Whose Fault Is The Oil Spill?
Arianna Huffington argued that the bureaucratic failure that led to the BP oil spill is a direct result of the Bush/Cheney administration's weakened regulations on This Week. Liz Cheney, unsurprisingly, took issue, mocking Huffington’s accusations against the previous president, not to mention her dad, Dick Cheney.
Who’s In Charge in the Gulf?
One troubling question has come up repeatedly as oil has spewed into the Gulf of Mexico for the last six weeks: Who’s in charge? On CNN’s State of the Union, Admiral Thad Allen details the disaster response effort’s somewhat complex chain of accountability in the gulf. Calling the oil slick an “insidious enemy” that is “holding the gulf hostage,” Allen explains why a skimmer was not deployed in time to stop a huge oil blob from reaching Orange Beach, Alabama.
Why Can’t Boomers Get Over Vietnam?
Even Sen. John Kerry—whose war record was infamously smeared during the 2004 presidential race—is at a loss to explain the strange politics of Vietnam decades after the U.S. pulled out of there. And when asked on This Week whether, as a decorated war veteran, he was offended that Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) falsely said he served in Vietnam, Kerry said it was just time to move on.
Michael Oren Strongly Defends Israeli Raid
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren strongly defended Israel’s controversial raid of the aid flotilla headed toward Gaza last week. The nation has the right to do whatever it has to do to defend itself, Oren said on Fox News Sunday, including using a blockade to keep weapons out of the hands of Hamas—even if Iran’s Revolutionary Guard provides a military escort to more Gaza-bound ships. Oren also rejected the idea of an international investigation of the raid, saying Israel has the right to investigate itself, too.
Charlie Crist: BP’s Compensation Efforts Are “Lacking”
If one thing is clear, it’s that BP is going to be left with one very large tab when—if ever—the spill is entirely cleaned up. On CNN’s State of the Union Florida Gov. Charlie Crist criticized how BP has so far responded to claims, saying their efforts are “lacking” and “we’re demanding that they do better.”
Confusion Reigns in the Gulf
On CBS’s Face the Nation, Florida senator Bill Nelson suggested the spill was a Herculean logistical challenge that was pushing the abilities of government agencies, despite their intensive efforts. "If they don't get this thing cut off … it is going to considerably alter our way of life along the Gulf,” Nelson said.
James Fallows: Your Parents’ News Weekly is Dead
On CNN’s Reliable Sources, Atlantic Monthly writer James Fallows pronounced the news weekly model as one in need of change, suggesting there wasn’t the demand to match the number that currently exist. As for the media as a whole, he sounded more optimistic, saying “all these industries have been through their history, gone through all sorts of business tumult, and they will find ways to make it.” Maybe there’s hope for Newsweek after all?