CNN: Federal judge BLOCKS Obama Administration's drilling moratorium

[Karmadillo]

Just breaking.

What a country.

ON EDIT:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008463-503544.html

White House Will Appeal Decision Blocking Oil Drilling Moratorium

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said this afternoon that the Obama administration will "immediately" appeal a judge's decision to block the administration's six-month moratorium on offshore drilling put into place following the Gulf oil spill.

"We will immediately appeal to the 5th circuit," Gibbs said. "The president continues to believe that ... continuing to drill at these depths without knowing what happened does not make any sense."

Gibbs said Mr. Obama believes that drilling without more knowledge of what went wrong on the Deepwater Horizon rig puts the safety of workers at risk and that's a "danger the president doesn't believe we can afford right now."

Critics of the moratorium have said it places an unnecessary economic hardship on a region already reeling from the Gulf disaster.


more...

[xchrom]

1. interesting. very interesting. nt

[AndyA]

2. Sh!t, meet fan.

This isn't going to be pretty.

[bluestateguy]

3. Activist judge legislating from the bench

nt

[Forkboy]

5. +100

[struggle4progress]

9. Feldman's a Reagan appointee

http://www.charlierose.com/guest/view/870

[blondeatlast]

14. Yup. nt

[Jack Rabbit]

4. The law is an ass.

-- Zola

[redqueen]

6. Ugh.

These fascist bastards are dug in to every area of our government like Alabama ticks.

[laughingliberal]

10. Yep.

Looks as if that's what happens after 30 years of largely conservative government.

[Karmadillo]

7. AP link: Judge block<s> Gulf offshore drilling moratorium

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_15348353?nclick_check=1

Judge block Gulf offshore drilling moratorium
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press Writer
Posted: 06/22/2010 12:01:49 AM PDT
Updated: 06/22/2010 10:56:10 AM PDT

NEW ORLEANS—A federal judge in New Orleans has blocked a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling projects that was imposed in response to the massive Gulf oil spill.

Several companies that ferry people and supplies and provide other services to offshore drilling rigs had asked U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans to overturn the moratorium.

President Barack Obama's administration has halted the approval of any new permits for deepwater drilling and suspended drilling at 33 exploratory wells in the Gulf.

more...

[SoCalDem]

11. Well then, I guess BobbyJindal plans to "go it alone" when the next rig starts billowing crude

and I hope he's got plenty of money stashed to pay for damages to Alabama, Mississippi & Florida too..

[AnArmyVeteran]

18. I wonder how this judge's neighbors will take his betrayal?

President Obama needs to get extremely tough and order congress to pass a law that bans all drilling over 200 feet deep. Corporations should not be allowed to assault our country at will using bought off, corrupt judges. As commander in chief President Obama should have a lot of options to stop this madness. I hope he gets tough and starts to use them.

[Spazito]

8. WOW! I can't wait to read his 'reasons' for doing this...

although, given the Filthy Fives (yes I know the names have changed but the filth emanating from five continues)ludicrous 'reasons' for giving Corporations' a vote, ludicrous is the norm these days it seems.

[Johonny]

13. L O L

Hornbeck Offshore Services of Covington, La., claims in a lawsuit that the government arbitrarily imposed the moratorium without any proof that the operations posed a threat. Hornbeck, which ferries people and supplies to offshore rigs, says it could cost Louisiana thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in lost wages.

I mean really where's the proof? Apparently the judge doesn't have a TV, read the newspaper, live on this planet.

[Spazito]

21. Yep, here's his 'justification' for the ruling...

"Feldman agreed, saying in his ruling that the Interior Department failed to provide adequate reasoning for the moratorium. He said it seemed to assume that because one rig failed, all companies and rigs doing deepwater drilling pose an imminent danger.

"An invalid agency decision to suspend drilling of wells in depths of over 500 feet simply cannot justify the immeasurable effect on the plaintiffs, the local economy, the Gulf region, and the critical present-day aspect of the availability of domestic energy in this country," Feldman wrote."

What a crock of shit but what else can one expect from right-wing appointees. This is a Bybee-esque ruling (Bybee being famous for the torture memos and his subsequent appointment to the judiciary).

[Karmadillo]

12. Reuters: White House will appeal ruling on drilling

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65L4X720100622

(Reuters) - The government will immediately appeal a U.S. judge's ruling on Tuesday against the Obama administration's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling in the wake of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The president strongly believes... that continuing to drill at these depths without knowing what happened does not make any sense, and puts the safety of those involved...and the environment in the Gulf at a danger that the president does not believe we can afford right now," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

[AnArmyVeteran]

16. Why can't the democratic controlled congress pass a law STOPPING deep offshore drilling?

And why can one corrupt judge be allowed to put our entire country in jeopardy? Can't our democratically controlled congress impeach the judge? Who's in control here?

Even if the case was appealed and ended up in the Supreme Court the conservatives who dominate that court will uphold the elimination of the moratorium.

Conservatives love stacking our courts with corrupt, conservative judges without thinking of how they can easily make judgments that can harm people or destroy our environment.

[Sebastian Doyle]

15. Goddamn judicial activists !11!!1!!!

Sickening. :puke:

[Inuca]

17. Just saw this

Quite stunning.

[Kingofalldems]

19. Scalia & Co. also ready to pounce on this one

[Karmadillo]

20. Appeal goes to the Fifth Circuit. Conservative? Not so much? Anyone know?

nt