TagsTagsAn idea whose time has come: Legislators should have to wear NASCAR-style logos of bill sponsors. Lawmakers in Sacramento say they represent the people. But voters have little to do with who really runs our state. Corporations and lobbyists pay to get lawmakers elected, then write the laws that govern ...
Oil, Drill, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Lobbying, Special Interest Groups, Corruption
Not many details yet, but if the seabed around the Deepwater Horizon well is deteriorating, it will be very bad news: Government says leak detected ‘a distance from’ oil well. (CNN) — The federal government’s oil spill response director says testing has revealed that there is a “detected seep a ...
Oil, Drill, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP
For the first time since April, the flow of oil from the Deepwater Horizon well has been completely shut off. Which is good news, but before you start partying — it’s not a permanent solution. BP will be monitoring pressure under the cap. High pressure is good, because it shows there’s ...
Oil, Drill, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP
Crazy Uncle Ron Paul continues demonstrating why his star is on the rise in the Republican Party — because he doesn’t care about the fallout. He’ll go right to the most extreme position every time, and leave the door open for the rest of the GOP to follow: Rep. Paul ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, GOP, Republican Party, Ron Paul, Bad Craziness
On the Joe Scarborough show, Republican Minority Whip Eric Cantor feebly tries to defend one of the most cynical GOP political calculations in recent memory: leaving Rep. Joe Barton at the head of the Energy and Commerce Committee, even after Barton demonstrated beyond any doubt that he’s in the pocket ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, GOP, Republican Party, Joe Barton, Corruption
Texas Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert compares President Obama to Hitler, for setting up the BP $20B escrow fund. Doubling down on derangement. [Video]
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Barack Obama, Conspiracy Theories, Bad Craziness, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Louie Gohmert
In today’s Republican Party, you can make politically disastrous statements, blatantly shill for Big Oil, and be an undisguised theocratic climate change denier — and you’ll still be welcome to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee. The Republican Party has given Joe Barton a free pass. House Republicans who condemned Rep. ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Barack Obama, Conspiracy Theories, Bad Craziness, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Joe Barton, Corruption
NASA’s Earth Observatory has released a high resolution image (10MB) of the Gulf of Mexico, showing the frighteningly gigantic scale of the oil spill disaster. Click for enlarged detail (Hat tip: Thanos.)
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, NASA, Photography
One of the most astounding self-inflicted political wounds in recent memory has been the insane criticism of the $20 billion escrow fund set up by President Obama as a “shakedown.” And now another high profile wingnut pundit, Mark Levin, is attacking Bill O’Reilly for trying to bring some sense into ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Barack Obama, Bad Craziness, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Michele Bachmann, Bill O'Reilly, Mark Levin
Looks like the word has gone out from the Republican bigwigs, telling the ranters to rein in their politically disastrous support for BP. That’s why you’re now seeing even loony Michele Bachmann dodging questions from, of all people, Bill O’Reilly. This is how deranged the GOP is becoming. [Video]
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Barack Obama, Bad Craziness, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Michele Bachmann, Bill O'Reilly
The official word from Texas Republican Joe Barton, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee: “I apologize for using the term ‘shakedown’ with regard to yesterday’s actions at the White House in my opening statement this morning, and I retract my apology to BP. As I told my ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Barack Obama, Conspiracy Theories, Bad Craziness, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Joe Barton, Corruption
Here’s the live video feed as BP CEO Hayward is relentlessly grilled by the usual grandstanding politicians. Video
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Tony Hayward, Live Video
This afternoon BP CEP Tony Hayward responded to GOP Rep. Joe Barton’s “apology” for the Obama administration’s “shakedown:” Thanks, but no thanks. BP CEO Tony Hayward disavowed a top Republican’s characterization of a $20 billion relief fund the company will establish as a “slush fund.” Hayward rejected the controversial remarks Rep. Joe ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Barack Obama, Conspiracy Theories, Bad Craziness, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Joe Barton, Corruption
The GOP Cornucopia of Crazy around the BP oil spill continues unabated, with yet another boneheaded statement by Michele Bachmann (R-Mars). Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Wednesday warned the Obama administration against using oil giant BP as a ‘permanent ATM card’ and more broadly alleged there are increasing federal efforts ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Barack Obama, Conspiracy Theories, Bad Craziness, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Michele Bachmann
In the non-stop cavalcade of crazy issuing from the modern Republican Party, our newest performer is North Carolina GOP Congressional candidate William “Bill” Randall, who thinks it’s possible that BP conspired with the Obama administration to intentionally cause the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Quote: “Maybe they ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, BP, Barack Obama, Conspiracy Theories, Bad Craziness, Obama Derangement Syndrome
An AP news alert just popped up on my iPhone, saying that BP has made a deal with the White House to set up a $20 billion fund for victims of the Gulf oil spill. UPDATE at 6/16/10 10:06:27 am: More details from Jake Tapper on Twitter: BP agrees on preliminary basis ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, British Petroleum, BP, Barack Obama
Here’s a thread to discuss President Obama’s much-anticipated speech on the BP oil spill, beginning in about one minute.
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, British Petroleum, BP, Barack Obama
The New York Daily News quotes a British Petroleum contract worker who says BP has specifically prohibited cleanup workers from taking any pictures of dead and dying animals: Dying, dead marine wildlife paint dark, morbid picture of Gulf Coast following oil spill. Here’s what President Obama didn’t see when he visited ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, British Petroleum, BP, Coverup
As BP makes another attempt to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico (this time it’s a “top kill”), here’s their live video feed from the ROV monitoring the damaged riser a mile under the surface. (In WMV format.) [Video]
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, British Petroleum, BP, Live Video
Horrific footage from the Gulf of Mexico, as ABC News sends divers into the thick of the BP oil spill. [Video]
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, British Petroleum, BP
A family of dolphins swims desperately beneath the BP oil spill, in one heart-breaking photo out of many from The Big Picture at Boston.com: Disaster unfolds slowly in the Gulf of Mexico.
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, British Petroleum, BP, Dolphins
An article by Janet Raloff at ScienceNews suggests the disturbing possibility that the BP oil spill disaster may have been made much worse by an ill-considered rush to put out the fire. Next week, Congress will have its chance to grill oil-industry officials, when a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, British Petroleum, BP
I don’t listen to Rush Limbaugh regularly, so I’m always a bit taken aback when I do. He’s been getting increasingly more extreme lately, repeatedly using the phrase “The Regime” in a weird, obsessive mantra-like way. In this clip from yesterday’s radio show, Limbaugh says the “jury’s still out” on whether ...
Oil, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon, Rush Limbaugh, Conspiracy Theories, Right Wing
For a graphic illustration of the appalling size of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, NASA’s Terra satellite took this natural color photograph of the gigantic oil slick approaching the coastline of Louisiana yesterday: Gulf Oil Spill Creeps Towards Mississippi Delta. Click to enlarge
Today, Obama adviser David Axelrod said on “Good Morning America” that new offshore oil drilling will be put on hold until officials learn what caused the massive explosion on the oil rig Deepwater Horizon. Meanwhile, this oil spill is being described as possibly worse than the Exxon-Valdez disaster. Don’t drill, baby.
Oil, Drill, Sarah Palin, Offshore Drilling, disaster, Deepwater Horizon