So I sneak up behind Biden and say: "Guess who?"
From Obi One the Hopey's press conference today:
Yesterday the federal government gave BP approval to move forward with a procedure … to try to stop the leak.
…The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort.
…But make no mistake: BP is operating at our direction. Every key decision and action they take must be approved by us in advance. I've designated Admiral Thad Allen, who has nearly four decades of experience responding to such disasters, as the national incident commander. And if he orders BP to do something to respond to this disaster, they are legally bound to do it.
Now, I'm not a lawyer. I don't even play one on TV, but to me, it sounds like Obama is making the US government joint and severally liable for the results of this spill and the subsequent clean up, or lack thereof.
The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort.So if BP wanted to do "A" and the feds said, no, do "B", or if Louisiana wanted to build sand bars today and then government makes them wait until Tuesday, it could be (and probably will be) argued that whatever course taken, not taken or delayed may have had a percentage of liability for the final damages. Yes, BP may have put the oil in the water, but the US, Obama claims, was in charge from day one of the efforts to cap the well and clean up the mess. Doesn't that make them (and the taxpayers who are on the hook for it) at least to some degree liable?
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I always wanted to play a lawyer on TV,does that count?(working with that Hargitay babe preferably).But I think you may be right Proof, It sure sounds like he just put a whole lot of responsibility on the U.S. But alas I am not a lawyer.
ReplyDeleteYeah. TV lawyers get all the babes!
ReplyDelete"plug the damned hole". An executive order given to BP to do what ever it feels is necessary without first seeking approval and without fear of retribution from the EPA?
ReplyDeleteRVB: Yes. How eloquent our CinC becomes when the problem has already been resolved by others.
ReplyDeleteUnless I'm misinformed, isn't Louisiana a sovereign state? So why would they need federal Govt approval? Another thing is that the well is located well out in the gulf. Where does US jurisdiction end?
ReplyDeleteI say this is another case of the federal govt over reaching it's intended power...
John: Part of your question goes back to the Great Grammar Lesson of the 1860's: "Is it The United States is..., or The United States are..."
ReplyDeleteFurther complicating the matter is the current contempt shown to the Tenth Amendment by the Federal government. In most cases these days, federal law trumps state law.
And many states' economy are tied with strings by the Feds. Incurring the wrath of the federal government by disobeying their edicts is not something the states do lightly.