ABCNEWS: While Oil Slick Spread, Interior Dept Chief of Staff Rafted with Wife

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/05/while-oil-slick-spread-interior-department-chief-of-staff-rafted-with-wife-in-grand-canyon-.html ^

[kcvl]

Though his agency was charged with coordinating the federal response to the major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Department of the Interior chief of staff Tom Strickland was in the Grand Canyon with his wife last week participating in activities that included white-water rafting, ABC News has learned.

Other leaders of the Interior Department were focused on the Gulf, joined by other agencies and literally thousands of other employees. But Strickland’s participation in a trip that administration officials insisted was “work-focused” raised eyebrows among other Obama administration officials and even within even his own department, sources told ABC News.

Strickland, who also serves as Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, was in the Grand Canyon with his wife Beth for a total of three days, including one day of rafting. Beth Strickland paid her own way, Obama administration officials said.

The Stricklands departed for the Grand Canyon three days after the leaks in the Deepwater Horizon pipeline were discovered. Ultimately, after the government realized that the spill was worse than had been previously thought, officials decided that Strickland was needed in the Gulf so Strickland was taken out of the Grand Canyon by a National Park Service helicopter.

One government official, asking for anonymity because of the political sensitivities involved, told ABC News that some Interior Department employees thought it was “irresponsible” for Strickland to have gone on the trip, given the crisis in the Gulf, which was fully apparent at the time he departed for the Grand Canyon.

When asked about Strickland’s trip, Interior Department press secretary Kendra Barkoff told ABC News that “the federal government has been all over this issue from day one in a unified coordinated response.”

[OldDeckHand]

Great, it's on their blog Do they have the courage to report this on their evening newscast?

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Was the trip at taxpayer expense???????????

[rae4palin]

“Heck of a job, Brownie.”

[Mr. K]

And WHERE WAS BUSH when all this was happening. Bush is the head of the administration so all responsibility belongs straight in Bush’s lap. Bush picked these people and so he is in charge of them. How can Bush let the nation suffer like this? Why hasn’t Bush called out FEMA to demand action? This is all Bush’s responsibilty!

I mean Obama.

[Nachum]

The list, ping

[EGPWS]

Though his agency was charged with coordinating the federal response to the major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Department of the Interior chief of staff Tom Strickland was in the Grand Canyon with his wife last week participating in activities that included white-water rafting, ABC News has learned.

The buck stops with the messiah.

[Rebelbase]

Beat me to it.

[EGPWS]

Was the trip at taxpayer expense???????????

Only if you make more than $250,000/yr. /s

[CIB-173RDABN]

As Rush said in his recent commentaries, this “regime” does not solve problems, they just use them to advance their political agenda. So it does not really matter where the Chief of Staff is.

The short term goal is to have a reason to not approve any new off shore drilling (at least by the US) the long term goal is to shut down all existing off shore drilling (again only by the US).

[Spunky]

"Kendra Barkoff told ABC News that “the federal government has been all over this issue from day one in a unified coordinated response.”

They all have the same lying points.

[JaguarXKE]

Nothing to see here, move along!

[giotto]

Great, it's on their blog Do they have the courage to report this on their evening newscast?

That's what I noticed--It's blogs.abcnews.com.

For the past 20 years, my only reason for reading or watching the MSM has been to gauge the level of bias.

[Cyropaedia]

The buck stops with the messiah.

Sorry, but these types of decisions are above his "paygrade".

[keepitreal]

Strickland is a Colorado political hack and BFF of Ken Salazar, former idiot Senator. This job was just a perk for being a friend of old Ken. I doubt Strickland thought he would ever have to really work (kind of like Obama).

[EGPWS]

Sorry, but these types of decisions are above his "paygrade".

I'm sorry but "that's simply not true" for it would be "a game changer" and since he "saved or created" bunches of jobs, "let me be clear" that although he isn't "held accountable" for the "worst economy since the great depression", this decision should be a decision to "restore our reputation" and although "there are those who say" that he could bring us "back from the brink" with his "transparency", IMO that would be "unprecedented".

The "previous administration" should be "held accountable". ; )

[Carlucci]

Obama chilled, oil spilled.

[A.A. Cunningham]

ABC

[kcvl]

Tom Strickland is an American lawyer (lobbyist-lawyer).

I'm sure that qualifies him for something. /s

On April 24, 2007, he was appointed executive vice president and chief legal officer of UnitedHealth Group, a diversified health and well-being company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and serving more than 70 million individuals nationwide.

******

while his agency was coordinating the federal oil spill response, the chief of staff of the Department of the Interior, Tom Strickland, took a "work-related" whitewater rafting trip in the Grand Canyon with his wife.

“The Stricklands departed for the Grand Canyon three days after the leaks in the Deepwater Horizon pipeline were discovered.” In other words, well after it was clear that a major commercial-economic disaster was unfolding in the Gulf – Strickland went on his trip.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Thank you. [Laugh or cry?]

I remember being angry during Katrina when Bush’s Interior Secretary wanted to finish one meal. Hah!