Has the President declared the spill a national emergency? If not, what exactly is he waiting for?

[Poll_Blind]

In October of last year, the President declared a national emergency in regards to the H1N1 "Swine Flu" outbreak.

On May 3rd, 2010, President Obama continued the state of national emergency in regards to the nation of Iran "Because the actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States..."

I may have missed declarations of a national emergency in regards to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Have there been any?

If not, does anyone else agree that what's getting on to be The Greatest Oil Pollution Fuckup Ever might be meekly suggested to have risen to a sufficient level of severity as the Swine Flu outbreak and...Iran?

:shrug:

Am I misunderstanding something?

PB

[Cant trust em]

1. Napolitano did this early on.

She described it as of "national significance" which is apparently a legal term that allows for a wider federal response to the disaster.

[xultar]

2. OMG Where have you guys been?

[Poll_Blind]

5. Is that a yes? If so, can you help me out with a link?

Thank you very much!

PB

[Skittles]

3. he is waiting for BP to tell him what to do

isn't that obvious?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Because obviously BP wanted to create a $20 billion escrow with no cap.

:crazy:

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Twenty billion is far more than BP would like to spend.

People who still pretend that BP is telling Obama what to do really have no business telling anybody else to pull their heads out of their asses.

I mean seriously, you've gone beyond the pale.

[Skittles]

11. that is besides the point

they can seriously afford to pay it

people who figure out the oil companies own our politicians are in SERIOUS DENIAL

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. Good.

And?

[Skittles]

13. there's no accountabliltiy, no plan to punish these fuckers

and honestly HFPS, I'm done with you - it's not worth the trouble

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Actually, a criminal investigation is in process.

Oh, Skittles. Is there anything you won't get wrong?

[elehhhhna]

39. yanno, you're kind of an ass.

[JoeyT]

41. And it'll turn out someone about halfway down the ladder did all manner of things wrong,

and will be the scape-goat, but no one in the upper levels ever hurt a fly.
I'd like to be wrong, but I bet I'm not. I don't have a whole lot of faith in the "criminal investigation" card since the last few times they played it they did nothing useful with it.

I do think they're at least going to hurt BP monetarily pretty badly. Which is far more than I'd hoped would happen at the start.

[Cant trust em]

18. Who cares if they can afford to pay it?

The goal is to ensure that people who were damaged by this are made whole. If there is funding for that, then I'm not really concerned how much more they have in assets.

Granted, there’s a big if there, but it shouldn’t be the amount that they have left that is our concern.

[Skittles]

22. LOL

if the goal is to ensure the people who were damaged by this are made whole, then you sure as fuck should care that they can afford to pay it. Will the actual damages be under 20 billion? :rofl:

[Cant trust em]

25. Yes. That came out incorrectly.

Your point seems to be that regardless of the costs, the fund should be more than $20B because they need to be punished. They have more than $20B, so the fund should be more than $20B.

Assuming that the costs are $20B or less, then what do I care?

[Skittles]

28. assuming that the costs are $20 billion or less

naive much???
:rofl:

[Cant trust em]

31. Just for the sake of argument.

Do you have anything to say about this, or is putting up a smilie icon the best you've got?

Your points seem to be scattered all over the map.

[Skittles]

32. good response

:rofl:

[Cant trust em]

33. We have a winner here, folks!

[Cetacea]

30. So Obama is limiting press access and hiding bodies?

Tell me more...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

38. Uh... wut?

Does this have anything to do with your conspiracy theory that meteorologists are hiding the truth about Florida weather to increase tourism?

[Cetacea]

40. uh..wut? Catch up.

Your native tongue is revealed.

[ProSense]

10. Let's rephrase "TWENTY BILLION (with no cap) IS *NOTHING* TO BP"

So BP has unlimited funds?

[notesdev]

21. With cap & trade they will

How convenient that Obama's solution is to make their product that much more valuable...

[Skittles]

23. I 'M SURE IT IS COINCDENTAL!!!

:rofl:

[ProSense]

24. Sure they will, and

they'll be happy no matter how much the liability, right?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. Err, I believe the various states effected have declared it an emergency.

As opposed to, say, the swine flu, which effected every state in the nation.

[Uzybone]

17. c'mon now...folks in Fargo, ND have to get the boom out too.

[Cetacea]

26. Did 9/11 effect every state?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

29. Yes.

Given the halting of flights and the inherent security threat.

[Cetacea]

35. True. Could be argued that this is a National Security issue?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

36. Don't see how.

[LeftyFingerPop]

37. The executive branch of the Government is almost completely wrapped up in this.

The Coast Guard and The National guard is heavily involved. All of this means that our resources are strained, potentially limiting our response and preventive efforts against a terrorist attack.

This cannot be viewed as if it exists in a bubble.

We are weakened because of this...the entire nation is. A national emergency is called for.

[Cant trust em]

8. Here's a link.

Napolitano Says BP Spill of ‘National Significance’

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-29/napolitano-says-bp-spill-of-national-significance-update1-.html

[Poll_Blind]

15. I guess that's about as much as it's going to get. Thank you for the link!

PB

[xultar]

16. google is your friend. Someone posted it for you. The link tactic is played out.

[Kumbricia]

19. Soon to be 'International Significance"

as the oil disperses throughout the Caribbean and Atlantic

[Kumbricia]

20. Soon to be 'International Significance"

as the oil disperses throughout the Caribbean and Atlantic

[Cetacea]

27. Cambell Brown: "It seems like there is a gag order.." 6/16/10

[ProSense]

34. What exactly is the national emergency?

It's a federal emergency, but what exactly is the national emergency, related to every state needing assistance?