Just imagine the difference it would have made in the scope of this disaster had Obama accepted the help when it was first offered.
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Obama administration suddenly discovers the virtues of foreign assistance in Gulf
JUNE 14, 2010 BY ED MORRISSEY
What a difference a month of bad press makes! Four weeks ago, when more than a dozen nations offered to send assistance to the Gulf of Mexico to contain the damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon blowout, the Obama administration blew them off. The Washington Post reports today that the White House has begun quietly backtracking, going to the EU to finally ask for some help after millions of gallons have spilled into the water:
"Four weeks after the nations worst environmental disaster, the Obama administration saw no need to accept offers of state-of-the-art skimmers, miles of boom or technical assistance from nations around the globe with experience fighting oil spills.
In the past week, the United States submitted its second request to the European Union for any specialized equipment to contain the oil now seeping onto the Gulf of Mexicos marshes and beaches, and it accepted Canadas offer of 9,842 feet of boom. The government is soliciting additional boom and skimmers from nearly two dozen countries and international organizations.
In late May, the administration accepted Mexicos offer of two skimmers and 13,779 feet of boom; a Dutch offer of three sets of Koseq sweeping arms, which attach to the sides of ships and gather oil; and eight skimming systems offered by Norway.
But some lawmakers and outside experts are questioning whether the administration has been too slow to capitalize on these offers, lulled by BPs estimates on the oil flow rate and on its capacity to cope with the aftermath of the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig."
Hot Air Obama administration suddenly discovers the virtues of foreign assistance in Gulf
********************************************************************************
Obama administration suddenly discovers the virtues of foreign assistance in Gulf
JUNE 14, 2010 BY ED MORRISSEY
What a difference a month of bad press makes! Four weeks ago, when more than a dozen nations offered to send assistance to the Gulf of Mexico to contain the damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon blowout, the Obama administration blew them off. The Washington Post reports today that the White House has begun quietly backtracking, going to the EU to finally ask for some help after millions of gallons have spilled into the water:
"Four weeks after the nations worst environmental disaster, the Obama administration saw no need to accept offers of state-of-the-art skimmers, miles of boom or technical assistance from nations around the globe with experience fighting oil spills.
In the past week, the United States submitted its second request to the European Union for any specialized equipment to contain the oil now seeping onto the Gulf of Mexicos marshes and beaches, and it accepted Canadas offer of 9,842 feet of boom. The government is soliciting additional boom and skimmers from nearly two dozen countries and international organizations.
In late May, the administration accepted Mexicos offer of two skimmers and 13,779 feet of boom; a Dutch offer of three sets of Koseq sweeping arms, which attach to the sides of ships and gather oil; and eight skimming systems offered by Norway.
But some lawmakers and outside experts are questioning whether the administration has been too slow to capitalize on these offers, lulled by BPs estimates on the oil flow rate and on its capacity to cope with the aftermath of the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig."
Hot Air Obama administration suddenly discovers the virtues of foreign assistance in Gulf