Federal Judge Blocks Obama Drilling Moratorium

[Ragnar]

Does this mean BP will only have to pay for the people it put out of work for it's cock-up and not the ones Obama put out of work for his?



(whoa, serious deja vu)

 

[Ravi]

When will workers be allowed to return?

After the appeal.

Here is my problem with this. We don't really know which piece of equipment failed...or if it was just gross incompetence on BP's part.

If it was a failure of equipment (and it seems the equipment isn't really rated for the depth it was used) then the moratorium should be in place until we know what happened.

I am less concerned with what amounts to a handful of jobs than I am with the possible destruction of a state or two's economy.

 

[Ravi]

Judge Feldman owns stocks in numerous companies involved in offshore oil industry.

Judge who overturned drilling moratorium reported owning stock in drilling companies - Yahoo! News

Tue Jun 22, 4:33 pm ET

The federal judge who overturned Barack Obama's offshore drilling moratorium reported owning stock in numerous companies involved in the offshore oil industry — including Transocean, which leased the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig to BP prior to its April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico — according to 2008 financial disclosure reports.

U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman issued a preliminary injunction today barring the enforcement of the president's proposed six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling, arguing that the ban is too broad.

According to Feldman's 2008 financial disclosure form, posted online by Judicial Watch [pdf], the judge owned stock in Transocean, as well as five other companies that are either directly or indirectly involved in the offshore drilling business.

It's not surprising that Feldman, who is a judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, has invested in the offshore drilling business — an Associated Press investigation found earlier this month that more than half the federal judges in the districts affected by the BP spill have financial ties to the oil and gas industry.

The report discloses that in 2008, Judge Feldman held less than $15,000 worth of stock in Transocean, as well as similar amounts (federal rules only require that judges report a range of values ) in Hercules Offshore, ATP Oil and Gas, and Parker Drilling. All of those companies offer contract offshore drilling services and operate offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Judge Feldman also owned between $15,000 and $50,000 in notes offered by Ocean Energy, Inc., a company that offers "concept design and manufacturing design of submersible drilling rigs," according to its website. None of the companies were direct parties to the lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban.

Judge Feldman did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

— John Cook is a senior national reporter/blogger for Yahoo! News.

Oh wow, I am shocked! Shocked I say!

 

[jillian]

They're actually supposed to recuse themselves when they own stock in a company related to a litigation..... or at a minimum disclose.

i guess he was playing conflicts of interest for fun and profit.

but why aren't the rightwingnuts shrieking shrilly about judicial activism in this case?

 

[SFC Ollie]

They're actually supposed to recuse themselves when they own stock in a company related to a litigation..... or at a minimum disclose.

i guess he was playing conflicts of interest for fun and profit.

but why aren't the rightwingnuts shrieking shrilly about judicial activism in this case?

I agree with the Judges decision, however, I do want to know more about his connections. If he truly does own stock in the affected companies he should have passed the case on.

 

[Oddball]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

 

[Ragnar]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

I'm not sure putting the kibosh on government overreach counts as "activism" or "ruling by decree" exactly. However, I was recently wrong about an unrelated matter in late November of last year and might be again.

As to the conflict of interest, I'd guess everyone in the entire State with some money (meaning every judge) has a diverse porfolio including many energy producers. Besides it's not like BP gave the judge a million clams in campaign contributions.

 

[jillian]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

let me know when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree by the 'left' appoints a president of the U.S.

it's so good to know you people couldn't care less about this country and it's all about *your* rightwingnuttiness.

 

[Jack Fate]

This judge is obviously a racist, bigotted red neck. How dare he rule against our dear leader.

 

[NYcarbineer]

well, I guess us federal tax payers are off the hook in helping louisiana if they have another gusher accident from one of these 33 companies that were temporarily on hold.....

The moratorium makes as much sense as shutting down all freeway travel in L.A. because of a wreck on the 405.

They can clean up a car wreck.

 

[Jack Fate]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

let me know when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree by the 'left' appoints a president of the U.S.

it's so good to know you people couldn't care less about this country and it's all about *your* rightwingnuttiness.

I see you're still spouting your stupid stuff about Bush being "appointed". You really are as stupid as you sound.

 

[Ravi]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

I'm not sure putting the kibosh on government overreach counts as "activism" or "ruling by decree" exactly. However, I was recently wrong about an unrelated matter in late November of last year and might be again.

As to the conflict of interest, I'd guess everyone in the entire State with some money (meaning every judge) has a diverse porfolio including many energy producers. Besides it's not like BP gave the judge a million clams in campaign contributions.

I think directly owning stock is somewhat different than investing in a fund that invests in hundreds of stocks.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

let me know when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree by the 'left' appoints a president of the U.S.

it's so good to know you people couldn't care less about this country and it's all about *your* rightwingnuttiness.

That the anti judicial branch nuts on the right would pivot 180 on news of this ruling will stand as the most easily predicted event of the week.

 

[Trajan]

I agree with the judge and I think that BP paying any of the salaries of anyone laid off due to any moratorium is BS.

 

[Oddball]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

let me know when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree by the 'left' appoints a president of the U.S.

it's so good to know you people couldn't care less about this country and it's all about *your* rightwingnuttiness.

That the anti judicial branch nuts on the right would pivot 180 on news of this ruling will stand as the most easily predicted event of the week.

Live by judicial activism, die by judicial activism.

Sucks to be you.

 

[Jack Fate]

well, I guess us federal tax payers are off the hook in helping louisiana if they have another gusher accident from one of these 33 companies that were temporarily on hold.....

The moratorium makes as much sense as shutting down all freeway travel in L.A. because of a wreck on the 405.

They can clean up a car wreck.

They could also have been way ahead on this wreck if Obama had let them. Why did he refuse help from other countries?

 

[jillian]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

let me know when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree by the 'left' appoints a president of the U.S.

it's so good to know you people couldn't care less about this country and it's all about *your* rightwingnuttiness.

I see you're still spouting your stupid stuff about Bush being "appointed". You really are as stupid as you sound.

don't project, love. seriously. it's embarrassing to read your posts.

you really are useless as boobs on a bull, aren't you?

any time you feel like posting something that isn't rightwing talking points, feel free to let us know.

until then, i'm still waiting for you to address the bush v gore decision. unfortuntely, you're too stupid to do that.

 

[Oddball]

The moratorium makes as much sense as shutting down all freeway travel in L.A. because of a wreck on the 405.

They can clean up a car wreck.

They could also have been way ahead on this wreck if Obama had let them. Why did he refuse help from other countries?

He was busy working on that $2 billion handout to Petrobas for his buddy George Soros.

 

[Jack Fate]

let me know when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree by the 'left' appoints a president of the U.S.

it's so good to know you people couldn't care less about this country and it's all about *your* rightwingnuttiness.

I see you're still spouting your stupid stuff about Bush being "appointed". You really are as stupid as you sound.

don't project, love. seriously. it's embarrassing to read your posts.

you really are useless as boobs on a bull, aren't you?

I'm sure I am useless to you. The truth is always useless to people like you. If it doesn't fit in your agenda then it's useless. You only need the lie that fits and Bush being appointed fits your agenda. The truth be damned.

I hope the ruling chaps your ass. I'll drink to that.

 

[Ragnar]

Maybe 'cause it's so much fun when judicial activism, conflicts of interest and ruling by decree come around to bite you left wingnits on your butts?

I'm not sure putting the kibosh on government overreach counts as "activism" or "ruling by decree" exactly. However, I was recently wrong about an unrelated matter in late November of last year and might be again.

As to the conflict of interest, I'd guess everyone in the entire State with some money (meaning every judge) has a diverse porfolio including many energy producers. Besides it's not like BP gave the judge a million clams in campaign contributions.

I think directly owning stock is somewhat different than investing in a fund that invests in hundreds of stocks.

The moratorium is so huge I'm sure it has a direct effect in hundreds if not thousands of companies stocks. Good luck finding a judge (in all of Louisiana) without a conflict of some kind.