The Politics of the Petroleum Economy (2)

When BP CEO Tony Hayward went before Congress and refused to answer questions asked by each Democratic and Republican members, you had to wonder whether we were lastly going to see some bipartisanship. When Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, blasted President Obama for his "shakedown" of BP, we got a wonderful example of what ails the Republican Party.

Republicans these days are exhibiting signs of role confusion with respect to the federal government. Is the federal government the trouble or the remedy to the millions of barrels of oil spilling into the Gulf? Had been feds responsible in any way for what took spot at the April 20, 2010 explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig? Immediately after the fact, what is the appropriate function for the federal government in obtaining the nicely plugged and cleaning up the mess?

The Republican view of the role of the federal government is usually a single of "limited government". Conservatives, libertarians, and the rest of the "restricted government" crowd have by no means been in lock-step about the precise limits of federal authority, but most have viewed those limits as national defense and little else. Let's appear at the U.S. Constitution, and at the precise language from the Preamble:

"We the Individuals of the United States, in Order to form a additional fantastic Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, give for the typical defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

If we look at the words, there's lot of room for a broad federal function, and in the case of the Deepwater Horizon occasion, for an activist, hands-on response.

The day ahead of the remarks by Congressman Barton, and in response to the announcement from the White Home that BP had agreed to set up a $20 billion escrow account, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) issued a press release that stated:

"BP's reported willingness to go along with the White House's new fund suggests that the Obama Administration is difficult at perform exerting its brand of Chicago-style shakedown politics. These actions are emblematic of a politicization of our economic climate that has been borne out of this Administration's drive for better power and control. It is the similar mentality that believes an economic crisis or an environmental disaster is the preferred opportunity to pursue a failed liberal agenda. The American many people know a lot superior."

Regardless of the RSC position, Republican Residence Minority Leader John Boehner pressured Congressman Barton to apologize, and then apologize once more, when the 1st apology was deemed too ambiguous. Why are the Republicans backing off? The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS) clearly dropped the ball -- and was perhaps negligent -- in its oversight of off-shore drilling. It is questionable no matter if MMS has ever been sufficiently independent from oil sector influence. The anti-regulation ideology of conservatives and the Bush Administration contributed to a regulatory environment at MMS that placed the business responsible for regulating itself.

Due to the fact January 2009, the Obama Adminstration has not moved quick adequate to alter the culture, and transform out personnel at MMS. (1 could argue that President Obama had other significantly more significant priorities such as the economy and jobs, but in fairness, how likely would the party of "no" have been to go along with aggressive, new regulatory authority for MMS?)

So that leaves us with the question of what the federal government will need to be undertaking now. Receiving the nicely closed off, the oil cleaned up, the MMS reformed and its regulatory authority greatly strengthened would be a very good start. Possibly a few crucial prosecutions of those who contributed to negligent homicide may well send a clear message to those who would put lives and the livelihood of millions at risk. And along the way, how about producing the events at the Deepwater Horizon facility the poster child for the fall campaign. Democrats should really start to aggressively recast their message for the mid-term elections.

Amongst the banks and financial industry, massive wellness insurance, and now major oil, there is no shortage of examples to assistance a message of wonderful "proper-sized" government -- with a role for the federal government that protects the individuals from the fall-out of corporate greed and corruption. It would be a pleasure to see Democratic Party leaders, and the White Residence, quit generating excuses for a federal government that has been neglecting its responsibility to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the standard defense, promote the common welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.