Rawstory - "Right wingers fuel outlandish Obama, SWAT takeover theories"

[TomCADem]

On the one hand, you have folks on this board talking about a conspiracy by President Obama to privitize public education. On the right, you have right wing talk radio spreading rumors that any federal involvement in the oil spill is a precursor to President Obama pulling a Hugo Chavez. So much for civility in political discourse.

Rush Limbaugh had already pounced on this story and woven it into a conspiracy theory . He told his audience on Thursday, "I didn't hear this myself, but I have been informed that President Obama is sending SWAT teams to the Gulf oil rigs. SWAT teams? I'm waiting on audio sound bite confirmation of this, but why in the world would you send SWAT teams to Gulf oil rigs? Oh, I know! Obama probably thinks the tea party blew up the rig. That's what it is. (laughing) ... We had this call from a guy out there who said nobody's talking about whether this was an act of sabotage because I guess they can't prove it, but they're going to send SWAT teams down there?"

Drudge did not link to any more current story to provide a better explanation of the president's remarks, but a Friday column by Ed O'Keefe at the Washington Post, which explains, "The department deployed SWAT teams from the Minerals Management Service to inspect 30 drilling rigs operating in the deepwater sections of the Gulf of Mexico. Inspections should be completed within the next week, according to an Interior Department spokeswoman. Inspectors will check to see whether the rigs have conducted blow-out preventer tests and inspect related records."

* * *

Paul Joseph Watson at Prison Planet, wrote on Friday, "Radio talk show host and former Reagan cabinet advisor Mark Levin has slammed President Obama’s bizarre announcement that he will be sending SWAT teams to deal with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, alleging that the response is part of a plan to grease the skids for government takeover and nationalization of the oil industry."

"Levin alleged that the response was a precursor to government nationalization of the oil industry via the back door." Watson's story continued. "'I think those SWAT teams are there in coordination with the attorney general’s office, the Interior Department, Homeland Security, maybe the EPA….to seize records at these sites and to lay the foundation for more government takeover,' he stated."

[bluestateguy]

1. And to think we tried to warn them about warantless wiretapping and the Patriot Act

They could just never conceive of all these presidential powers residing in the hands of a president who was not named Bush.

[socialist_n_TN]

2. If only Obama WAS thinking about

nationalizing the oil industry. If it too big to fail, IT'S JUST THE RIGHT SIZE FOR NATIONALIZATION!

[TomCADem]

3. Check Minority Leader Boehner's Website - Complains About Government Takeover of Oil!

I wish I was making this up, but even as folks on the left demand that the President do more, Republicans are complaining that Democrats are doing too much, and what they are proposing amounts to a ... government takeover! The talking points never get old for the right wing.

http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=94646

Washington, Jun 18, 2008 - Two weeks ago, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) shocked many observers when she admitted to oil company executives during a House committee hearing, “This liberal will be all about socializing, uh, uh . . . would be about . . . basically taking over and the government running all of your companies.”


Most of those watching that hearing simply assumed Rep. Waters’ wild threat was just another extreme idea from someone on the far-left fringe of the Democratic Party. But today, a leading energy voice for House Democrats proved that her dream of nationalizing the oil industry isn’t as far-fetched as some may believe. Rather, it just may be the House Democrats’ worst kept secret.