Would you be happy or unhappy if Pres. Obama said the US was taking over the oil spill operations?

[ZombieHorde]

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I would be very happy if that happened...

And it has about the snowball's chance in hell, too...

[stevenleser]

2. I voted "Other". I like to have good information and knowledge on which to make decisions

I'm weird that way, I know.

[ZombieHorde]

7. I have not voted yet because I want to read the various arguments. nt

[D-Lee]

33. Ditto. Last I heard, the US government doesn't have the equipment

... and, the impressive Coast Guard chief heading the oil spill investigation / remedy exploration effort is due to retire and hasn't yet been asked to stay on (although I would suspect that will happen).

So, as much as I would like to think the US could handle the project, I don't see that we have the necessary remedial resources ... and maybe no one knows what they are yet.

[willing dwarf]

3. Just sent him a msg yesterday on this

He should put US government in charge of clean up and then send BP the bill. Further, he should get out on front and use this disaster as the reason to start the great alternative energy race to the top.

[boppers]

4. I'm the sole unhappy (so far).

Government moves too slow at times, doesn't have the equipment or manpower, and it takes the onus of responsibility away from BP if the government is officially "in charge".

[Number23]

10. I agree. BP started this mess, they need to fix it and if that means they suffer incurable

financial damage as a result, then so be it.

What has happened because of their greed and negligence is horrifying. People say that they want corporations to own up and pay for their mistakes -- well here's a good damn opportunity for one to do just that.

[spoony]

16. Then we need to slap a deadline on them.

Because just letting them bumble about indefinitely is not an option. It's like letting a drunk surgeon finish up on a patient to teach him a lesson. It's the patient that suffers most, in this case the ocean and its life.

[Number23]

23. I think a deadline is a great idea. If and when it has passed, the govt should step in

Not before.

[doc03]

5. What in the hell does the government know about capping

oil wells 1 mile below the surface? I am sure BP would have capped the well weeks ago if they knew what to do. Why would BP not want to get it stopped, it costs them millions every day?

[Jennicut]

9. Yeah, why are people so naive? It is a disaster because no one has ever stopped a leak at this depth

BP has scientists and other workers from other oil companies.
People need to get a grip on reality...drilling at this depth IS the problem, not BP. That is more scary to me.

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. Now that is an excellent question.

Why would BP not want to get it stopped, it costs them millions every day?

And why do I get the feeling the answer has something to do with an AIG insurance policy, and/or a big payoff for Gold Mansacks because they found a way to gamble on the failure of this offshore abomination.

[phleshdef]

19. LOL. Perfect impression.

[Go2Peace]

26. Um, because they hoped to find a solution that kept access to the oil???

[DailyGrind51]

28. "The government" bulldosed tons of radioactive debris from H-bomb tests in the Pacific

and capped it. They had never done THAT before either!

"...on May 15, 1977, the U.S. government directed the military to decontaminate the islands. This was done by mixing the contaminated soil and debris from the various islands with Portland cement
Portland cement. Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world, because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...and burying it in one of the blast craters. The crater was at the northern end of Runit , which is an island on the eastern side of the atoll. This continued until the crater became a spherical mound high. The crater was then covered with an thick concrete cap. All services participated in this effort."

http://www.servinghistory.com/topics/Eniwetok_Atoll::sub::History

[treestar]

36. There you go being rational

This is not allowed on DU!

[Sebastian Doyle]

6. Just nationalize the fucking oil industry, period.

Seize their assets and use their billions to clean up this shit.

[treestar]

41. Trying to get that through Congress

Is hard to imagine. And having it stand up to judicial review.

[Sebastian Doyle]

42. Just call it a national emergency.

It certainly meets that criteria a hell of a lot more than the bullshit hysteria they created to pass the constitutional shredding party known as "The Patriot Act".

[RC]

8. From what I understand, we have neither the knowledge nor the equipment to do so.

We would have to get the expertise and equipment from other countries.
We are no linger a great country except in wars and government coups of lift wing countries. Almost everything else has been outsourced.

[DailyGrind51]

32. BP doesn't either, so what can the harm be? It can't get any worse!

[MrSlayer]

12. Unhappy.

BP should foot the entire bill and fix their own fuck up. However, there should be intense government oversight to ensure those bastards aren't cutting corners.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

44. But they are currently cutting corners

and not cleaning it up. So what now?

[Historic NY]

13. As long as we bill the BP bastards....for the effort.

[Dr Morbius]

14. I ain't gonna be happy until the leak is stopped, and the mess is cleaned up.

I personally am fine with BP cleaning up their own mess - this would be ideal - but frankly don't believe their civic commitment can be trusted in this. I do NOT want government to move in and then fail; accordingly, I do not want government to "take over" unless there's a good reason to suspect they'll actually be able to find a solution. Given a choice between one bunch of morons and another bunch of morons, I suppose I'd go for the morons we can vote out of office. If government can fix what BP cannot, I'm for letting them do it. But honestly, this adminstration has so far been compromising its way toward progress; when it comes to this underwater oil gusher, no compromise can be tolerated.

Nobody should expect me to be happy until the job gets done. Further, nobody should get surprised if I start to lose it very soon.

[Pirate Smile]

15. I don't think he can actually fix things any faster that way and then he will take the blame

for everything.

Seems like a losing proposition.

What is gained? If we could fix it faster or protect the coasts better or ... something .... , then I'd say fine but I don't see how it solves the problem faster. It just means he gets the blame.

[spoony]

17. Ah, THAT explains some of these responses.

Fucking politics.

[Pirate Smile]

18. If the Government took over then we would have to contract it out to the damn oil people who have

the equipment, "knowledge" and experience because the Government doesn't drill f%^ing oil wells.

We'd have the same people working on it but it would be our responsibility. What the hell does that actually add to the process? I don't see it as actually adding anything of substance.

[phleshdef]

21. We would have to hire the same people and pay them twice as much.

[freddie mertz]

29. No "blame" or accountability must ever attach itself to the president.

Not even get close.

[depakid]

20. 'Poseidon rules, Zeus drools."

That really sums it up.

The administration's problems here are largely inherited- and while criticism can (and should be) laid at the failure to recognize the potential for catastrophe and deal with it preemptively (or give it priority in light of another recent incident) one would be hard pressed on the fly to put together a more adequate response.

Yes, in retrospect, it could (as it always can) be done- but that's not where- nor how the tipping point on this disaster arose.

A ball got dropped alright- but it wasn't here.

[KingFlorez]

22. BP has got to clean up it's own mess

Not only because they've got to be held responsible, but because they have the expertise to do is the government doesn't have that. The government stepping in would amount a bailout.

[SpartanDem]

24. I'd have no problem with it, but

I'm not sure how much good it would do. It's not like Obama or anybody in the admin has some double secret solution to stop the gusher and isn't telling anyone.

[BlueMTexpat]

25. I'd rather that he simply expropriate BP and use their

obscene profits to clean up the mess.

An impossible dream, I know.

[Cali_Democrat]

27. Other

I wouldn't necessarily be happy or unhappy if the govt takes over. Either way there aren't a lot of options in terms of closing the gusher. It will take weeks and probably even months.

It's just a horrible tragedy.

[ZombieHorde]

34. It is a horrible tragedy, which is why there is so much frustration surrounding the situation. nt

[tranche]

30. They should "take over" by working with BPs technical guys to get this done.

Which is what I think they are doing.

[TheKentuckian]

31. I think I'd gain some level of confidence that a solution would be found

because there would then be some accountability.

The let BP take the heat doesn't really wash with me. They have been pretty damned impotent so far.

This also should be the time we declare a ban on all offshore drilling including shutting down existing operations. The government lacks the expertise to resolve this means they lack the expertise to permit and regulate such ventures.

Obama DOES know how to do that and can do so by Executive Order, if it can't pass Congress.

If you believe BP should remain running this show then you absolutely are logically required to support banning all off shore drilling. It is clear as day that we have no idea what to do if there is a problem and it could actually be worse than this one.

[treestar]

35. Poseidon Rules

I have no way of knowing what should be done, and don't really think that Tweety or DUers have an answer either.

[ZombieHorde]

37. I am not sure either. nt

[Vinca]

38. In theory, I'd be happy, but it appears the government is even more clueless

than BP.

[MadMaddie]

39. I would like to see the government have people in BP

response center and inserting itself in the process. I want to see the government open up the door for help from all experienced professionals around the world. At this point BP has proven it is a failure and cannot manage this crisis.

I would also want to see the government shut down ALL BP rigs until each and everyone of them are inspected. If they fail they do not reopen and those wells get capped. Call it extreme but what will be extreme is the death of the Gulf coast region.

[ZombieHorde]

40. I don't know how many other oil rigs BP owns, but I agree they should be inspected. nt

[baldguy]

43. I would have no problem with BP handling the spill

If they'd accepted responsibility for it, been open & upfront about what & how it happened, and had a comprehensive, well thought out & tested plan - or better yet, several plans - for stopping it & cleaning it up.

They haven't, they don't, and there's no reason to think they will very soon.