Mary Landrieu (D-Big Oil) Gives Thumbs Down On Gulf Oil Spill Commission
In a totally unsurprising move, Sen. Landrieu once again stood up for her benefactors by opposing the proposed make-up of a commission consisting of i
(NOLA) WASHINGTON -- On the same day the White House commission investigating the Gulf oil spill announced its first meetings -- July 12-13 in New Orleans -- a Senate committee cast what amounted to a no-confidence vote on the commission's objectivity.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted Wednesday to create a congressional bipartisan commission to investigate the spill, with Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and others saying a separate panel is needed because the White House commission has four environmental advocates -- three members and the executive staff director -- but no oil industry representation.
"Maybe the commission that the Congress sets up, in a more balanced fashion, with both very strong environmental views and very strong industry views, could actually come up with something that really might work for the dilemma and the challenge that this nation faces, which briefly is this: We use 20 million barrels of oil a day," Landrieu said. "That was true the day before the Deepwater Horizon blew up. It is true today. And we need to get that oil from somewhere."
The video above from CNN investigates Landrieu's industry ties, somewhat timidly, but at least the mainstream media is beginning to ask the questions which to the rest of us is patently obvious. Sheila Krumholz of the Center for Responsive Politics makes some good points about Landrieu.