That Was Easy!

The NY Times gets results!  On Monday the Times headlined doubts about the official government estimates of the flow rate in the leaking Gulf oil well.  By Thursday, the government had revised its estimate upward:

A government panel on Thursday doubled its estimate of the amount of oil that had gushed for weeks from the out-of-control BP well even before the latest attempt to cap it.

...

This assessment, based on measurements taken before BP cut the riser pipe of the leaking well on June 3 to cap some of the flow, showed that approximately 25,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil could have been gushing into the Gulf each day. That is far above the previous estimate of 12,000 to 19,000 barrels a day.

Scientists say the flow rate could actually be greater now because they believe that cutting the riser to position the cap pipe may have only increased the flow of the oil and gas mixture.

As of Monday, the official estimate was that cutting the riser had only increased the flow by 20%; look for that number to rise, since on Monday the Times quoted a scientist involved with the effort as saying that the flow may have increased by "multiple factors".

And Matt Lauer gets results!  Obama had no sensible explanation for not having spoken with BP CEO Tony Hayward, so now the BP top execs are on his calendar.

Now if the people who demanded that Obama get angry would declare themselves satisfied, we could get rid of this First Emoter imposter and bring Mr. Cool back.

PHONY AND ANNOYING: An otherwise dumb and unamusing column from Nick Kristof ends with this false choice:

Well, rage isn’t President Obama either. It’s not who he is any more than a monarchy is America.

So maybe we should just accept that we’re stuck with a presidential system — and with a ruminative and slightly boring president who tries to solve problems rather than fulminate about them.

I don't think people have a problem with Obama trying to solve problems; I think they have real doubts about his priorities, and real concerns that the problems out here in America are not registering on his radar.

Do remember, his approval rating was swooning before the Gulf debacle, mainly because we had spent a year worrying about jobs, jobs, jobs and he had spent a year focusing on health care, health care, health care.

The Gulf problem drifted for a week before Obama finally sprung into action.  Scientists have been critical of the government response, and some of the early decisions (such as declining Dutch oil-sweepers) look absurd in retrospect.

So let's not pretend that Obama was calmly doing a great job on this, and that an ungrateful nation was unreasonable in looking for a little more Presidential effort.

Comments

[ROA]

What evidence is there that Obama tries to solve problems?

[Laughing my gas off.]

Ruminative and slightly boring? Yeah, and cows are funny when they look at you.
==============

[Abadman]

"So maybe we should just accept that we’re stuck with a presidential system — and with a ruminative and slightly boring president who tries to solve problems rather than fulminate about them. "

That's the trouble, I am hard pressed to think of one problem he has solved. He is the Wile E. Coyote of Presidential solutions.

[Pofarmer]

Hawaii elections clerk: Obama not born here

So, it's WND. So?

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=165041

[Jim]

How does n****r rich sound? o wants to enjoy the fruits of his labors without any of the labors. Party, yeh! Meet celebrities, yeh! Go to exotic places, yeh! Play games, yeh! Work or plan for the future, no!!!!!!!

[Fail.]

Well, the first problem I see with that, PoF, is that Adams says his office checked with both hospitals for the birth certificate.
===================

[jann]

Where are these people screeching for the last 10 years about freeking global warming pollution crap, where's Peta's big mouth and where's know it all Hollywood!?! OOOOOh that's right they only screech at us peons. But we're supposed to shut our mouth's about the crap hole the illegals are making our towns and states....I don't think so and screw you. I don't know what the hollyweirds are going to do when their work keeps tanking because we won't buy it anymore and it's already happening. I don't know what they're going to do when Sarah takes over the government and last but not least I kinda know what the media is going to do when Andrew Breitbart takes over the media with his new empire though and it will be sweet :)

[Threadkiller]

Whenever WND comes up with the Birth Certificate breakthrough story, it is inevitable that Obama was looking for some sort of cover.

What ever the late Friday news dump from the Whitehouse is, it will be overshadowed by a stupid Birth Certificate story.

He is a dual citizen! That is the problem!

I don't know what kind of Jedi mind trick he has done to the smart people over here but it seems to have worked on some of you.

I think Joe Farah, at WND, isn't worried about his ass getting kicked. I think he just wants it touched by The One.

[What's insane is that he gets away with it. Heh, but not all of us all of the time.]

Easy, Threadkiller, it was an Alinsky mind trick about marginalizing opposition. In this case, they were marginalized as insane.
=====================

[Ann]

OT

It is very late but I have to post this for narciso:

credit: Tammy Bruce Tweet and twitter @palintwibe

It Is A New Day, Narciso!

Read this too: Primary Races Show Palin’s Pull; Left Focuses on Palin’s Breasts

[Threadkiller]

I bet they dump a doozey of a story tomorrow night.

[daddy]

While we're all focused on Gulf Oil, this story tells us that China">http://alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/alaska-beat/88-alaska-beat/5605-russia-to-ship-oil-to-china-via-arctic-ocean">China just signed a $293 Million deal with the Russians to have Ice Breakers deliver oil to China from Murmansk via the Arctic. Oil Tankers, Ice breakers, Ice Bergs: What could go wrong?

[bgates]

How does n****r rich sound?

Sounds like you're aware that everyone despises the slur you elided, but you're not bright enough to realize that what people hate is the bigotry of your sentiment, not the letters "igge".

[bunkerbuster]

As for Obama's performance so far, what happened to all the predictions that the U.S. would be attacked?
What happened to all that comically contradictory rhetoric about our enemies "sensing" Obama's weakness?
Why no attacks?
Bush had only been in office eight months before the biggest attack in U.S. history. So far, Obama's outperforming that record substantially and there's no reason to think it would continue.
I can already here the hyperventilating about Iran, but the record is clear: they've been pursuing an independent course since 1979 and nothing any president has done has set them off that track. (Reagan, you may recall, sent them weapons in the baldest, dumbest, most cowardly act of appeasement in American history)
And the same people who predicted America would get "hit" if Obama were elected ("Dick" Cheney), also predicted that the invasion of Iraq would somehow cow Iran, when history shows it had precisely the opposite effect. It rather emboldened Iran and empowered its worst elements, which then proceeded forthwith to pursue nuclear capacity...

[Jack is Back!]

BB:

It seems Uncle Joe was right but off by a year. Bambi is being tested at 18 months and we are questioning if he is doing the right thing or if he is out of his depth. And everyone at JOM can answer those questions in a heart beat. The RAS PAI shows that 49% of the voters can also answer those questions about his performance and the performance of his regime. The editors at the Oxford dictionary are changing the photo beside the word "incompetent" that show a picture of the Obama cabinet with him at the center of the table. What I continue to wonder is when will the MSM turn on him? When that happens will he paraphrase Nixon and mumble, "I am not an idiot".

OT:

Live from the QM2 - Today its South Africa v. Mexico at 1:00pm (MAOT) middle of the atlantic ocean time. The Golden Lion Pub has erected chain link fence and concertina wire to keep the England fans from being able to reach across the room and beat the bee-jeebers out of anyone so bold as to even root for either South Africa or Mexico. We have neither on board but in order to give the English fans the mickey, most of us Yanks have decided to cheer on South Africa since its been a long time since that country has tried to occupy our country.

[Captain Hate]

As for Obama's performance so far, what happened to all the predictions that the U.S. would be attacked?

You're such an ignorant troll; what was Fort Hood? Or Times Square, or the Christmas would-be bomber in Detroit?

[Jane]

Ann, I posted that over at You Too - and don't miss Obama at the Bat

[Jane]

PO,

Maybe as Obama gets more and more loathed people will take things like a Ct SS# a little more seriously.

Now just imagine it was George Bush.

[Janet]

Why can't Gibbs answer WND questions? During the Helen Thomas brouha I watched Tony Snow answer her endless questions...explaining everything. If the WND is the fringe to some then fine...but the left fringe got a front and center seat at every press briefing for decades. And they got their questions answered.

[BumperStickerist]

One early indicator that Obama's numbers are about to tank is this:

DailyKos is changing its polling company -

So, no more 54% Approval Ratings for Obama on display for a while, possibly a looooong while.

-

I figured that dKos was either going to change firms or else use increasingly selective sample groups to keep Obama's numbers above 50%

"We polled 1,100 people, 952 of whom are Democratic Convention Delegates who've voted in every election for Democrats since 1986 ..."

[SteveP]

Try to keep abreast of current events bb. There have been 4 attacks since your messiah began desecrating the Oval Office.
Our enemies have been rattling their sabers ever since Obumbo took office and it looks like they're just about ready to attack Israel since they now know that he will not support the Israelis. They kept pretty quiet when Bush was in office because they feared him. They're not afraid of Obama.

[centralcal]

Hey, bumperstickerist, thought you might enjoy this from NRO's media blog:

In a response to a reader asking Chuck Todd about the Rassmussen poll that has Angle up over Reid by 11 points, Todd responded with:

@DTCahill Not a serious polling firm. Need to see numbers from a more reliable pollster

And. . .

@DTCahill how is it bias if I refuse to report on some firm who has a horrible track record and us proven to be unreliable.

We don’t call it MSDNC for nothing!

And in other media news, I read this morning that Linda Douglass is leaving Bozo's administration and going to work for National Journal.

Media whores - the whole lot of them.

[narciso]

They only got the results of the 2008 right on target, and they've been closest with mid term primaries, PPP has been all over the lot.
MSNBC is not a real network, no matter how much Chuck tweets.

As for the other point, that picture I linked from her appearance in Kuwait in 2007, along with her firing off the automatic are the ones they should focus on, but they won't till they suffer the fate of the wolves before the judge got in the way

[narciso]

Those results are coming from a team that has one petroleum engineer on it, all the others
have little expertise about those sort of conditions, which are treacherous in the extreme, unless they show all work, like with
the NY State Regents exam, I'm not buying it

[Rick Ballard]

The President's ineptitude in dealing with the BP matter pales in comparison with his (and the Democrat legislature's) mismanagement of the economic crisis. I've focused on tax revenue numbers as a marker regarding Democrat failure and this piece provides an accurate assessment of the scope of the failure. With income continuing to fall, today's report on falling retail sales is hardly "unexpected". Rail car loadings and container statistics both reinforce the fact that the economy is headed down again.

I'm not at all sure that President Kool is going to be able to sustain his B+ - even on a normed curve.

[narciso]

It's a more localized phenomenon, Rick, when you insist on sailing the Titanic through the Iceberg, this is what you get. Maybe the "Urkel does Jayzee" is too kind, I'm thinking
more Officer Bar Brady, on "South Park" whose
always yelling 'nothing to see here' as the
latest apocalypse is visited on his small town

[peter]

OT, I am relieved they found that solo round the world sailor. I always admired such efforts ever since I read The Gypsy Moth Circles the World, by Sir Francis Chichester.

[Jane]

Peter,

You need to talk to Caro. She did a solo trip 1/2 way around the world a couple of years ago.

[fdcol63]

Think the economy is bad this year?

Wait until next year when the Bush tax cuts expire.

The Dems won't call this a "tax increase", but when you combine the gap between the cuts and the new taxes that will be required to close the budget deficits due to health care reform and all the rest of Obama's spending, the net result is gonna be a huge tax increase for everyone currently paying taxes, not just the "wealthy".

Businesses will hire and produce even less next year than they are now.

This is entirely expected by anyone with a brain and business sense.

But of course, the MSM will report it as "unexpected".

[Danube of Thought]

Minus 16 at Raz today.

Obama held hostage, Day 53.

[jimmyk]

Businesses will hire and produce even less next year than they are now.

Not only that, but the Fed will continue to delude itself that it can somehow prop up the staggering economy by flooding it with paper money. It's looking more and more like 1974. Double-digit inflation by 2015 is a distinct possibility.

[Cecil Turner]

Ruminative and slightly boring? Yeah, and cows are funny when they look at you.

Speaking of which, here's a new classic (at about a minute in):

Now everybody knows a cow's more important than a bird.
Why's a cow more important than a bird?
Because they're bigger . . . and they taste better . . .

[Ranger]

Yes, next year will be very intersting. A large jump in Taxes. Two or three large states going backrupt, combined the Euro finishing its slow motion self demolition will jack interst rates through the roof, instatntly erasing all the "new revinue" the tax hike generates (if it generates any given how the economy will probably be in a full blown recesion again).

To give you an idea of just how bad it is getting, Illinois just approved letting state universities borrow from comercial banks. That is essentially an admission that the state has no intention of paying any of the state universities a penny of the half a billion it owes them. So, rather than trying to fix anything this summer before the November elections, they are just going to let it ride and let the debt pile up even higher.

[Cecil Turner]

The President's ineptitude in dealing with the BP matter pales in comparison with his (and the Democrat legislature's) mismanagement of the economic crisis.

Yes, but at least his knee-jerk response (offshore drilling moratorium) won't deepen the country's economic woes. Oh, wait. The Guardian says it'll cost 46,000 jobs (but doesn't give a specific source). And check out the picture of the very calm and rational individual protesting in front of a BP station.

The WSJ nails it:

Americans don't blame Mr. Obama for the oil spill, but they are beginning to doubt the competence of a President whose decisions suggest political panic more than careful policy. In their letter, the seven experts encouraged Mr. Salazar to "overcome emotion with logic" and rethink the ban. That's good political advice too.

I suspect Mr Obama would be more likely to consider the views of the protester in the Guardian piece . . . because she is undoubtedly more representative of his political base.

[Ignatz]

--Rail car loadings and container statistics both reinforce the fact that the economy is headed down again.--

Saw some dinkus over at Business Insider gabbing about how spare rail cars were getting hard to find which indicated growth. A commentor kindly informed him that, regardless of what spare rail cars were or were not doing, actual rail loadings might be a bit more helpful as an indicator and that they have declined the last two months.
And the indicator I focus on for obvious reasons, lumber, peaked at around 325 in late April and has fallen to 210 less than a month and a half later; a 35% drop and not indicative of a robust economy.
The strong dollar has been murder on most commodities but demand over the last couple of months has been no great shakes either.

[Janet]

That Was Easy!

I've sent some of those "buttons" over to our troops.

[bio mom]

The Obamas do love the perks of the office, don't they?

As for polling firms, at least ras tries to adjust for Republican/Dem changes over time unlike most media polls that assume the Dems are INCREASING their percentages!! Todd used to be pretty good but has fallen into the NBC trap and has lost his objectivity. Sad

[Clarice]

Why Obama cannot and will not change.He's broken and can't be fixed.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/06/a_shrink_asks_whats_wrong_with.html>Something's missing

[Ranger]

Saw some dinkus over at Business Insider gabbing about how spare rail cars were getting hard to find which indicated growth.

That's because a lot of companies that were renting rail cars as a part of a larger operation have liquidated their rolling stock and sold it for scrap. It may be hard to find a free rail car because the overall inventory has dropped dramaticly.

I really don't think that is a vote of confidence in the future of the economy.

[Janet]

Ruminative and slightly boring?

Well if Obama IS like a cow then he is sunk.

Genesis 3:14 "The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle,..."

So Satan is lower than cattle.
Obama the ruminant...one step above Satan!

[narciso]

He was posting at the Huff Po, at one point of the campaign, so no he' doesn't have a clue, that's as opposed to Obama who along with both Edwards had their own blogs at Daily Kos,

If he was a product, it would be be return to sender, before the warranty runs out.

[Clarice]

From Politico a (typical) Obama daily schedule:

7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
9:30 AM
Obama receives the presidential daily briefing.

10:00 AM
Obama receives a briefing on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

10:40 AM
Obama meets with small business owners.

11:00 AM
Obama delivers a statement to the press.

11:15 AM
Obama meets with senior advisers.

11:45 AM
Obama meets with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

12:00 PM
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
5:00 PM

[Ranger]

And this mornings reminder that establishing Chicago on the east coast is going on scheduel:

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/06/11/obama-wh-cavalier-towards-abuses-of-ethics-safeguards/>Obama WH “cavalier” towards abuses of ethics safeguards?

This part is so Chicago:

“I heard the CIO talking to various technology vendors, saying … like, ‘You should give this to us for free because we’re the White House.’ And he actually said that to people,” one source said. A second source said Colangelo continued the practice even after having been confronted about its appropriateness.

[Pofarmer]

Rail car loadings and container statistics both reinforce the fact that the economy is headed down again.

Rick, could you kindly give your source for container loadings again. I double secret promise on deep background that I'll bookmark it this time. As for rail car loadings, it kinda sorta looks like seasonal movement. And, it's interesting to note that the main thing that seems to be propping it up is metals movement, which is basically huge amounts of scrap going West again.

[narciso]

Meanwhile back at the Ranch, in our own hemisphere,

[Melinda Romanoff]

I don't see a tee time there, Clarice.

[Rick Ballard]

Ignatz,

I've been thinking about the Chicom mercantilist slave economy since I noted the drop in inbound containers. The generals who actually run Chicom Inc. are going to have a significant problem on their hands by fall. It would be unsurprising for them to do some hard saber rattling to draw public attention away from the misery facing the general population.

I'm sure that BOzo and the Democrat Clown Posse will handle rising international tensions with the same hair on fire aplomb with which they have exacerbated every problem which they have created to date.

[Pofarmer]

That's because a lot of companies that were renting rail cars as a part of a larger operation have liquidated their rolling stock and sold it for scrap. It may be hard to find a free rail car because the overall inventory has dropped dramaticly.

They've also been making a big deal about semi loading's being better, and wait times for loads being shorter. Well, that happens when you take probably 25% of the trucks off the road.

[Ranger]

BTW, Tony Rezko has been a topic of discussion WRT the Blago trial. The topic was how pretty much every senior person in state government was recommended by Rezko or one other person. Then the Rezko crew decided they wanted to set up an insurance company and sell insurance to the state, with the director of the state insurance oversight organization a Rezko appointee, and pretty much every director of a department of state government a Rezko crew appointee, they would have cleaned up.

But I am sure this is a side of Tony Rezko that Obama new nothing about.

[gmax]

Did Colangelo issue his dictate to the Insane Clown Posse for the use of the name also? Seems like a good fit, and perhaps you just rent it not own it for 4 years. Lord we need Hercules to divert the stream...

[narciso]

If feels alot like that Star Trek episode, "A piece of the action" no, btw our own wolly mammoth, Maurice Ferre in the Democratic Senate race, just about validated 'death panels' as a good and necessary thing

[Pagar]

Narciso,that was a good link.

For those who care about America and Latin America, this American Thinker article gives a good summary of who is being aided the most by those Americans boycotting Arizona.

"Interestingly, Señor Sanchez is married to a Cuban Señorita named Niurka Sáliva, daughter of one of Fidel Castro's top Intelligence officials."

[Rick Ballard]

Pofarmer,

Use '"Port of X" TEU statistics' as a search string. I follow the West Coast ports and have found that the Port of Los Angeles is a decent surrogate for all of the West Coast. January and February increases were in the +20-30% YoY range (against a truly miserable '09) and April has dropped back to +8% (-8% against '08).

[Neo]

“BLS is responsible for developing and implementing the collection of new data on green jobs,” said the note in the Federal Register, which is widely read by government bureaucrats and almost never seen by the general public. But the notice said there is “no widely accepted standard definition of ‘green jobs.’” To help find that definition, the Labor Department asked that readers send in suggestions.

Pathetic. Utterly and completely intellectually bankrupt.

I call for Obama to resign.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Ranger-

You don't seem to realize that Rezko is just the last guy to do this. I have no idea who's wearing that hat right now, but he exists. That's how it works here.

[Danube of Thought]

Once again, those of us who routinely expect the unexpected are not disappointed:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales at retailers unexpectedly fell in May for the first time since September following a record slump in purchases of building materials, adding to fears the economic recovery was losing some steam.

[Captain Hate]

Something's missing

Eh, as I said when the lefty idiots were doing a similar thing to GWB, shrinks are bad enough in their direct diagnoses to give much credence to somebody doing it from afar. Still, as usual I find a lot of substance in the comments; particularly why did the electorate show such poor judgement. To that I would respond that they were spoonfed a false sense of knowing a blank slate with the willful complicity of the MSM doing an amazingly uncurious job of not vetting him. Having McCain as a terrible opponent didn't help matters.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rick-

I seem to recall that some of the CA container flow moved North to avoid the union squeeze and state taxes, but I couldn't link to it to save my life.

Also, watching some data from firms like GATX(GMT) or Freightcar America(RAIL) can be informative as well.

[Thomas Collins]

Are you going to the parade, Mel?

[Rob Crawford]

But the notice said there is “no widely accepted standard definition of ‘green jobs.’

A 'green' job is a job that could be done more efficiently, more effectively, cleaner, and cheaper by the application of technology, but which is being done less efficiently, less effectively, dirtier, and more expensively in order to satisfy the pseudo-religious beliefs of Gaia cultists, the moral preening of the perpetually self-satisfied, and the need for conspicuous consumption among the status-conscious.

[Melinda Romanoff]

TC-

At 6:45 AM, I walked through the first wave of staggering drunks on Michigan Ave.

So, no, I might go to the parade on TV.

[Danube of Thought]

I'm wondering if anyone else was puzzled by the administration's responses to questions about the Jones Act issue. Both Adm. Allen and Robert Gibbs said, "we haven't received any requests for a Jones Act waiver." I think it was Gibbs who also said "if and when a waiver becomes necessary, we'll do it."

Eh? If it is true that immediate assistance was offered, and refused because of the Jones Act, hasn't the moment already arrived? And are they all standing around looking at each other, waiting for someone to raise his hand and request a waiver?

Seems to me Allen himself would be an appropriate guy to make the request. But if not Allen, then who?

Perhaps there is no box in the organization chart labeled "Jones Act Waiver Requester."

[hit and run]

Po:
They've also been making a big deal about semi loading's being better, and wait times for loads being shorter. Well, that happens when you take probably 25% of the trucks off the road.

Class 8 truck sales were down almost 9% in May vs April,but were up over 13% vs (a dismal) May 2009.

Each month OEMs keep saying that the recovery is just around the corner. They just can't seem to make the turn.

[Jane]

Well at least O is close to on schedule - with that hefty lift. He is now on TV talking about Bobby and Steve and the success of their small business.

[Clarice]

DoT, that Gibbs really understands organization charts..That nincompoopery comes a day or so after he explained why Obama couldn't meet with the BP CEO.

[Ranger]

Perhaps there is no box in the organization chart labeled "Jones Act Waiver Requester."

Posted by: Danube of Thought | June 11, 2010 at 10:57 AM

Its the difference between being a leader and just "voting present." A leader takes charge, gathers information, and is proactive to solve the problem.

In this case, Obama, if he were a leader, would have known about the offers of help, would have found out there was a "Jones Act" problem, and would have proactivly waived it WRT the spill for the duration of the emergency.

If this is really a national emergency, there should be a daily conference call with BP, all the governors of the state's affected, the CG commander. The agenda should be short and sweet:

What is the plan.

How is it progressing.

What issues are slowing progress.

Then the CiC issues orders to change the plan if it is not working, or orders to facilitate execution of the existing plan.

Instead, Obama just sits back and watches.

[Jane]

Clarice,

That's one heck of a diagnosis over at AT. That stuff fascinates me. But now I feel dirty for just having read it.

Last night I was wondering if O was a candidate for suicide. He doesn't seem to take failure well.

Of course he might miss out on meeting Pamela Anderson or Lady gaga if he did that.

[Rob Crawford]

Instead, Obama just sits back and watches.

Not true.

He goes to parties.

[bgates]

Perhaps there is no box in the organization chart labeled "Jones Act Waiver Requester."

It's listed as "Jones Act Waiver-Requesting Czar".

Problem is, that guy reports to the Protectionist Union Inefficiency Czar.

[Ranger]

10:00 AM
Obama receives a briefing on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

This is exactly the problem. He shouldn't "receive a briefing" he sould be getting reports from the key players.

If he'd been having meaningful meetings, he would have known it was taking the Corps of Engineers weeks to look at the LA barrior berm plan. He would have known that LA was short booms. He could have asked who was organizing the fishing boats, and specificly tasked someone with doing that when it was clear no one was.

Instead, he just sits and listens to "a briefing."

[Clarice]

Jane, I agree with the poster who said he dislikes long distance pundit diagnoses of political figures which, after all, seem simply to confirm the political judgements of the authors, but I think Robin's was less definitive in that respect . The diagnosis was more along the lines that it could be A or B or C because we are seeing symptoms that fit these different possibilities. But I agree, in the end, there is something missing and that deficit is becoming increasingly obvious.

[fdcol63]

And he seems to have plenty of time for golf and basketball.

[fdcol63]

What's missing?

1) A sense of being "American"
2) Competence
3) Class
4) Leadership
5) Humility
6) Experience

These are just for starters.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Ranger-

I would wager that a Jones Act waiver must originate from the Oval Office, and not from the country offering help, but I don't know the protocols established in the Act.

It was too pat an answer by Gibbs.

[Danube of Thought]

I think Ranger is spot on. He should have talked to the four affected state governors on day one--and just about every day since--asking "what do you need? How can I help you?"

And above all he should have had the same conversation with the BP CEO. To me it is just unthinkable that he did not do so. And I think the explanation lies in the fact that he really does perceive the private sector as a hostile entity on whose neck the government must keep its boot.

[Ranger]

Mel,

I know how the game is played in Chicago. I grew up in the suburbs. When Blago was elected I was in Champaign and all the university faculty and staff were so happy that "the Democrat" won. I told them he was a Chicago Democrat, and that meant a new and unimaginable level of corruption in Springfield. They looked at me like I had two heads. Well, now that the university has taken 3% recisions in budget for the last 4 years in a row, and Blago skipped a couple of years payments to the non-academic pension fund, they're not nearly as happy, but they never seem to connect the dire situaiton they are in with the fact that the Dems have controled Springfield for the last 7 years.

[Danube of Thought]

Anyhow, it looks like Dingy Harry's kid is going to get his ass kicked.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Ranger-

Do you mean to tell me that Blago, Emil Jones, and Mike Madigan were not looking out for the state from their pure hearts?

And now Pat Quinn has fallen into the same rut.

[Jane]

I had to go find a pix of Rory Reid to see if he was as ugly as his father. Not yet but he does appear to be headed in that direction.

[Ignatz]

From clarice's AT link:
Consummate narcissists would never stoop to this vulgar display of adolescent machismo. ["kicking ass"].

I have to disagree with this. It is precisely the kind of phony machismo they use to demonstrate control when that control is being challenged. That is whyt he is so reactive; narcissists aren't sure how "normal" people act so when they are criticized for inappropriate or inadequate behavior they uaually adapt their behavior to act the way they believe they are supposed to act.
It's actually pretty comical jerking a narcissist around once one learns which buttons to push.

--Last night I was wondering if O was a candidate for suicide.--

Narcissists are the ultimate control freaks and commiting suicide would demonstrate the ultimate lack of control so suicide is very rare with these birds unless they suffer some psychotic break.

[Ranger]

And now Pat Quinn has fallen into the same rut.

Posted by: Melinda Romanoff | June 11, 2010 at 11:28 AM

Yes. And now Obama and the Chicago crew are trying to do the exact same thing to the entire country. If people ever took a close look at what the Dems have done to this state, they would tremble at what the future of the US holds in store if we don't break their hold on power in D.C.

[Rick Ballard]

Mel,

You're correct that some container traffic has moved from Los Angeles to Seattle but it's not enough to offset the entire decline.

I believe that the Jones Act nonsense has to be read in conjunction with the idiotic moratorium. In both instances unions were tugging the chain around BOzo's scrawny neck. If we had any journalists left they might consider asking Gibbs who asked for the Bush administration for the Jones Act waiver for Katrina. They could ask which union pointed out the union job loss impact of Salazar's bone headed moratorium as a follow up. My bet is the Steelworkers.

[Danube of Thought]

who asked for the Bush administration for the Jones Act waiver for Katrina.

Great question. And if they don't ask Gibbs, they could ask Michael Chertoff, who I believe was the guy who authorized the waiver. If he wasn't, he would sure know who asked for it and who granted it.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Ranger-

You'll get no argument from me on that point. The only thing is some of their punches are amazingly telegraphed, at least to this jaundiced eye.

(And I forgot you were from here, my oops.)

[Danube of Thought]

Found this:

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina unleashed a storm surge which overpowered the levees of Lake Pontchartrain.

It also opened up the floodgates for foreign operators to gain a toehold in the offshore oil and gas sector.

Both the Jones Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) were enacted to protect the American maritime industry by requiring goods being moved between U.S. ports and offshore sites to be shipped on American built and flagged vessels.

However, both laws allow for waivers or exemptions to be granted in case of national emergency or necessity.

After Hurricane Katrina damaged the Gulf of Mexico's refineries and movement of oil, then Homeland Security Michael Chertoff granted a 19 day waiver to allow foreign vessels to transport oil and gas.

But those 19 days have essentially turned into four years as the presence of foreign vessels has continued-and even increased-to the present day.

It's here.

[Danube of Thought]

Roger Hedgecock, and SD radio talkshow guy, says the Dutch offer of help was turned down because a union objected. No details.

I suppose the watchdogs of the Fourth Estate should direct the question to Janet Napolitano. Not holding my breath.

[Melinda Romanoff]

DoT-

That was Rick's suspicion to a T.

Nice find.

[Ranger]

(And I forgot you were from here, my oops.)

Posted by: Melinda Romanoff | June 11, 2010 at 11:50 AM

No biggie. I just post my little political updates on IL here because I know most of the people have no clue what is going on here. I always value your updates on what is going on in "the city" since I am now down state and get what little inside info on Chicago I have from listening to Chicago radio.

If I seem a little short in my responses its just that this place makes me so mad. It is the classic example of slowly raising the temperature to a boil so the frog doesn't jump out of the pot, only we are the frogs. People have no idea how much damage has been done and how ugly it will get when the flow of "free money" ends. There are lots of communities in this state the are heavily dependent on state grant money to keep a lot of things running. When that money stops, I really don't know how people are going to respond.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rurally, I have a really good idea how they will respond. Urban? Well, I imagine the food issue will get ugly.

I do have to pay attention because if the supply of certain meds dries up, I will only survive a short while.

[DebinNC]

Bush suspended the Davis Bacon Act during Katrina to benefit locals damaged by the storm and not just out-of-state union members. Dems, like Obama, pressured him into reinstating it. I doubt Bush waited around for a waiver request, and I hope folks in the Gulf remember Obama was among those responsible for the good jobs they were denied.

[daddy]

JiB,

Thanks for the cruise updates. Please keep them coming.

Can't find it now but last week was an excellent write up on one of KIm's sites about Lord Moncton winning the Climate Debate at Oxford. Any input or comments on that or a general senses of AGW from your cruise mates?

peter,

The Lonely Sea and the Sky==very nice Francis Chichester book.

Also enjoyed Slocum's late 1880's "Sailing alone Around the World." Both interesting reads. And very happy to hear the girls okay.

[Porchlight]

Well well well. Who would have thought that not yet midway through Obama's first term, a disaster would occur that would result in a re-evaluation of Katrina that would redound to Bush's benefit? The MSM isn't completely on board of course but I think some of the most interesting contrasts - like the Jones Act info that DoT uncovered - are still ahead of us, and will be difficult for the Muddle to ignore.

Karma is indeed sweet. Sad that it took such a horrible event to bring it about.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Here's the Parade livestream, if anyone's interested.

[narciso]

Was he a contemporary of Richard Dana

[I Won]

When the economy nosedives again when the Bush tax cuts expire, I'll have no choice but to explain that Bush is to blame. They were his tax cuts, after all.

[I Won]

Bush tax cuts got us into this mess. Only my tax increases can put the economy back into balance again.

[Danube of Thought]

And now USC fans have joined the chorus: Blame Bush.

[Danube of Thought]

how ugly it will get when the flow of "free money" ends

See Greece for a preview.

[Captain Hate]

And now USC fans have joined the chorus: Blame Bush.

LOL. If anything the Trojans got off too easy considering them hiring somebody shady like Lane Kiffin when Carroll could read the tea leaves and scampered away. AD Mike Garrett showing no remorse is pretty funny too.

I hate the NCAA so it's not like a have a dog in this fight....

[Danube of Thought]

I assume Garrett is toast.

Update on the Wikileaks stuff. I dearly hope this guy Manning does a huge load of hard time.