“We’ve been doing everything we can since Day 1”
Oh really ?
Except for letting other nations send their oil skimming fleets to the Gulf.
Team O has turned down offers from the Dutch (on day 3), the Swedes, the Saudis, and the Mexicans.
Why ?
The Jones Act prohibits foreign flagged ships from our waters – except for single port loading or unloading of freight or people. It’s “an antiquated 1920 law mandating that goods shipped between U.S. ports be handled by U.S.-built and -owned ships manned by U.S. crews.”
Why the Jones Act? Because unions say so.
Unions fiercely support the law as a means of preserving U.S. jobs.
Bush waived the Jones Act in the first week of Katrina.
Obama refuses waive it for the Gulf clean-up to because his union base says no.
Politics trumps clean-up.
Surprised ?
For more details:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704198004575310800313251666.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h
The Homa Files 
June 18, 2010 at 10:18 am |
Unfortunately Rep Barton effectively killed with one sentance any political capital the Republicans built over the past month. What a complete bonehead.