Murky Waters

Good editorial.

We must face certain facts:

This environmental and economic catastrophe is out of control. Hunh?

BP gambled with our shore lines and like all environmental despoilers expects to walk away with a fine and a token sum to cover the damages. History is with them.

Oil drillers were allowed to do this in the past because the oil companies tell comforting lies and a corrupted government believes them or pretends to. ok

This spill would never have occurred if the government was protecting the public interests over the interests of the oil companies. Identical by some evaluations.

This was the situation which president Obama found on taking office. Ok

The operational end of the MMS is run by cartelists not policy appointees of the White House and The previous administration's?

under Bush it was politicized to be an arm of the oil cartels. Yes.

This applied to all regulated industries and became the entrenched culture of Washington. Ok

President Obama might have acted to clean out the MMS top to bottom but that would not have been easy, and it would become another battleground. Yes, one fight at a time if possible.

He certainly had his plate full when he took office.

His error was to appoint Mr. Salazar to Interior. May have been a good idea at the time. See Wikipedia.

That can and should be corrected soon. His memoranda would tell.

The president should make it clear that if BP attempts to cap its liability its leases elsewhere will be terminated for fraud in the inception and failure to pay royalties as required. Deader if they pay. World company.

This spill will be capped or it won’t: but not by any government agency. True.

This is a matter for the AG for criminal prosecution. YES

BP should be prosecuted for criminal negligence and racketeering through bribery of government employees.

MMS employees for willful malfeasance in office,

BP must act to limit their liability. Liability will eat their company.