No way is this oil spill Barack Obama's fault, but...

[kpete]

No way is this oil spill Barack Obama's fault.

The fault lies with the ideology and mores of the Republican party and its theory of government. Their solution to this country's energy's future is to drill anywhere and everywhere. In their theory of government, government has no right to control who, what, where and how the natural resources of this country or this planet are exploited or not exploited, resources that are needed by us all and are needed to protect us all. Like my friend Jim Gilliam said in a private email, government is supposed regulate corporate behavior not just be their willing partner/follower. This is a lesson that we all need to keep in mind and that includes the president.

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However, I think this is Barack Obama's burden and ultimately the Democratic party's burden. A month ago, Barack Obama embraced (or he thought he cleverly "co-opted") Republican ideas for how to solve our energy future. Most progressives bemoaned this, especially because he had seemed to learn the lesson of health care. He is wrong on the merits. And on the merits I think there is little disagreement. It was supposed to be another clever way to disarm right wing arguments. But it has boomeranged back into the President's face and the face of the Democratic party.

This is now the recurring riff of this presidency. And I hate to say it, but it is political malpractice.

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Barack Obama is not just the President of the US, he is also the head of the Democratic Party. I hesitate to be political, especially since this is potentially an ecological disaster of vast proportions, but a Gulf full of oil through the summer, a Gulf that voters would have seen endlessly on their TV screens, would have been enough to beat the Republicans back (as well as over the head) in the midterm elections. They would have been crucified on their oil rigs.

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more:
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/whose-door-does-this-oil-spill-darken.html

[BrklynLiberal]

1. It is not President Obama's fault...but it is his problem to solve.

I hope that he is given the wisdom, insight and courage to do the right thing.

[me b zola]

3. ^^^

This.

[Pirate Smile]

4. That applies to essentially everything he has had dumped on his plate from the day he walked in the

door.

We all knew that Bush was digging an enormous hole that was going to be so unbelievably hard for the next President to dig out from but Bush laid even more land mines then we thought. Ugghhh.

[MadMaddie]

2. They key for President Obama and the Democrats is to

bury the "Free Market - Self Regulating" policies that have gotten this country into the mess it's in.

Coal Mine explosions
Oil Rig explosions

What's next? Chemical Plant explosion on the level of Bhopal?

It is time to beef up the regulatory agencies of each industry and start massive inspections. By the way this is not just a matter of employee and citizen safety this is about National Security. These industries are considered part of the National Infrastructure which makes them vulnerable to attacks from terrorist too.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Yep. Exactly right.