Lamar Alexander: Law puts onus on president to clean up oil spills

[charlesg]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/05/30/sen-alexander-on-oil-spill-what-was-presidents-plan/

May 30, 2010, 2:39 PM ET
Sen. Alexander on Oil Spill: ‘What Was President’s Plan?’
By Jessica Holzer

Sen. Lamar Alexander added his voice to the rising chorus of anger over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Tennessee Republican, the ranking member on the Appropriations Committee’s panel on the interior and environment, said Sunday that a 1990 law puts the onus on the president to clean up oil spills, suggesting President Barack Obama as well as BP are to blame for the failure to plug the gushing well. The law was passed after the Exxon Valdez spill damaged a stretch of Alaska’s coastline.

In an appearance on C-SPAN’s Newsmakers program, Alexander said that responding to an oil spill and protecting the Gulf Coast is “the president’s responsibility.” He added: “So I think that it’s my responsibility as a member of Congress to ask the question, ‘What was the president’s plan and where are the personnel and equipment necessary to implement that plan?’”

Just how far he’ll get with that argument is unclear. Administration officials and many others outside government have acknowledged that federal agencies lack the equipment and expertise to plug the leaking well...

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What an idiot.

[Ruby the Liberal]

1. Personally? Like with a mop and all?

Somehow, I can't see the Bush I Administration signing something like this into law on the heels of Valdez.

[pipi_k]

4. He can take Vince the Shamwow guy with him

That should do the trick...

[Angry Dragon]

2. Then he needs to tell us what bill he is talking about

and to provide the exact words to support his claim...........or shut up

[FrenchieCat]

3. Senator Alexander can kiss my ass. He and most conservatives are collectively responsible

for this shit...more than he will ever admit to, cause he is a coward
who'd rather point the finger than join the collective effort to stop
holding the contradictory view he wants this government to be responsible
for what he, Sen. Alexander has pushed for all of his years; small
unintrusive government while allowing Industry to write its own fucking
rules through pols like him.....do what Industry has fucking wanted
to.

Yeah....FUCK YOU Sen. Alexander. You are the problem!

[Bitwit1234]

5. Maybe the Charmin Bear

will give President Obama some of that magic toilet paper. The kind that soaked up the water in the lake. Remember the commerical. I am sure the president will use it.

[Politicalboi]

6. Gee did anyone ask Bush

‘What was the president’s plan and where are the personnel and equipment necessary to implement that plan?’”

For his war? Buford! Buford!

[tabasco]

7. Sure! Oil companies get all the profits ...

and US taxpayers get the cleanup bills!

Any questions?