I live on the lower southwest coast of Florida and fully expect us to get hit by this oil gusher at some point, probably in the near future. Sooner or later, the oil is going to get caught up in the Gulf Loop. At the rate of at least 60,000 barrels a day (and I suspect it's a good deal more) and these incidents where they can't even suck up the pathetic 10-15 barrels a day that they've been doing, we are pretty screwed. What is happening in the upper Gulf right now, (especially to the marshes and wetlands in Louisiana) is the tip of the iceberg if drilling is continued in the ocean, especially deep-water drilling. Right now, BP is going to drill in the Arctic off a BP-built island so they technically don't have to call it "offshore deep-water drilling) even though they are going to be drilling around 2,000 feet down, horizontally out about 6-8 miles. They got to do write their own environmental review back in 2007. See the attached NYT article from today. As for me, I'm joining a huge protest against ocean drilling this weekend called "Hands Across the Sand," and will be able to sign up for training in remediation efforts.

Oh yeah...my biggest bitch with the Feds is their horrible response in the clean-up effort. It needs to be completely taken away from BP (let them shut the GD well down!), provide the necessary resources and let the state and locals take the lead.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/us/24rig.html?hpw

"High court ruling of note: "The Supreme Court Thursday restricted one of federal prosecutors' favorite tools for pursuing corrupt politicians and self-dealing corporate chiefs, and cast doubt on the conviction of former Enron chief Jeffrey Skilling."

Yes but isn't it the same rule that was manipulated to convict Don Siegleman?

Come on Benen...why even post a reference to sexual assault and Al Gore. So trite the right will spend $10mil. to exploit it.

The satirical campaign ad could have been applied to Brown's election in Mass. It definitely describes Michelle Bachmann. He must have run out of space before adding, "God told me to run for office".

McCain has become the joke of incompetence and self seeking. He never did know what he was talking about and his opinions are worthless and so irrelevant they are hard to endure. So why is he always on the tube? His name on a talk show guest list should list about the same place it did on his graduating class list...very near the bottom.

I'm glad the Disclose Act passed the house but it means little as long as we have a broken senate. Some think getting rid of anonymous holds is a major break through for the senate, but really it should never have existed as a rule in the first place. Limit the filibuster to supreme court nominees (as they are appointed for life and wield such power and influence) and watch the nation get back to the will of the people again.

I'm waiting for mother nature to start reacting violently to BP's devastating environmental catastrophe brought about by pure greed. I'm also still under the impression that if fixing this hole meant that in the future BP could not continue to get oil out of this well they would just let it continue to flow into the Gulf, which is what I believe they are doing now...finding ways to keep it tapped no matter what the cost. Maybe soon the gulf states will become the gulf islands. The air, the drinking water the soil the ozone the climate and now the environment and the oceans...poisoned from greed and deregulation.

"I didn't realize Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was in trouble, but he was replaced yesterday by Julia Gillard. It will be the first time the country's head of state is a woman."

She is the head of government; the head of state is Queen Elizabeth of the U.K.Aceremonial Govenor-general representing the Queen in the day-today duties of head of state.

Same set up as Canada, N.Z.

I absolutely fail to understand this meme that John McCain has such great foreign policy/military experience. Let's see, he graduated at the bottom of his class at the U.S. Naval Academy, almost died in a major fire on an aircraft carrier (U.S. Forrestal) in 1967 (still questions about whether any of his actions may have precipitated the accident, was shot down flying a bomber in North Vietnam the same year and spent 6 years as a POW in Hanoi. (Had a reputation as being careless and a "hot dog.") Released in 1973 and returning to the U.S., he retired in 1981 after a series of strictly desk jobs, and then got into politics (thanks to his wealthy second wife).

btw...remember when Obama stayed over to take questions from the republican meeting? Answered them all and really put the republicans in their place he was so knowledgeable. Does Greta van Sustern think McCain could last 5 min under such conditions...or Palin...or nearly every republican on the hill...since lobbyists do all their talking for them and write their legislation. This would make it very apparent that McCain "does not know what he's talking about".

Steve:
The link to the item regarding career-technical education is interesting because the technical center in Essex (your new hometown) IS integrating academic and vocational-technical training and we have been for the past decade. It's nice to see others affirming what we have been doing and believe in.
- tom b.

Follow The Money... so... let's start investigating in more detail how much members of the Supreme Court profit by their decisions... CF Clarence Thomas and his right wing activities and John Roberts...

Perhaps they are less fanatically right wing than we are lead to believe. I mean really who in their right mind goes about overturning settled law that has no real idealogy except to reduce crime without some financial interest

Well, does Greta van Susteren believe Gretchen Carlson of "Fox and Friends" could do as well as our President? Just loved the clip Ed Schultz ran of Carlson comparing her role as anchor to the President. She said she had to make decisions on "F&F" as to what they would show, just as the President has to make his decisions. So, does Murdoch allow her to use Air FAUX One, as well? What next on "F&F"? Will they play "Hail to the Chief" as she enters the set?

I'm also still under the impression that if fixing this hole meant that in the future BP could not continue to get oil out of this well they would just let it continue to flow into the Gulf

For the umpteenth time, the amount of $$ BP could get by selling the oil it's capturing from the well is MINUSCULE compared to what the continuing leak is costing. Plus which, BP is donating whatever it does get to wildlife rescue. The reason they're capturing some of the oil is to keep it from getting into the Gulf while the relief wells are being drilled.

The well itself is ruined. It can't be repaired. Once they shut it down from the bottom with the relief wells, it will never be used again for anything.

Heh, I remember something like that comedic campaign ad on an old "Kids In The Hall" episode, or a show like that. That was many, many moons ago, though.

At TPM regarding Gore a commenter notes the suspicious nature of the accusation:

She was treated like that and then remained ALONE in the room with a violent man in order to finish the massage? Sounds like a load of horse shit. Check if the woman is in sudden need of lots of cash.

Reminiscent of weaknesses perceived in some of the Clinton material, and Thomas' too.

BTW Swift Loris, I replied to your email after finding it in the Spam folder. Those filters are of course not people.

Just a minor correction, Steve.

It is indeed the case that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been replaced by his deputy Julia Gillard.

However, neither person is or has been Australia's head of state. Due to what many (including me) see as our anachronistic Constitution, our Head of State for over fifty years has been Queen Elizabeth II. Interestingly, the Queen's formal representative in Australia, the Governor-General, is right now a woman for the first time - Quentin Bryce.

So Australia right now has a female head of state, a female Governor-General and a female Prime Minister.

Kevin Rudd was basically rolled internally by the Labour Party for numerous reasons, many of which are set out in the coverage at Aussie left-wing sites such as www.larvatusprodeo.net (which I am unaffiliated with).

Aussiesmurf, do you agree with this assessment of what happened:

I mean:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/06/australias-prime-minister-may-fall-on-climate-change-sword ...

Crap, I mean:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/06/australias-prime-minister-may-fall-on-climate-change-sword.php?

This is interesting, about WSJ first saying HCR would cost lots of money then admitting to the claim of savings in a buried section:
http://www.secretlyironic.com/?p=2086

Kevin Rudd was locked in a high-profile battle with mining companies over a new tax on mining company profits.

So the mining companies had him replaced. The first move Julia Gillard made was to announce an end to the government's promotion of the mining tax, and to announce, allow me to quote "I am throwing open the Government's door to the mining industry".

The US equivalent would be President Obama stepping down in favor of Joe "I'm Sorry" Barton, so that BP could get their $20 billion back out of escrow.