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I don’t care if the Senators get to leave on time for their recess.  For Harry Reid and Chris Dodd to try to bring the bill to a vote before progressive amendments get their fair vote is a foul tactic.

It seem that too many politicians are scrambling to maintain the status quo.

Senate Democrats are calling for the Obama administration to improve inspections of deepwater oil rigs such as the one that exploded last month in the Gulf of Mexico. The lawmakers said oil companies should pay for the emergency inspections, not taxpayers.

The blast killed 11 people and has spilled millions of gallons of oil.

In a letter Wednesday to President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats urged immediate and enhanced inspections of all offshore drilling rigs and platforms that could pose a significant environmental threat…

…On the payment issue, a spokesman for Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said the federal government should adopt a reimbursement system similar to oil spill cleanup. The Coast Guard and other federal agencies are working to clean up and contain the oil spill, but will be reimbursed by BP PLC, the oil giant that was operating the Deepwater Horizon rig. A similar system could be created for inspections, said Afshin Mohamadi, a spokesman for Menendez… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Bay Ledger>

This should go without saying.  Frankly, I feel anger that taxpayers have been footing the bill for the bogus inspections MMS has performed on oil rigs.  But how are inspectors going to inspect Deepwater Horizon?  They are trying to close the proverbial barn door too late.

And given the name of Mendez’ spokesman, expect the GOP to call this a terrorist conspiracy.

The next idea is better.

The Obama administration moved on Wednesday to abolish the beleaguered agency that oversees offshore drilling and replace it with three separate entities.

The plan by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar would eliminate the Minerals Management Service and replace it with two bureaus and a revenue collection office. The name Minerals Management Service would no longer exist, a spokeswoman said.

Members of Congress and President Barack Obama have criticized what they call the cozy relationship between regulators and oil companies and have vowed to reform MMS, which both regulates the industry and collects billions in royalties from it.

The latest plan is the second proposed restructuring of the drilling agency since the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last month. Salazar last week proposed splitting the agency in two. On Wednesday he said the agency’s three main functions should be split up to avoid what he called "real or perceived" conflicts of interests.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement would inspect oil rigs and enforce safety regulations. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management would oversee leasing and development of offshore drilling. And the Office of Natural Resources Revenue would collect billions of dollars in royalties for onshore and offshore drilling.

"These three missions — energy development, enforcement and revenue collection — are conflicting missions and must be separated," Salazar said at a news conference.

Employees of the minerals agency "deserve an organizational structure that fits the mission that they are asked to carry out," Salazar said. Under the proposed restructuring, employees would get greater clarity for their roles and responsibilities, strengthening oversight of companies that develop oil, natural gas and other resources, he said.

The enforcement and energy bureaus would report to an assistant Interior secretary for land and minerals management, while the revenue office would report to a policy, management and budget official, Salazar said.

It was not clear how much of the proposed restructuring would need congressional approval. Salazar and other officials said the administration would work with Congress to complete the reforms… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Bay Ledger>

I support this idea in principle, but it does not go far enough.  What difference will it make, if the same Bush/GOP moles that undercut MMS just move to a new office.  In addition, those employees whose primary qualification for the jobs they hold is passage of a GOP ideology test?  Pest control is in order, here.

However, no matter how good a job everyone does, Murphy’s Law will remain in force.  Sooner or later, something will go wrong. If there is anything this disaster should have taught us is that, now that something has gone wrong, nobody knows what to do about it.  That what these politicians just don’t seem to get.

Until specific and effective plans to prevent accidents and to contain failures of the prevention plans before accidents become catastrophes, offshore drilling must cease.  And as always…

Corporations are NOT people!  Money is NOT speech!

All my predictions, except one, were correct.

Mark Critz (D-PA) appeared to narrowly win a special election today to fill the late Rep. John Murtha’s seat, a victory the Democrats believe means the fall midterm elections might not be so bad after all. He’ll be quickly seated by House leadership once results are finalized.

Critz was leading Republican Tim Burns with 53 percent of the vote to Burns’ 45 percent and 70 percent of precincts reporting, and Burns conceded the race around 10:30 p.m. In an unusual twist, both candidates are aiming to be on the November ballot. Critz was on track to prevail in a party primary to be the nominee in the general election, and if Burns’ lead for his primary holds steady, these two candidates will be matched up again in November.

The Dem turnout was boosted by a competitive Senate primary between Sen. Arlen Specter and Rep. Joe Sestak, one reason the majority party had been sounding quite confident about the race for several days. Critz was fueled as well by labor activists and Democratic volunteers who made calls and knocked on doors for weeks to help keep the seat. Former President Bill Clinton stumped for Critz over the weekend.

Although, RNC Chairman Michael Steele was once talking a pretty big game on the race as well, telling the Washington Post last week "We’re going to win."…

Inserted from <TPM>

Holding onto Murtha’s seat is a big plus for the Democrats.  It is also the eighth straight special House election that Democrats have one.

Here’s the one where I was wrong.

Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak defeated Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic Senate primary, a large-scale political upset that ends the career of one of the enduring figures in Pennsylvania politics.

"This election is about you," said Sestak in his victory speech. "This is what democracy looks like: a win for the people, over the establishment, over the status quo, even over Washington, D.C."

Specter, who is 80 years old and has served since 1980 in the Senate, called it a "great privilege" to have served in the Senate and added that he would "be working very, very hard for the people of the commonwealth in the coming months."

Specter had built a reputation over his decades in Congress as a quirky but effective legislator. He played a prominent role in a series of Supreme Court confirmation hearings — including those of Robert Bork and Justice Clarence Thomas — from his perch atop the Senate Judiciary Committee…

Inserted from <Washington Post>

I could not be more pleased at being wrong.  I thought that the strong party machine in PA would pull it out for Specter, but I wanted Sestak to win.  I even sent him a small donation.  Obama was wrong to oppose him, but the good thing is that he now has no political favors to repay.

I’m also happy with the results in Arkansas.

Incumbent Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lt. Gov. Bill Halter will face each other again in a June 8 runoff after neither candidate received 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Lincoln, elected to the Senate in 1998, has a powerful position as the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. A moderate Democrat, she faced a primary challenge from her left — Halter was backed by several large labor unions and the liberal group MoveOn.org.

With nearly two-thirds of precincts reporting, the two candidates both had around 43 percent of the votes while a third candidate had about 14 percent…

Inserted from <PBS>

As soon as voting was underway Lincoln’s Blue Dog allies started to dismantle her tough anti-derivative amendment.  As I have said, the only reason she did that was to gain creds for the primary.  If Halter is smart, he’ll use this to defeat her in the runoff.

Here in Oregon, Ron Wyden won with 90% of the votes.  That was too boring to make the national news.

On the pig party front, Kentucky was Teabagged.

Republican Rand Paul, a Tea Party-backed political newcomer, defeated the GOP-establishment candidate in Kentucky’s Senate primary Tuesday as Democratic incumbent Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas fought primary challengers in this year’s first big test of anti-establishment anger among voters.

Paul, the son of Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, beat Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson for the Republican nomination to run in November for the Senate seat open by the retirement of Republican Sen. Jim Bunning. With 43 percent of the precincts reporting, Paul led Grayson by 60 percent to 36 percent.

Paul’s victory represented a defeat for Kentucky’s Republican hierarchy, which solidly backed Grayson. Kentucky’s powerful senior senator, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell put his weight behind Grayson, as did former Vice President Dick Cheney, who called Grayson the real conservative in the race.

Paul, however, had tea party support and the backing of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, a movement favorite, and from Bunning, who has strained relations with McConnell and other state Republicans…

Inserted from <McClatchy DC>

I expected Rand ‘Son of Tinfoil Hat’ Paul to win.  There is one good thing about this.  Mitch ‘On Bought Bitch’ McConnell, Dick ‘Torture Lover’ Cheney, and Rudy ‘9/11’ Giuliani all endorsed his opponent.

As the November elections approach, remember one thing: