News Flash: Obama Not Superman, Doesn’t Have “Limitless Power” with Gulf Oil Spill: “I Can’t Suck It up with a Straw” & Won’t Waive the Jones Act (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on June 12, 2010
Hermit crabs struggle to cross a patch of oil from the Gulf oil spill on a barrier island near East Grand Terre Island, LA - June 6, 2010 (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo)
It’s always about HIM, isn’t it?
Pres. Obama, in the video below talking with American citizens, made this pathetic, whiny excuse about his lack of leadership and lack of expediency in the growing Gulf oil spill catastrophe:
“Even though I’m the president of the United States, my power isn’t limitless. So, I can’t dive down there and plug the hole… I can’t suck it up with a straw.”
Really. He said that.
Obama Whines: “I Can’t Plug the Hole… I Can’t Suck It Up with a Straw”
No limitless power, really???
So he’s not Superman? Jeepers, that’s a hot story! Quick, Jimmy and Lois, let’s follow up on this scoop pronto!
What a childish, ineffectual, thin-skinned, whiney-butt lament from any grown man, let alone the man who was elected by a bunch of dreamy-eyed liberals to run the entire country into the ground.
News flash - Obama admits he does not have 'limitless power'
Trying to remember if Bush ever declared after Hurricane Katrina, “Even though I’m president of the United States, I don’t have limitless power. I can’t stop a hurricane, can’t hold back the winds and the ocean.” Nah, don’t think he did.
Mr. Obama, stop making cute straw quips, stop bemoaning your lack of “limitless power, and stop golfing like a duffing fool. Instead, do something positive and within your job description as Commander in Chief: waive the Jones Act so that the vessels from other countries like Belgium and Norway that want to give help, have been standing by for nearly seven weeks to help in the cleanup CAN.
From Examiner, Why is Obama refusing to waive the Jones Act? He’s aiding in the destruction of the Gulf:
Obama has refused to waive the Jones Act. His Administration keeps putting the blame on the Coast Guard who puts the blame on others for not requesting the Jones Act be waived. Yet a simple Executive Order signed by Obama could waive the Jones Act in about 3 minutes, less time than it takes Obama to set up a tee on the golf course. The Gulf is in dire need of all the help it can get. When foreign entities with better expertise and equipment in oil spills offer to help, why is Obama refusing? While Obama dithers in his bad leadership of the Oil Spill, the Gulf Coast dies more and more each day.
The Jones Act was established in 1920 as the Merchant Marine Act:
“Section 27, also known as the Jones Act, deals with cabotage (i.e., coastal shipping) and requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. The purpose of the law is to support the U.S. merchant marine industry, but agricultural interests generally oppose it because, they contend, it raises the cost of shipping their goods, making them less competitive with foreign sources. [1]
In addition, amendments to the Jones Act, known as the Cargo Preference Act (P.L. 83-644), provide permanent legislation for the transportation of waterborne cargoes in U.S.-flag vessels.”
This means that foreign owned, built and manned vessels cannot help in the oil spill cleanup unless Obama waives the Jones Act. During Katrina President Bush waived the Jones Act because of the desperate situation, why isn’t Obama doing the same now? The Jones Act is heavily backed by labor unions. Could that be Obama’s reasoning? Maybe Obama doesn’t want to make his Union buddies upset? There’s no other reason that one could possibly think of as to why Obama has not waived the Jones Act. There is absolutely no excuse for Obama, our ‘global leader’, not bring in help from around the world.
The Dutch offered their help 3 DAYS after the Gulf Oil Spill yet the Administration said:
“..While there is no need right now that the U.S. cannot meet, the U.S. Coast Guard is assessing these offers of assistance to see if there will be something which we will need in the near future.”
Are they serious? This country helps every country in the world when they need it. We are always at the front line for offering aid. The one time we need expertise and equipment that we do not have in this country, Obama rejects it? Why would the President of the United States allow the Gulf to continue to be destroyed rather than getting the help here that EXISTS and is desperately necessary? By Obama refusing to waive the Jones Act, he is aiding in the destruction of the Gulf Coast.
FOX News: How the Jones Act and Labor Unions Are Blocking Oil Spill Cleanup
From Tarpon’s Swamp:
A ship of fools — We learned a simple thing this week: that the BP clean-up effort in the Gulf of Mexico is hampered by the Jones Act. This is a piece of 1920s protectionist legislation, that requires all vessels working in U.S. waters to be American-built, and American-crewed.
So while, for instance, the U.S. Coast Guard can accept such help as miles of containment boom from Canada, they can’t accept, and therefore don’t ask for, the assistance of high-tech European vessels specifically designed for the task in hand.
This is amusing, in a way, a memorable illustration of a ship of fools … Which is to say, the law of unintended consequences, which pertains with especial virulence to all acts of government regulation.
Well at least we are beginning to understand Obama’s lack of haste containing and cleaning up the Gulf Oil Spill. When buying stuff in the future, look for the union label, and then put it back on the shelf. It’s disgusting self interest at work here. We are beginning to understand why oil spill containment work, early on effort to contain the well blowout, was so lacking. Why the 17 countries who were offering aid early on, were turned down — Skimmer tankers and boats turned away from America’s stricken water for want of union workers.
FOX News: When Gulf Policy and Economic Policy Collide – Obama Still Hasn’t Talked to BP CEO, Moratorium on Drilling Will Hurt LA Worse Economically Than Oil Spill
And this is really rich… what whiney-butt excuse will we get on Obama’s reasons for dropping the ball here? From Gateway Pundit: Oil Boom Manufacturer: We Notified Government 4 WEEKS AGO That We Have Product (Video) …Update: Team O Learns of Maine Company in Live Interview. No wonder Gov. Jindal is so frustrated and angry with Team Obama.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal dips a stick into oil on a land bridge built by the Louisiana National Guard to protect fragile wetlands on Elmer's Island in Grand Isle, LA (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)
November. Is. Coming.
Related reading:
A Conservative Teacher: Obama: Didn’t Waive the Jones Act, Made Gulf Spill Worse
No Sheeples Here: BREAKING: WH Energy Czar Browner Unaware Adm. Allen Willing to Waive Jones Act That Is Slowing Oil Spill Disaster Clean-Up
Gateway Pundit: Ruh-Roh… 71% of Voters Say Government Response to Oil Spill Is Important to Their Vote and LiveBlogging the Obama Oil Spill Address & Cap-&-Tax Push and Krauthammer on Obama Polling Lower Than Bush on Katrina: This Gives Whole new Meaning to Hope and Change (Video) and Oil Slick, What Oil Slick?… Feds Ban Flights Over Affected Gulf Coast Region and Today’s Whine: Obama to Reporters “I Can’t Suck It Up With a Straw” (Video) and 18 US Beaches May Be Ruined Forever While Miles Of Oil Boom Sits in a Maine Warehouse and Oh My!… Team Obama Fudged Report to Push Their Oil Drilling Moratorium and Obama Knew From the Beginning That the Oil Would Leak For Months and OBAMA OPENS CAN!… It’s Hope-&-KickA$$ Time and Oh Brother… Obama Ready to “Kick Some A$$” (Video) and Barack Obama’s Golf Oil Spill – Days 1 thru 42 (Video) …Update: Obama & McCartney Sing “Hey Crude” (Video) and Change!… Bush Restored the Iraqi Marshes – Obama Destroyed the US Marshes and Rudy Giuliani on Obama’s Response to BP Oil Spill: “If You Taught Leadership 101 This Would Be an Example of Exactly NOT What to Do” (Video) and Gulf Oil Spill Nears Florida’s White Sand Beaches and Liz Cheney on Obama’s Response to BP Oil Spill: “A Gift for Reading the TelePrompter Is Not the Same as Leadership” (Video) and Louisiana Official to Obama: Your Oil Drilling Suspension “Will Kill Us” and Obama to Hold a Few More Photo Ops Before Addressing Gulf Oil Spill Disaster and Louisiana Rep. Scalise Screams at Obama: “We’re Tired of the Excuses” (Video) and Shameless… Obama Takes Swipe At Sarah Palin During Oil Spill Disaster Press Conference (Video) and Sarah Palin Slams Obama For Lax Response to Gulf Oil Spill Crisis and Jindal Furious: Rips Obama For Dismal Response to Oil Spill Disaster and Kirsten Powers: Obama Administration’s Response to Gulf Oil Spill “Is Not About Campaign Donations, It’s About Incompetence” (Video) and Thick Blobs of Tar Begin Washing Up on Alabama Shore – Obama Goes Golfing
Motor City Times: Obama Decides To Unilaterally Stop Drilling For Oil
Frugal Café Blog Zone: “Who’s The Boss” of Disastrous Gulf Oil Spill Operation? Weak Leadership of Obama’s Team Flip-Flopping to Avoid Blame (video) and Obama’s Oil Spill — Liz Cheney: “Gift for Reading the TelePrompter Is Not the Same As Leadership’ — Gov Jindal: “There Could Have Been a Greater Sense of Urgency” (video) and Political Writer Peggy Noonan: “Obama Was Suppose to Be Competent,” Gulf Oil Spill Debacle May Be His Undoing and Gulf Oil Leak Plug Failure — “Top Kill” Didn’t Work, Obama Likely Won’t Accept Blame Even Though BP Is Operating Under His Authority, Rep. Scalise Hits the Roof (video) and Gulf Oil Spill Roundup: Obama’s Press Conference, Diving into the Gulf Oil Spill to See the Disaster, & Obama’s Head of Mineral Management Service Resigns in Wake of BP Spill (video) and Do or Die on the Gulf: Carville’s Oil Rant Against Obama, Dowd on Illegal Immigration (video)
Nice Deb: The Flailing President and Eager To Shirk Responsibility, Obama Latches On To “IF” Arguments and Introducing: Barack Obama’s Oil Spill’s Blog
The New Ledger, Big Government: White House Failure: On Markets, Corruption, and the Oil Spill
GayPatriot: Gulf Oil Spill & the “dominant narrative of Katrina”
HillBuzz: QUESTION: What would happen if Governor Jindal just said “Screw you, I’m defending my state” to the federal government and built those barrier islands, Obama be damned
Diary of a Mad Conservative: Gulf oil spill spells major inconvenience for the White House that still finds time for a party or 2 and Government take over of BP might be coming
Quin Hillyer, American Spectator: What the Oil Spill Means
Michelle Malkin: Obama to Tea Partiers: See! The Gulf Disaster is What Smaller Government Will Get You and No wonder finger-pointing Obama wants oil spill finger-pointing to stop
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now now now. at this point in the operation there is nothing that non US Flag Jones Act qualified vessels can do that US Flag Jones Act Qaualified vessels cannot. i believe that as soon as we run out of US Flag resources non-US Flag vessels will be allowed to pitch in and help. but so long as US Flag is available, then non-US Flag must stay out
Oh, so the oil is no longer threatening the US coastline? Good to know – because if it WERE still infiltrating and destroying the beaches and wetlands and wildlife, I’d have to say that you were dead wrong and that more equipped ships would be needed to assist in the cleanup while the oil was still 50 miles out at sea, BEFORE it reached the shorelines.
MAQUINA-EHX22 HYDRAULIC POWER. FREE AND DEFINITIVE ENERGY
MAQUINA-EHX22 creates the energy of the future. It has been obtained for the first time that when applying a force to the volume of a closed body, the explosive power that it generates can move pushing areas by periodic cyclical sections – without which the volume varies multiplying by more than twenty the used force.
In the history of the hydraulics never it was possible to be able to multiply the energy. In order to make it possible, and for want of knowing another form, it is only possible to be managed having formed individual volumes in watertight cavities and turning in rotation, when applying to him a force from the outside, the power of its transformation pushes a section of turn of degrees (similarity to the race of push of the rectilinear cylinder). The volume at the same time as one moves pushing a free plane, it follows connected the outer force and is growing his power – without varying, which obvious confirms another concept in Matters Energetics that transfer the present knowledge of the physics and the mathematics, because simply and level, the outer energy that enters during the development of forces of the cycle, with the push is multiplied. Nothing similar is known until now.
WOW, ALWAYS ON THE ATTACK…THE JONES ACT HAS AN EXEMPTION FOR “OIL SPILL RESPONSE” VESSLES….SO NO NEED TO WAIVE IT FOR THE OIL SPILL DISASTER
ALSO THE COUNTRIES/COMPANIES OFFERING HELP WERE OFFERING TO “SELL” THEIR SERVICES….NOW HAD OBAMA ACCEPTED THEN YOU WOULD BE RANTING HE GAVE AWAY JOBS TO FOREIGN INTERESTS INSTEAD OF AMERICANS…..
Uh, no… why would you think that? If there were indeed “American interests” with the requisite, applicable technology, we wouldn’t even need to consider foreign help, and we wouldn’t be in the mess we are now. Belgium and a number of other countries have the cleanup/skimming technology and the properly equipped vessels, we don’t.
Just like a liberal – protecting Obama’s poor decisions with lame hypotheticals about conservative “rantings.” Believe what you want about your guy – if he had jumped on the foreign help back on Day 3 when it was offered, the wetlands would be protected, the coastlines would not be polluted. Even liberal journalists and experts are denouncing Obama’s poor leadership and performance on this… the fact that you’re supporting his procrastination and doing so little (but finding plenty of time to go golfing) speaks volumes.
Also, why did you put the word “sell” in quotation marks? Of course we would pay for their cleanup services, you ninny… or did you think we should only accept help if it were free?
the issue with the main portion of the spill is how deep the plume seems to be located…no vessle or ship is able to “skim” the depth that is of main concern……so again facts are not addressed, only hesterical rants…..
Cite your source on that. I’ve not read it anywhere else before, and I’ve read plenty on this from many experts.
Sounds like fudged “Obama junk science” designed to protect the president’s poor leadership and performance.
Barack Obama is an arrogant do-nothing. All talk no action. His suck it up with a straw remark was childish. Not what a president of the greatest nation on earth would say. Even Carter wasn’t such a wuss.
I’m sick to death of him and seeing his face everywhere. when will it be 2012?