Republicans Block Oil Spill Commission From Having Subpoena Powers

Keep waiting maybe your boring post will get a response...LOL

I think Obama himself may not have wanted Subpoena power for the commission. From an article from May of this year entitled Obama’s BP Disaster Commission: Looking Forward with No Subpoenas:

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As promised Obama signed an executive order forming a presidential commission to study the BP disaster today. I thought it’d be instructive to compare what he just formed with what Edward Markey and Lois Capps proposed. Starting with this detail:

Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The Commission shall hold public hearings and shall request information including relevant documents from Federal, State, and local officials, nongovernmental organizations, private entities, scientific institutions, industry and workforce representatives, communities, and others affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, as necessary to carry out its mission. [my emphasis]

Obama’s envisioning this Commission “requesting” information from entities like BP and Halliburton. Capps and Markey, however, envision subpoenas:

http://emptywheel.firedoglake....d-with-no-subpoenas/

I wouldn't get too upset, a Democrat will be enriched defending BP. That should make things better.

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When BP executives filed into the West Wing on Wednesday morning to meet with President Barack Obama, they were joined by at least one familiar Washington hand: former Clinton administration Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick, who signed on earlier this month to represent BP in congressional inquiries linked to the massive oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

As one of the top lawyers in Washington and a former Justice Department official, it is no surprise that BP tapped Gorelick and her prominent law firm, WilmerHale, to do the nearly impossible: defend it against a deluge of legislative inquiries into the oil disaster.

And her role is not very different from the one played by another prominent Democrat, former White House counsel Greg Craig, who is now representing Goldman Sachs — which until the oil spill was Washington’s favorite corporate pariah.

“Speaking generally, the reliance on high-powered insiders results in corporations escaping penalties that are not as severe as they would otherwise face. The familiarity of the former prosecutor with the system enables them to think creatively about tricks to end up with resolutions that seem much more significant than they actually are,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38645.html

It doesn't matter that Obama might not support it or that the Republicans definitely don't support it. The fact of the matter is that the commission needs that ability to investigate to the fullest.

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It doesn't matter that Obama might not support it or that the Republicans definitely don't support it. The fact of the matter is that the commission needs that ability to investigate to the fullest

It does matter that Congress would rather waste time on a dog-and-pony show when the truth from previous hearings and from the news media already has been shown. If you need a short synopsis; BP decided to go cheap on blowout protection while guv'ment regulators watched internet porn instead of doing their jobs. Now its time to let the Justice Dept. do its job. Since both the corporations and government employee unions involved will just increase contributions to the campaigns and political action committees of the loudest congressmen and senators, I doubt that anyone will need to fear dropping the soap in the shower. Anyway, congress should use the time it would waste on a partisan witch hunt on removing impediments to our stalled economy.

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The new reading is a notch higher than the 1.6 percent growth rate the government estimated a month ago. But it marks a sharp slowdown from a 3.7 percent growth rate logged in the first quarter. And, the new figure doesn't change the big picture: The economy has been losing momentum since the end of last year.

Many think the economy grew at around the same anemic pace, or slightly worse, during the July-to-September quarter. Little improvement is expected in the final quarter of this year. That's why unemployment -- now at 9.6 percent -- is expected to stay high or even rise in the coming months.

http://www.foxnews.com/politic...ate/?test=latestnews

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Originally posted by junior samples:
Keep waiting maybe your boring post will get a response...LOL

junior,

Your obsession with me is disturbing. And the Politics section of TDF is not the place for it or for you; it is for posters whose brains developed normally.

So take your Buttercup bashing back to your hillbilly-yokel-racist-mindless-unintelligent-goofy-redneck-forum-for-losers, the Dixie Dirt, mmmkay?

(Besides, OB's been the subject of all the defamation on that silly forum lately and I'm getting jealous. Now get to work!)

The Dixie Dirt?

I have not heard of that one. Explain?

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Originally posted by b50m:
The Dixie Dirt?

I have not heard of that one. Explain?

It's the redneck forum started by junior and his crew.

I'm sure he would gladly post a link...so much is posted on there to be proud of and all.

(It's a public forum.)

quote:

Originally posted by Flatus the Ancient:

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It doesn't matter that Obama might not support it or that the Republicans definitely don't support it. The fact of the matter is that the commission needs that ability to investigate to the fullest

It does matter that Congress would rather waste time on a dog-and-pony show when the truth from previous hearings and from the news media already has been shown. If you need a short synopsis; BP decided to go cheap on blowout protection while guv'ment regulators watched internet porn instead of doing their jobs. Now its time to let the Justice Dept. do its job. Since both the corporations and government employee unions involved will just increase contributions to the campaigns and political action committees of the loudest congressmen and senators, I doubt that anyone will need to fear dropping the soap in the shower. Anyway, congress should use the time it would waste on a partisan witch hunt on removing impediments to our stalled economy.

quote:

The new reading is a notch higher than the 1.6 percent growth rate the government estimated a month ago. But it marks a sharp slowdown from a 3.7 percent growth rate logged in the first quarter. And, the new figure doesn't change the big picture: The economy has been losing momentum since the end of last year.

Many think the economy grew at around the same anemic pace, or slightly worse, during the July-to-September quarter. Little improvement is expected in the final quarter of this year. That's why unemployment -- now at 9.6 percent -- is expected to stay high or even rise in the coming months.

http://www.foxnews.com/politic...ate/?test=latestnews

Okay so perhaps we investigate about placing more regulations on it. Considering that you said yourself that the cause was deregulation (which is shocking.) Now why is it such a big deal that the committee wants subpoena power? The republicans have already shown that many don't want to seriously punish BP. By apologizing and calling getting money from them a shakedown to them and the like.

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Okay so perhaps we investigate about placing more regulations on it. Considering that you said yourself that the cause was deregulation (which is shocking.)

Nope, I didn't say deregulation caused the spill, BP cutting corners on the construction of a problematic bore hole caused the spill. Given the performance (actually non-performance) of the regulators it wouldn't matter how many more new regulations congress tacks on oil drilling. If the lazy guv'ment workers won't do their jobs then we would get the same thing happening again except for one reason. Because of the lawsuits BP will be covered up in for the next several years, I suspect that all future oil exploration will become far safer without any new regulations. I suspect the government could actually save money by firing most if not all of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement people and let the fear of lawyers do the job that those guv'ment workers weren't doing.

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Now why is it such a big deal that the committee wants subpoena power? The republicans have already shown that many don't want to seriously punish BP. By apologizing and calling getting money from them a shakedown to them and the like.

Its not a big deal that BP is punished for behaving stupidly. It is a big deal that politicians need to find ways to divert time, attention, and resources that would be better spent on fixing the economy. Politicians who have a need to hide the failures of this congress and administration will try to find suitable public enemies to publicly flog for the enjoyment of its base and the media. As for shakedowns, that will occur behind closed doors when the inquisitors demand campaign donations to change infidels to be tortured in the committee chambers.

BP/Transocean/Haliburton knew or should have know that the blowout preventer would not function if it was needed. They knew the risks and accepted them and will pay the financial settlements. BP self insures and is in no threat of bankruptcy, and can absorb a $50billion dollar hit if necessary.

The fedgov cannot improve the economy, only to slow the contraction, and prevent a complete collapse.

Meanwhile, the US government is paying for drilling at a similar depth for Mexico and Brazil.

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Meanwhile, the US government is paying for drilling at a similar depth for Mexico and Brazil.

And lets not forget about the jobs and wealth our country is sharing with the world as the deep water rigs leave our country's shores.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/435...n/?playlist_id=86858