By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Following up on my oil spill post of earlier this week, things just keep spinning out of control for the Obama administration. The president jaunted down to the Gulf Coast for his second post-Deepwater Horizon spill visit. The Obama White House is watching public support drop as more voters wonder if he is fiddling while the Gulf Coast burns. But Mr. Obama cannot have been helped by a fellow Democrat, Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.), who broke down in tears while trying to read a statement at a House Energy subcommittee meeting yesterday.
[See which industries donated the most to Melancon.]
Just the picture of this Dixiecrat calling the wetlands in his home district "America's wetlands" and describing how a whole way of life has been destroyed by the BP offshore oil rig spill was enough to send his audience running for the Kleenex box. He talked about a rural culture based on hunting and fishing that will go the way of Tara due to the environmental destruction wreaked by spilled oil.
Meanwhile even as the nation watches, fingers crossed, the attempt to cap the leak, the disaster has been dubbed the worst oil spill in American history.
[See which members of Congress get the most money from the oil and gas industry.]
One can only hope President Obama's moratorium on more offshore drilling will soon become permanent.
- Check out our editorial cartoons on the Gulf oil spill.
- Follow the money in Congress.
- Read more coverage of the political stories of the year.
Reader Comments Read all comments (14)
Robert Brown of WA 7:58AM June 17, 2010
john doe of FL 12:41AM June 10, 2010
jerrbarn of LA 4:39PM June 01, 2010