCADem]

Source: Washington Post

In their battle to represent Louisiana in the Senate, incumbent David Vitter (R) and challenger Charlie Melancon (D) differ sharply on Wall Street reform, stimulus spending and a host of other issues.

But as the devastation from BP's Deepwater Horizon oil disaster widens, the two lawmakers agree on one thing: It is no reason to halt drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The calamity illustrates the overwhelming influence of oil on the politics of Louisiana and other Gulf states, in which lawmakers of both parties have generally maintained enthusiastic support for offshore drilling in defense of one of the region's bedrock industries. In Louisiana, the sector provides more than 300,000 jobs and handles about a quarter of the oil and natural gas consumed in the United States, according to industry estimates.

The oil business strongly favors delegations from key Gulf states in its campaign contributions. Lawmakers from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama received an average of $100,000 from oil and gas companies and their employees in the past three years, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics and analyzed by The Washington Post. That compares with $30,000 for lawmakers from other states.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/15/AR2010051503408.html?hpid=topnews

[BulletproofLandshark]

1. In other news, water is wet.

Their constituents need to find a way to make them pay at the ballot box.

[Diane R]

2. Ya think?

[ladjf]

3. What a news flash. nt

[aquart]

4. Where do the rich have their beachfront homes?

Because I believe the situation is about to change.

[aquart]

5. From Palm Beach Post:

Oil from spill may be entering Gulf Loop

Oil may be on its way. New satellite images show oil starting to enter the Gulf Loop current, which would pull it through the Florida Keys, into the Gulf Stream and up to Palm Beach County, according to a scientist tracking the oil spewing into the gulf.

Take our poll

Will the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico get carried on the loop current to South Florida beaches?

*
Yes
62.09% 262
*
No
7.58% 32
*
Too soon to tell
30.33% 128

<http://www.palmbeachpost.com/special/topics/Oil_spill_in_Gulf_of_Mexico/>

[DBoon]

8. like the Santa Barbara blowout in the '60s?

Nothing like ruining the beachfront properties of the wealthy to get a strong political movement

[aquart]

9. Was only East Coast literate at the time. What happened?

[izquierdista]

12. 1969 - Santa Barbara channel

Here's a good synopsis: http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~jeff/sb_69oilspill/69oilspill_articles2.html

When I lived in Santa Barbara 15 years later, it was still impossible to walk on the beach without getting tar from residual tarballs on your feet. There has always been some natural leakage of oil into the Santa Barbara Channel (and it comes to the surface at the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles), but this spill added considerably to it.

[Kolesar]

11. The Redneck Riviera in Pensacola is going to have some *interesting* politics

The voters who think that anything can be solved with a sortie of F-18 Hornets.

[Downwinder]

6. Have to see if Perry changes his tune when the oil starts washing up in Texas.

[FBI_Un_Sub]

7. The power of "Big Oil" in LA, TX, OK. N/T

[Hubert Flottz]

10. Dave wants the voters to spank him.