People, people, people! You MUST stop watching Fox News unless you do so purely to point and laugh. It’s NOT REAL NEWS and that has been proven repeatedly.
Of all the goofy comments that people have submitted to this blog, the comments on the BP spill are prize worthy.
Fox still making blatantly false claim that U.S. has “not accepted” international help in Gulf
Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson falsely claimed that “international help has been offered, but not accepted” for the Gulf oil spill response, citing the Jones Act, which she speculated that President Obama has not waived because of union pressure. In fact, the National Incident Commander has repeatedly stated that foreign vessels are operating in the Gulf, that they have not yet “seen any need to waive the Jones Act,” and that they are prepared to process case-by-case waivers if needed.
Carlson falsely claims “international help has been offered, but not accepted”
There is no need for Obama to waive the Jones Act because foreign vessels are exempt. See 55113 of the Jones Act.
From U.S. Politics Today
HARAHAN, La., June 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Recent news stories have been erroneously reporting that foreign skimming vessels are not able to work on the BP oil spill cleanup because of the Jones Act. These reports are incorrect. The Jones Act does not apply and therefore does not prevent foreign vessels from working on oil skimming operations in waters beyond the state’s three-mile limit. In fact, a number of foreign vessels have been working at the scene for some time.
For skimming activities within any state’s three-mile limit, longstanding and established law says that any such work, including the skimming activity, must be performed by a U.S. vessel, if one is available. If a U.S. vessel is not available, there is a waiver process that can be used to bring in foreign vessels. We are not yet aware of any waiver request being made because a U.S. vessel is not available. The important distinction is that under the Jones Act, foreign vessels may be used only if U.S. vessels are not available. MORE…
From Media Matters
Q: There are many people who say that the best dredgers and skimmers in the world come from countries like the Netherlands and France and that they can’t — they’re not being asked to come in because of the Jones Act. Is that the case? And why not get around that, suspend that, so you can bring that other you know technology in?
ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, first of all, those are source countries. That’s correct, they’re available. But we are using them. We are dealing with folks like Norway, the Netherlands, Canada and other places. Anyplace that’s got skimming capability that’s available, we’re willing to talk to them, and we actually have, in some cases, actually transferred the equipment down and will continue to do that.
If it gets — if it gets to the point where there’s a Jones Act required, we’re willing to do that, too. Nobody’s come to me with a request for a Jones Act waiver, but any skimming capability we can bring in, we’re looking for.
Q: So are the actual boats being brought in or just the equipment?
ADMIRAL ALLEN: Well, in some cases it’s the skimmer itself. In some cases, the skimming equipment is organic to the vessel itself. It depends on what you’re talking about. To my knowledge, what we brought in is actually skimming equipment rather than the vessels themselves, but we can give you a detailed listing.
Watch for it: The next thing FAUX News will say is that Obama is slighting American vessels by allowing foreign ones to help.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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Here's the mission statement for Media Matters:
Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.
Yeah, they sure sound like a reliable, unbiased source of information…. kind of like Daily Kos!
Sorry, we just can't ignore the overwhelming evidence that Obama is an inept leader (but probably becoming a better golfer) and the Democrats have managed to screw up both the economy and the environment.
The issue you first brought up was the lie perpetuated by FAUX News that Obama won't let foreign countries help with the spill and the additional bull about the Unions.
So, when I prove that you were wrong about that, you switch to other topics. You can click on the Jones Act and read it for yourself. You can see that 23% of the vessels involved are foreign. There are other sources in the post besides Media Matters.
Your original charge about the BP spill response was false. PERIOD. WRONG. Now you want to pull a bait and switch and make broad sweeping statements. Next you will pull out the ad hominem attacks.
TXsharon, they don't care about facts. Facts never matter to them. But, I know they matter to you so this is for you.
When it quits being Bush's fault, then we'll quit blaming Bush. We aren't there yet.
Cheney's Last Laugh: The Deepwater Horizon disaster raises new questions about the Bush administration's secret energy task force.
Job creation by president
* (D) Roosevelt 5.3
* (D) Johnson 3.8
* (D) Carter 3.1
* (D) Truman 2.5
* (D) Clinton 2.4
* (D) Kennedy 2.3
* (R) Nixon 2.2
* (R) Reagan 2.1
* (R) Coolidge 1.1
* (R) Ford 1.1
* (R) Eisenhower 0.9
* (R) G. Bush 0.6
* (R) G.W. Bush -0.7
* (R) Hoover -9.0
note: numbers are in percent
National Debt by President
i know this is not the topic but i think it is also funny how they love to call Obama a Socialist. true Socialists hate that.
i don't know how to make these a link.
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=287457
"Letter: Obama does not rank with true socialists
FROM ROBERT YUNK 815 ROSE ST.
Advertisement
As a socialist and follower of Karl Marx, I resent the moderate pro-business capitalist-saver Barack Obama being called a socialist and communist by tea party fanatics such as Mr. Eric Sheaffer (letter, June 21).
Obama has bailed out the pigs at the barnyard called Wall Street and saved the big banks who prey on the American people by charging outrageous fees.
He signed a health care bill that is wishy-washy and will help pharmaceutical companies and medical conglomerates. He has invaded Afghanistan and not ended the capitalist war in Iraq, aiding merchants of death such as Halliburton.
So give us Socialist pinkos and fellow travelers a break and quit calling Obama a socialist. Those who do dishonor true socialists like Jesus, Gene Debbs, Mother Jones and Fidel Castro."
even the Washington Post… http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/13/AR2009031301899.html
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28645
it would be funny if it were not so sad. we need good, accurate information so we can make better decisions.
There are legitimate criticism of Obama but saying the bull about the Jones Act and saying he is a Socialist are not legitimate. He bailed out Wall Street and watered down the health care bill. How is that a Socialist? Also, I can't see that the criticism of the economy is legitimate. It's actually hilarious when they blame the national debt on him and talk about his golfing. Honestly, I don't think he needs to be out playing golf much but by comparison… POT CALLS KETTLE BLACK. LOL
I'm deeply concerned that we will lose any ground we have gained with strengthening the EPA if Obama is not re-elected. That would be tragic for Texans.
Oh well, this country is so divided that I think it's hopeless. I don't see that our children have much of a chance.
Sharon, I never mentioned the fact that the Obama administration declined help from the Netherlands and other countries because they did not take the spill seriously, that was someone else that finds their handling of this issue totally inept(someone else that disagrees with you). So, you have not proved me wrong about anything. I did use broad statements because the big picture is what matters: economy in the doldrums, government spending out of control, environmental disaster in the Gulf, war in going badly, pending tax increases, etc. These are the reasons that the Congressional Democrats will get removed from office in November.
So are you the anonymous poster who made the statement about the Jones Act then? That statement was wrong.
Funny, it's hard to tell one anonymous poster from another but the IP address is the same. Just another fact.
No, Sharon, I said nothing about the Jones Act. Check your IP addresses again.
"Pot calls kettle black" regarding golf? Sorry, I don't golf. But whether it's golf, or participating in old Beetles' concerts, or shooting hoops, the bottom line is that our campaigner in chief is a dismal failure at being President.
Do not feel hopeless. We will recover from this Obama disaster (just two more years). Our capitalist values will survive and economy will recover. Our children will have the opportunity for a bright future.
Even the evangelicals have admitted that the capitalist approach alone won't work. You know, GREED IS A SIN and all that. People are catching on–slowly but surely.
IPs don't lie.
Dear Slow-on-the-uptake Anonymous poster:
I think TX was referring to George H.W. Bush who took more vacations than any president in history with the POT and KETTLE reference.
Who can forget the now famous quote: "Now watch this drive." George Bush
As TX often says: "Try to keep up."
Well Larry, Sharon guessed wrong, I
m not H.W., but I'm quite honored to be placed in his company – quite likely the most accomplished man of his generation.
You are thick as a brick.