Just a few days ago, the often brilliant John Cole said that the wingnuts were getting so predictable in their response to ANYTHING, that in any situation we could pre-mock them before they ever said a word.
In keeping with that very true statement, let's take a look at the disaster that is continuing to unfold in the Gulf of Mexico and apply Mr. Cole's theory.
Here is an article from Paul Krugman posted in the early morning at 9:30 AM on April 30.
The Oil Spill Is Obama’s Fault
The Oil Spill Is Obama’s Fault
No, I haven’t lost my mind — that’s not what I believe. But you know that’s what the talk-show hosts will be saying soon, if they haven’t already started. The only question is what the story will be.
Will it be claims that liberals and/or scientific conspirators sabotaged the rig, to undermine good Americans who want to drillheredrillnow? (Michael Crichton already wrote that novel).
Will it be that oil workers, demoralized by the march of socialism, fell into despair and let the accident happen?
Will it be claims that since this didn’t happen under Bush, it obviously shows that Obamanomics is responsible?
I don’t know. But you know something along these lines is coming.
Well, yeah Paul. Just like Republican's calling for the repeal of rich people's taxes and death, it is inevitable.
At 8:10 that evening, John at Powerline, American's 2nd shittiest website (h/t SadlyNo), posts this:
IS IT OBAMA'S FAULT?
Tonight I was listening to Hugh Hewitt as I drove to the grocery store, and got so engrossed that I missed my exit. What was so interesting? Hugh was arguing that the Obama administration failed to respond promptly to the oil spill in the Gulf, and that its belated response was inadequate.
Is that a fair charge? Normally, I would be slow to blame government at any level for a natural (or, as here, man-made) disaster. But the basic facts are curious: the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 21, nine days ago. This was no minor event; at least 11 workers were killed. The resulting oil slick has been evident, covering many miles, for some days now. Yet the federal response lagged.
There is a basic difference between this incident and Hurricane Katrina, to which it is being compared. In the case of Katrina, the primary responsibility for disaster response lay with the local and state governments. The local response was very poor; among other things, the governor of Louisiana was slow to call out the National Guard. Here, responsibility lay with the Obama administration from the beginning. State and local governments have no jurisdiction and no ability to deal with an oil spill miles out to sea. Only the federal government can act. It didn't, until, perhaps, it was too late.
Should more have been done, sooner? It is way too early to tell. The facts will emerge over the next several years. But the Obama administration's response does seem to have been oddly slow. Today, efforts to contain the spill have been hampered by high winds and choppy seas.
High winds and choppy seas frustrated efforts to hold back the oil spill seeping into Louisiana's rich fishing grounds and nesting areas Friday, and the government desperately cast about for new ideas for dealing with the nation's biggest environmental crisis in decades. ...
The seas were too rough and the winds too strong Friday to burn off the oil, suck it up effectively with skimmer vessels, or hold it in check with the miles of orange and yellow inflatable booms strung along the coast.
The floating barriers broke loose in the choppy water, and waves sent oily water lapping over them.
But what if these efforts had been made three or four days ago, when the oil slick was smaller and farther out to sea? It may turn out that the Obama administration's mysterious slowness in swinging into action was a critical failure that resulted in far greater environmental and economic damage.
So far, the Obama administration seems to have focused more on passing the buck than on containing the oil spill. The administration has told us, over and over, that British Petroleum is responsible for the accident and ultimately will pay the bills. Perhaps so. But those of us who have worked in the civil justice system for many years are well aware of the uncertainty of such predictions. More fundamentally, it is absurd for Barack Obama and Eric Holder to claim that the damage caused by this oil spill is of little concern because someday, British Petroleum may write a number of checks. Animals will be killed, livelihoods of fishermen and others will be destroyed, beaches will be fouled, untold damage will be done. The federal government has the unique responsibility to prevent that damage, if it can. Hoping to collect damages years later is hardly an adequate substitute.
It is too early to tell how extensive the damage will be, or to what extent the Obama administration failed to carry out its most basic duties. All we can say for the moment is that serious questions have been raised.
Heh! I was Bolding. Cool!
Yes, my friends. Serious questions have been raised.
o Was Obamee born in Kenya?
o Where is the birth certificate the State of Hawaii has already presented to all of us many moons ago and can be seen with your own lying eyes on the intertubes?
o Obamee is really a Muslim! (OK, that's not a question, it's a know fact for those that are not only entitled to their own opinions, but also entitled to making up their own facts.)
o Is the health care bill passed by the Socialist Facist's of America, AKA the Democrat Party, the end of the world as we know it?
o If you rub two wingnuts together really fast over an extended period of time, will they burst into flame faster than if they just keep lying about anything and everything concerning President Obama?
Yes, serious stupid friggin' questions have been raised.
So. Sure, we can pre-mock them. However, it isn't funny and not many are listening.
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Gulf Coast dreads oil spill's creep toward shores
President Barack Obama planned to visit the Gulf Coast on Sunday to assess the response to a massive oil slick that keeps growing and creeping toward American shores from Louisiana to Florida.
Efforts to stem the flow from the ruptured well on the sea floor and remove oil from the surface by skimming it, burning it or disperse it with chemicals continued with little success. Adding to the gloomy outlook were warnings from experts that an uncontrolled gusher could create a nightmare scenario if the Gulf Stream current carries it toward the Atlantic.
There is growing criticism that the government and oil company BP PLC should have done more to stave off the disaster, which cast a pall over the region's economy and fragile environment. Moving to blunt criticism that the Obama administration has been slow in reacting to the largest U.S. crude oil spill in decades, the White House dispatched two Cabinet members to make the rounds of the Sunday television talk shows.
"These people, we've been beaten down, disaster after disaster," said Matt O'Brien of Venice, whose fledgling wholesale shrimp dock business is under threat from the spill.
"They've all got a long stare in their eye," he said. "They come asking me what I think's going to happen. I ain't got no answers for them. I ain't got no answers for my investors. I ain't got no answers."
He wasn't alone. As the spill surged toward disastrous proportions, critical questions lingered: Who created the conditions that caused the gusher? Did BP and the government react robustly enough in its early days? And, most important, how can it be stopped before the damage gets worse?
The April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon exploration rig killed 11 workers and the subsequent flow of oil threatens beaches, fragile marshes and marine mammals, along with fishing grounds that are among the world's most productive.
The Coast Guard conceded Saturday that it's nearly impossible to know how much oil has gushed since the blast, after saying earlier it was at least 1.6 million gallons — equivalent to about 2 1/2 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Bolding, me, again.
There is growing criticism! Ooooooh! From who, oh intrepid journalists?
The Government? Did they or didn't they allow this to happen? Ooooooh! Takin' a poke at the current administration!
Well, yeah assholes. They Gub'mint DID allow this to happen! From Ronald Reagan through to GW Bush, every REPUBLICAN administration has relaxed regulations and oversight of the entire Corporate Structure in America, allowing things like mine disasters and oil catastrophe to happen as part of their ANYTHING FOR CORPORATE AND PERSONAL PROFIT World Tour™!
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Lest we forget, there are many other living creatures that are beginning to see the shit storm of man-made catastrophe that is rearing it's ugly oily head in their habitat. The consequences of this thick crude armageddon won't be known for some time, but I have some news for John Boehner.
This is what Armageddon looks like, fucker! It's not when people try to help other people with making sure we all have access to affordable health care. It's when people fuck over anything and everything standing in their way in order to make a buck.
Scientists fear for birds and endangered turtles in Gulf of Mexico oil spill
Scientists say the worst is yet to come for Gulf Coast animals exposed to the devastating oil spill.
The full extent of the devastation won't be seen until the oil has washed ashore, which could happen Sunday or Monday.
So far there have been no confirmed animal deaths, but that won't last, said Michael Ziccardi, director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network in California, who traveled to the Gulf Coast to oversee wildlife rescue teams.
"We hope the number is not catastrophic," he said. "We're hoping for the best but planning for the worst."
The animals threatened most by the spill are bluefin tuna, sea turtles, brown pelicans, shrimp and sharks.
Oil seeps into birds' feathers and impairs body insulation, exposing them to cold and making it difficult for them to move. They also wind up ingesting oil, which tears up their digestive tracks.
"There are certain songbirds and shorebirds that are going through their peak migratory period," Ziccardi said, pointing out that the spill came at a terrible time of year. "There are other birds for which this is a nesting and egg-laying period."
Turtles are also in the process of nesting in the gulf, he said, and bluefin are in the early stages of the spawning season.
The world's most endangered sea turtle, the Kemp's Ridley, only nests in the western Gulf. One of their major feeding grounds is in the area of the oil spill, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
We all know that the Obama Administration is going to take the brunt of the damage from this disaster just as sure as the sun rises in the east.
The Corporate Media will make sure that people hear nothing but the message that the Obama Administration didn't react quickly enough over the coming days and weeks. No matter how much the administration pushes back against this obvious lie, no matter their bully pulpit, the Corporate Media will prevail. Their bully pulpit is unmatched.
They have been throwing some ridiculous shit at the wall and hoping it would stick for well over a year now, doing anything they could to bring down a President that actually spends a good amount of his time trying to help the people of America. Well, this time they have a disaster that in reality should damn the Republican's in the eyes of all Americans due to their very ideology. Instead, reality isn't what our once precious media deals in anymore.
That oily, greasy, nasty goo is going to stick to the wall this time, I fear.
We as individuals have to work hard to deflect as much of the damage as we personally can in our communities, but it is going to stick.
I'm so sorry we've come to this point in our country. Damn shame. It was a nice ride for a couple of hundred years.