The screwed up argument by Jindal and others cheering the ruling against the drilling moratorium

[ProSense]

NYT: Court Rejects Moratorium on Drilling in the Gulf

<...>

Mr. Jindal said outside the courtroom on Thursday that the oil spill had already ruined Louisiana’s seafood industry and dampened tourism throughout the region. The drilling ban, he said, is costing thousands of Louisianans their jobs.

<...>

The administration’s order halted 33 exploratory drilling projects and suspended new permits, but did not affect more than 3,000 platforms already in production.

Alliance for Justice, a liberal advocacy group, reported on Thursday that two of the judges on the appeals court panel, Jerry E. Smith and W. Eugene Davis, both appointed by President Ronald Reagan, had represented the oil and gas industries while in private practice. Judge Smith’s clients included Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Sunoco. Judge Davis represented a number of companies involved in offshore drilling and other oil field operations.

Judge Davis’s 2008 financial disclosure reports listed $2,000 to $30,000 in investments in gas and oil concerns; Judge Smith had none.

The third judge on the panel, James L. Dennis, appointed by President Bill Clinton, had investments in at least 18 energy companies valued at between $31,000 and $300,000, the group found. Judge Dennis sold a stake in Transocean, the company that was drilling the well under contract to BP, in 2006, according to financial disclosure reports compiled by the group.

Why can't they give up exploratory drilling for the sake of safety? It's like they completely forgot that 11 people died in the BP explosion.

[phleshdef]

1. Well, all I know is if another big accident happens while they are reworking MMS...

...NO ONE can blame the administration for it. They can't even get a moratorium to hold while they investigate and implement new safety precautions, let alone ban offshore drilling altogether.

[Jefferson23]

2. The bottom line is they don't care, the opportunity to score points/potential

votes in the GOP favor any rational responsible action. That 11 people died and the ocean continues to be contaminated is of no
consequence. The Democrats need to have every surrogate out there fighting back on the perceived "victory" from this court ruling.

On Democracy Now this morning:

Report: 27,000 Abandoned Wells Pose Threat to Gulf CoastConcerns are being raised about the hazards posed by thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells throughout the Gulf Coast. An Associated Press investigation found more than 27,000 abandoned sites are in danger of leaking, with about 13 percent said to be particularly worrisome. Regulations forcing companies to plug the wells have been routinely ignored with no government intervention. We speak with Jeff Donn, the AP reporter who broke the story.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/7/9/report_27_000_abandoned_wells_pose

[Jennicut]

3. Nice justice there....with 3 judges in bed with the oil and gas companies.

I am starting to give up on America.