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U.S. Missed Chances to Act on Oil Spill (Obama's Katrina?)
New York Times ^ | Published: May 1, 2010 | By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON and ERIC LIPTON

Posted on 05/01/2010 2:51:28 PM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines

The Obama administration has publicly chastised BP America for its handling of the spreading oil gusher, yet a review of the response suggests it may be too simplistic to place all the blame for the unfolding environmental catastrophe on the oil company. The federal government also had opportunities to move more quickly, but did not do so ....

The Department of Homeland Security waited until Thursday to declare that the incident was “a spill of national significance,” and then set up a second command center in Mobile, Ala. The actions came only after the estimate of the size of the spill was increased fivefold to 5,000 barrels a day.

The delay meant that the Homeland Security Department waited until late this week to formally request a more robust response from the Department of Defense, with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano acknowledging even as late as Thursday afternoon that she did not know if the Defense Department even had equipment that might be helpful....

Officials initially seemed to underestimate the threat of a leak, just as BP did last year when it told the government such an event was highly unlikely. Rear Adm. Mary E. Landry, the chief Coast Guard official in charge of the response, said on April 22, after the rig sank, that the oil that was on the surface appeared to be merely residual oil from the fire, though she said it was unclear what was going on underwater. The day after, officials said that it appeared the well’s blowout preventer had kicked in and that there did not seem to be any oil leaking from the well, though they cautioned it was not a guarantee.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Front Page News; US: Louisiana; US: Michigan; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: america; bp; chances; epicfail; fail; missed; mississippi; obama; obamaskatrina; oil; spill
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To: kempo
If Bush was still President every TV News Anchor would be on the LA. coast on the gulf pulling out oil drenched animals...

And they'd have crews just out of camera range pouring oil on animals, preferably "endangered".

21 posted on 05/01/2010 3:30:59 PM PDT by Darth Reardon (Im running for the US Senate for a simple reason, I want to win a Nobel Peace Prize - Rubio)
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To: BOBTHENAILER

When there is a fire, who ya gonna call? If you guessed a fireman, you’re wrong. In this topsy-turvy nation we call in the lawyers..

This country is going to hell in a handbasket.


22 posted on 05/01/2010 3:31:06 PM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

George Bush was blamed for not responding adequately or fast enough regarding Katrina. But you notice the windbag we have in the White House doesn’t move very quickly either. Look how long it took him to send troops for the surge in Afghanistan, and afer all this alleged long drawn out decision process, he didn’t send enough troops.

I suppose with any decision he has to consult his handlers. He can’t make a decision on his own.


23 posted on 05/01/2010 3:33:57 PM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
Obama hasn't even done a flyover in Air Force One.
24 posted on 05/01/2010 3:38:10 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: fatnotlazy

It still goes back to that dizzy broad Governor...The first call comes from her. Sjhe was negligent and just plain stupid.


25 posted on 05/01/2010 3:39:58 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (What)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

This is a terrible disaster, and there is no doubt that the government has reacted too slowly to it.

I expect a large, visible response soon in an attempt to counteract the damage already done, followed by a quick politically-motivated re-evaluation of the offshore drilling plan. I think putting future drilling plans on hold until we can definitively figure out how to avoid another disaster is good, but I wish the response to this was better.


26 posted on 05/01/2010 3:41:14 PM PDT by Conservativism
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

The well was approved for drilling in March 2009 via the authority of the Dept of the Interior headed by Sec Menendez..the same dept. now prominent in overseeing the debacle. The administration has owned the entire administrative authority of this well from the beginning.


27 posted on 05/01/2010 3:41:20 PM PDT by givemELL (Does Taiwan eet the Criteria to Qualify as an "Overseas Territory of the United States"? by Richar)
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To: digger48

“....They handled this exactly they way they wanted to handle this.

They needed this to be as bad as possible, for their agenda to advance. Never let a crisis go to waste.

Except for Obama or someone having an off-guard moment and reacting stupidly, for the most part they demand absolute control of every situation, and every move is planned. But being Liberals, their “plans” always, always have unintendeds involved.”....

I thought it needed repeating because you are absolutely right!!

The spin, fines, fees, taxes, gas prices-you name it...this is the mother-lode for them. They are control freaks and know EXACTLY what they are doing.
And when it comes to money & power, they are ruthless.


28 posted on 05/01/2010 3:42:28 PM PDT by homegroan (Proud member of the Hoi Polloi......ILLIGITIMA NON CARBORUNDUM..... -that's 4U Dad!))
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To: Boardwalk

“The liberals are using stuff like at least 0bama wasn’t “in a classroom reading to some kids, responding with a blank stare while our country was being attacked.”


No stupid libs, he only waited 8 DAYS.


29 posted on 05/01/2010 3:43:35 PM PDT by CommieCutter (..If you think about it they are all sucker rallies...the pros know when to get out...-- Hojczyk)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

0Bama should order that equipment needed to
dig a relief well,
be moved to the area.

to not do so, is negligence


30 posted on 05/01/2010 3:44:26 PM PDT by element92
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

The environment died while the Obama’s had a long-needed vacation last weekend.


31 posted on 05/01/2010 3:46:25 PM PDT by keepitreal ( Don't tread on me.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano acknowledging even as late as Thursday afternoon that she did not know if the Defense Department even had equipment that might be helpful....

Madame Secretary, it is your business to find out such things. Have your people make a few calls....

32 posted on 05/01/2010 3:49:53 PM PDT by keepitreal ( Don't tread on me.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Oh no, the “Spill Baby Spill” trolls are out in full force mocking Sarah Palin and defending zer0.


33 posted on 05/01/2010 4:00:40 PM PDT by CajunConservative (Shut Up Mary!)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

IT WAS LANDRIEU AND NAGIN’S KATRINA


34 posted on 05/01/2010 4:15:05 PM PDT by Carley (I'll keep clinging to the constitution, my guns and my religion, thank you.)
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To: ataDude

It’s Saturday. One day a week the Slimes prints the truth because no one buys or reads the paper.


35 posted on 05/01/2010 4:15:55 PM PDT by Carley (I'll keep clinging to the constitution, my guns and my religion, thank you.)
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To: jimbo123

Well done. ;)


36 posted on 05/01/2010 4:18:03 PM PDT by PghBaldy (Like the Ft Hood Killer, James Earl Ray was just stressed when he killed MLK Jr.)
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To: Conservativism

No one in DC cares about the Gulf of Mexico, it’s all gun clutching rednecks after all, right ?


37 posted on 05/01/2010 4:37:24 PM PDT by 1066AD
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

While the OIL continued to Gush unrestrained today! OBOZO HUSSEIN continued to Fiddle!OBOZO rode his MUSLIM Flying Carpet up to Michigan so he could ramble and rant about Rush Limbauhg and Gleen Beck to a CommencementCrowd and then back to D.C. for an evening of Free Booze and Entertainmentwith Jay Leno and the cozy Main Stream Media Leeches! The Guy (OBOZO HUSSEIN) is a Moronic Talking PARROT!


38 posted on 05/01/2010 4:41:52 PM PDT by True Republican Patriot (May GOD Continue to BLESS Our Great President George W. Bush!!)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Yep Obama waitd too long to do anything and now the coastlines of several gulf states are at risk. This is worse than Katrina to me, at least with Katrina people had a 5 day notice to evacuate. Obama waited what 9 days before even saying anything?


39 posted on 05/01/2010 4:46:45 PM PDT by chris_bdba
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

I would like to take this moment to raise a question that I am asking of quite a few...

Does the timing of this disaster seem a bit...convenient? And no, I am not suggesting that BO is behind it. What I AM suggesting is that his campaign-worthy blatherings about nukes and drilling might have driven the fringe over the edge. Is it possible that our very own “enviro-terrorists” (read: criminals) could have been behind it? They aren’t going to take credit (THIS time) because it suits their purpose to have the world think it’s BP’s fault. If it were ever known to be the work of a terrorist group, it would drive sympathy for BP and even MORE hatred for them.

These platforms are supremely safe and NO company is going to put itself in this position for any reason.

I’m just sayin’...


40 posted on 05/01/2010 6:58:13 PM PDT by 13Sisters76 ("It is amazing how many people mistake a certain hip snideness for sophistication. " Thos. Sowell)
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