Jun 23 2010
Today, President Obama accepted the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, mostly due to remarks attributed to the general and his staff in this Rolling Stone article. He nominated General David Petraeus to replace General McChrystal.
A transcript of the President’s remarks follows the break.
Jun 22 2010
A federal judge in New Orleans (who, by the way, owns stock in several offshore oil drilling companies) has blocked the Obama administration’s six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico…
Judge blocks Gulf offshore drilling moratorium
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A federal judge in New Orleans on Tuesday blocked a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling projects imposed in response to the massive Gulf oil spill.
The White House promised an immediate appeal. President Barack Obama’s administration had halted approval of any new permits for deepwater drilling and suspended drilling of 33 exploratory wells in the Gulf.
Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama believes strongly that drilling at such depths does not make any sense and puts the safety of workers “at a danger that the president does not believe we can afford.”
Several companies that ferry people and supplies and provide other services to offshore drilling rigs asked U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans to overturn the moratorium, arguing it was arbitrarily imposed.
Feldman agreed, saying in his ruling the Interior Department seemed to assume that because one rig failed, all companies and rigs doing deepwater drilling pose an imminent danger.
Until the exact cause of the “accident” on April 20 that resulted in the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico is determined and steps are taken to ensure that such an accident does not occur again (or, if it does, the industry is prepared to deal with it), all companies and rigs doing deepwater drilling do pose an imminent danger.
It is interesting that the very Republicans who are now demanding that the Obama administration “fix” the catastrophe now unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico are the very people cheering this decision by this activist judge. Heavens forbid we have another blowout, but, if we do, the spin that will be put on it by these politicians will be nothing short of amazing.
UPDATE:
White House Will Appeal Decision Blocking Oil Drilling Moratorium
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said this afternoon that the Obama administration will “immediately” appeal a judge’s decision to block the administration’s six-month moratorium on offshore drilling put into place following the Gulf oil spill.
“We will immediately appeal to the 5th circuit,” Gibbs said. “The president continues to believe that … continuing to drill at these depths without knowing what happened does not make any sense.”
Gibbs said Mr. Obama believes that drilling without more knowledge of what went wrong on the Deepwater Horizon rig puts the safety of workers at risk and that’s a “danger the president doesn’t believe we can afford right now.”
Jun 20 2010
President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was the guest on ABC’s “This Week” this morning. He reminded everybody of the Republican party’s governing philosophy and what will happen if that party is ever allowed back into power. Watch:
That’s not a political gaffe, those are prepared remarks. That is a philosophy. That is an approach to what they see. They see the aggrieved party here as BP, not the fishermen.
Jun 19 2010
Colbert I. King (Washington Post) has penned perhaps the best Father’s Day column of the year. Food for thought…
On Father’s Day, hypocrites are all in the family
Family, marriage and the contribution of fathers come together as topics for reflection on Father’s Day. So I’d like to know why Barack Obama, a husband and a father in a family structure that encompasses bonds deemed essential to our society, is constantly and savagely attacked by conservative leaders whose personal circumstances undermine the family values they espouse?
Consider Obama: Raised by a single mother in a middle-class family where hard work and education were watchwords, Obama graduated from two of the top schools in the country, Columbia University and Harvard Law School. His legal scholarship was recognized when he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He married and, equally important, has stayed married to Michelle Robinson, a Princeton graduate and Harvard Law alumna. He lives with his wife, two children and his mother-in-law. Obama: constitutional law professor, civil rights lawyer, state legislator, U.S. senator, 44th U.S. president, family man.
Now let’s turn to Obama’s foremost critics: Rush Hudson Limbaugh III, Newton Leroy Gingrich and Sarah [Louise] Palin.
Click on the column’s title to continue reading.
Jun 19 2010
“Republicans Blocking Progress”
From the White House weblog:
The President calls on Republicans in Congress to put scoring political points aside, and instead to focus on solving the problems facing the nation. At the time of this address, the Republican leadership is blocking progress on a bill to boost the economy, retain jobs for teachers and cops, and help people buy their first home; another bill which would hold oil companies accountable for any disasters they cause by removing the current $75 million liability cap; and 136 highly qualified men and women who have been nominated to government positions.
Click below to listen to the audio only:
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The transcript of the president’s weekly address, as prepared for delivery, is available after the break.
Jun 18 2010
“As I said before, people in the Gulf are suffering from BP’s negligence and recklessness. Republicans in Congress are apologizing to BP.” — Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Transcript from the video:
Jun 18 2010
Click away…
As always, our thanks go to the talented and observant cartoonists who, each week, help us smile through the pain.
Bonus video (may not be viewable outside of the United States):
Jun 17 2010
Watch as Rep. Joe Barton (Republican, Texas) apologizes to BP CEO Tony Hayward (I hope you’ve already had lunch):
Really, Joe?
I think he’s serious. He looks serious. And he sure sounds whiny.
Judging from Mr. Hayward’s composure during Mr. Barton’s remarks, even he was embarrassed.
Response from the White House:
“What is shameful is that Joe Barton seems to have more concern for big corporations that caused this disaster than the fishermen, small business owners and communities whose lives have been devastated by the destruction. Congressman Barton may think that a fund to compensate these Americans is a ‘tragedy’, but most Americans know that the real tragedy is what the men and women of the Gulf Coast are going through right now. Members from both parties should repudiate his comments.”
From the DNC:
“While the President has gotten BP to rightfully apologize to the American people for their reckless behavior, their inexcusable response and their insulting approach, Republicans are apologizing to BP. Republicans could not have this more backward, and it raises serious questions as to why they are on the side of BP and the oil companies instead of that of the American people. The only people Republicans and Joe Barton should be apologizing to are the people of the Gulf who they’ve turned their backs on to defend BP.”
P.S. Remember that if by some fluke the Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives this fall, Representative Barton is in line to become Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee (which oversees big oil).
Jun 16 2010
President Obama met with the executives of BP Oil at the White House today. Here are his remarks following that meeting:
Transcript after the break.
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