Is Oil Spill Becoming Obama’s Katrina?
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on May 27th, 2010 4:31 am by HL
Is Oil Spill Becoming Obama’s Katrina?
Hall, Jervis & Levin, USA Today
37 days: Oil has been spilling6 million: Total gallons spilled, according to estimates from BP and the CoastGuard28,958 square miles: Size of oil slick; an area about the size of South Carolina70 miles: Louisiana coastline affected1,300: Number of vessels involved3.1 million feet: Sorbent and containment boom deployedAbout 840,000 gallons: Total dispersant used11 million gallons: Oil and water mix recovered54,096 square miles: Federal waters closed to fishing622*: Number of birds, turtles and dolphins found dead in the spill area * = Cause of death has not been officially linked to the oil…
The Muddle Oozing From the Gulf
E.J. Dionne, The New Republic
WASHINGTON — So who is in charge of stopping the oil spill, BP or the federal government?The fact that the answer to this question seems as murky as the water around the exploded oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico suggests that this is an excellent moment to recognize that our arguments pitting capitalism against socialism and the government against the private sector muddle far more than they clarify. Receive news alertsThere are many tragic ironies bubbling to the surface along with the oil. Consider the situation of Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, a conservative who devoutly opposes the…
The Disconnect Behind Europe’s Crisis
David Ignatius, Washington Post
WASHINGTON — A month ago, many Americans were undoubtedly wondering why they should care about the debt burdens of faraway European nations such as Greece, Spain and Portugal. Now, with U.S. financial markets joining the rest of the world in getting pounded, we have our answer. It's always a bit of a mystery why fear turns into panic, or why the galloping of a few horses produces a stampede. Europeans and Asians must have asked similar questions about cause and effect two years ago, as they watched a relatively small category of U.S. lending — subprime mortgage loans — produce a…
