Not to beat a dead horse...

Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but I have more thoughts on the oil spill. First I want to give Obama credit where credit is due. I criticized his public response to the oil spill last week. However, in the past week, he has had several impressive press conferences that have helped satisfy. I know that Obama was doing all he could behind the scenes. My only gripe was I wanted him to show more heart. I wanted him to be on the ground with environmentalists, in the air with local law enforcement officials in a helicopter surveying the scene, and basically camp out in Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. I think he has finally gotten the message and I appreciate it. I have however enjoyed the incredibly foolish comments by BP CEO Tony Hayward. First, he lied to the media and said only 1000-5000 barrels of oil a day were being linked. Actually, about 15,000 barrels a day are being leaked. While trying to downplay the spill, Hayward said, "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." A few days later, still trying to downplay the situation Hayward said, "the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest." How about the story a few days ago in the paper about all the workers getting sick. Naturally, Hayward said, "food poisoning is clearly a big issue". I could go on... but I think you get it. Of course, one thing that is interesting is that conservatives are struggling to critize Obama. They can offer vague criticisms like, "We want a quicker response, " but for the most part, they have to bite their tongue. They know darn well that one of the reasons behind the magnitude of this spill is because of the incredible loosening of regulations under the Bush administration. You have fiscal conservatives who for years have been furious at the federal government for taking any action that might limit oil companies. Where are all the conservatives who wanted to get rid of the EPA and give oil companies any tool they needed to make more money? They are all silent.