UPDATE: McCain cancels visit to oil rig as thousands of gallons of fuel spill

In an attempt to get media attention directed away from Barack Obama and toward his pro-business, pro-oil drilling policies, John McCain announced that he planned to deliver an address from an oil rig in Louisiana.

According to a report from Politico.com's Jonathan Martin, McCain wanted to get a photo op to counter Obama's European trip.

Meanwhile, today (after McCain's plans were leaked to the media), we find out that a massive oil spill has shut down the Mississippi River.

UPDATED: McCain canceled his trip.  Will be in Ohio instead.

•  tips for real energy independence

  by Benintn on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:32:31 PM PDT

  •  Free oil for anyone who can skim it off the water

    It's about time the oil companies started giving back to the American people. =)

    by ludwig van brickoven on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:34:49 PM PDT

    •  backyard refineries nt

      by ThirstyGator on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:37:35 PM PDT

  •  Again

    we couldn't make this shit up. While an oil spill is not funny, the fact that it killed McCain's publicity stunt AND showed why offshore drilling is a bad idea is HILARIOUS!

    by Muzikal203 on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:36:45 PM PDT

    •  however ...

      the ignorant sonsabitches who believe offshore drilling is a GOOD idea will choose not to see the connection between this and that.

      We'll need to content ourselves with schadenfreude, I'm afraid.

      by ThirstyGator on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:39:04 PM PDT

  •  IT'S CANCELLED

    per Drudge. Due to weather.

    by karpaty lviv on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:43:34 PM PDT

•  Rig visit canceled

  According to the Drudge Report, someone finally intervened and decided it was not a good idea to visit while Huricane Dolly is not far away.

  UPDATE: MCCAIN RIG VISIT CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER... DEVELOPING...
  Planned Obama/Berlin counterprogram with visit to Gulf Coast oil rig...

  Team McCain is surely run by the Republican B-team.

  by RandySF on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:32:33 PM PDT

  •  Ah & what did they say about

    how well the rigs held up during Katrina????????

    From the diarists referenced article:

    However, the spill is much smaller than the ones that followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the Coast Guard estimated that more than 7 million gallons of oil were dumped into the Mississippi and nearby waterways.

    McCrap is jeopardizing our coastlines to win an election.  What a piece of ...

    by pattisigh on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:39:41 PM PDT

  •  Will they blame it on Global Warming?

    by karpaty lviv on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:44:09 PM PDT

•  it's now been cancelled due to weather

  by slinkerwink on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:32:45 PM PDT

  •  yeah, weather. That's the ticket.

    Like when the half-full flight gets canceled.  Has nothing to do with it being half-full, it's weather.

    by ThirstyGator on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:36:33 PM PDT

    •  There *is* a hurricane in the Gulf -nt-

      by yesivotedforbush on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:40:40 PM PDT

      •  yes. several hundred miles away. nt

        and when they cancel the flight, there's almost always a rainstorm SOMEWHERE between where I am and where I'm ticketed to go.

        maybe it's honesty, maybe not.  

        by ThirstyGator on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:43:44 PM PDT

      •  In the Gulf between his ears.

        When he has spent his entire recent campaign handing out this disingenuous bullshit we/I are/am going to be suspicious of his assertions.

        NOLA NAS Forecast for Thur:

        Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. High around 90F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

        Gimme a break

        by MrDeadeye2U on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:49:24 PM PDT

  •  Whether or not they can get the spill cleaned,

    by MrDeadeye2U on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:40:00 PM PDT

  •  Good for him actually

    The only question was whether this would be worse than his infamous "Dehydrated babies" speech.

    by skywaker9 on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:43:17 PM PDT

•  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/23/152437/06

  Just saying..

  by DiegoUK on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:33:08 PM PDT

  •  I didn't see the oil spil bit though

    Good find :)

    by DiegoUK on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:33:58 PM PDT

•  Sign, sign,

  everywhere a sign.

  by operculum on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:37:31 PM PDT

  •  mucking up the fisheries

    during high tides. . .

    by zic on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:38:32 PM PDT

  •  blowin' my mind. nt

    by MrDeadeye2U on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:40:42 PM PDT

•  I don't think an oil spill should

  be coined 'poetic justice.

  It has too much of a negative impact on an already devastated area.

  No disrespect, BTW.

  :::::

  by nowheredesign on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:39:43 PM PDT

  •  not to mention

    that's our drinking water!!

    by alpelican on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:48:51 PM PDT

•  Good catch

  this is my favorite part:

  However, the spill is much smaller than the ones that followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the Coast Guard estimated that more than 7 million gallons of oil were dumped into the Mississippi and nearby waterways.

  But....but....there were no oil spills during Katrina!/snark

  by A Chicagoan in Naples on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:40:32 PM PDT

•  Exactly how

  can a barge going 3 mph collide with a ship going 6 mph?  It is astounding how things like that can happen.  

  Disclaimer:  I have no idea how fast they were going, but it seems like boating collisions are a case of gross incompetence.

  by rebeleyeball on Wed Jul 23, 2008 at 12:51:28 PM PDT