Brain Farts

(warning: cartoon is unrelated to post)

* Oil.
Lots of politicians and media-types are obsessed with focusing blame on BP.  And, don't get it twisted, I think the cost of clean-up is their's and their's alone... but what do these people think BP's motivations are?

I think BP is motivated by making money by selling oil.  So, if they are losing oil, and spending money trying and failing to clean it up, all while giving themselves a name forever tarnished with this incident, what could they be possibly have to gain?

** Mexicans.
Mexico's President, Felipe Calderon, showed up in Washington D.C. to bad mouth a U.S. State law (Arizona's improved illegal immigration bill).  Instead of having rotten fruit thrown at him, American Congressmen stood in applause.  They even had cute little bracelets made aggreeing with him.

Opinions of the law aside.  I fear for the state of things when ANY outsider-- no matter their title or commentary-- can address a joint session of Congress and slander one of America's 50 states.  It's not just appauling... it is downright weird.

*** High Crimes & Misdemeanors
The Obama White House offered Joe Sestak a new job if he dropped out of his primary race against Arlen Specter.  He didn't take the job, but he did win the primary.  And, although Sestak's bribery admission happened in February, it is still getting a lot less play than I'd like.

The media is allowing Press Secretary Robert Gibbs to bob-and-weave his way out of "transparency" with clever misdirections like:

2/23/10: "I was traveling for a couple of days, as you know," Gibbs answered. "I have seen some stuff that he said, but I have not looked into this."
Later in the briefing, a reporter pointed out that the White House had "vociferously" denied the story. "When you said, 'I haven't looked into this,'" the reporter asked Gibbs, "I want to make sure you're not contradicting that denial."
"I just -- because I was on the road and dealing with different things on the road," Gibbs responded, "I've not had a chance to delve into this….Like I said, I was on the road and I don't really have a whole lot of knowledge on this."

3/1/10: A reporter began to ask "Last Monday, you were asked twice about the claims of Congressman Sestak, that he had been offered a high-ranking administration position -- "
"I have not made any progress on that," Gibbs said.
The reporter pointed out that the Pentagon had said there was no discussion of any job, but that Sestak stood behind his charge. "Can you check if the White House made any offer?" the reporter asked.
"Yes, I was remiss on this and I apologize," Gibbs said.
"Can I follow up on that?" asked the reporter.
"There's not much to follow up on," Gibbs said. "Let me check into that."

3/9/10: "You told us a couple of times you’d check back on this," a reporter asked. "Can you give us an update?"
"I don’t have the update with me, but let me check and see if I do have anything -- " Gibbs said.

3/11/10: Gibbs was asked, "Last Tuesday you told us, 'I don't have the update with me on Sestak.' Two things have happened since then -- "
"I don't have any -- " Gibbs said.
"[Rep.] Darrell Issa sent a letter to the White House counsel -- "
"I don't have anything additional on that," Gibbs said.

3/12/10: "Do you have an answer yet on Mr. Sestak's charge?"
"I don't have any more information on that," Gibbs said.