News Roundup for 6/16/10

He's just asking the questions no one else is asking...
because those questions are stupid

-Headline of the day-
"GOP congressional candidate: The federal government and BP colluded to spill oil in the Gulf."

Bill Randal doesn't know what to do about the big oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, but he knows who to blame -- everyone. See, the way the N. Carolina congressional candidate and teabagging enthusiast sees it, it's pretty clear that it's all a big conspiracy to... Well, he doesn't know. But something.

Here's how it went down. The Obama administration looked the other way while Deepwater Horizon got all screwed up. Then, while nobody was looking, BP tried to spill a little oil. That didn't go very well and stuff exploded and a bunch of people died and pelicans got all messed up. And all in the name of... Well, he doesn't know. But something.

"Is there a cover up going on?" Bill demands to know. "I'm not saying there necessarily is. But I think there's enough facts on the table for people that [they] really need to do some investigative research and find out what went on with that and get a subpoena of records and everything else."

Is Randall completely insane or just stupid? I'm not saying he is or isn't either one. I'm just saying someone ought to investigate the possibilities. (Think Progress)


-Wasting taxpayer money used to be bad-
Now that President Obama has helped to set up a $20 billion escrow fund so BP will have plenty of money to pay for the damage they did, this action is quickly becoming the Worst Thing Ever. BP shouldn't have to pay for any of this stuff, you should. So says many of the GOP's bestest and brightestest.

"The president just called for creating a fund that would be administered by outsiders, which would be more of a redistribution-of-wealth fund," says super-genius Rep. Michele Bachmann. "And now it appears like we'll be looking at one more gateway for more government control, more money to government." See, this is bad because we'd be taking wealth from BP and redistributing it to pay for... Well, what they owe us. If things were as the Founders intended, you and I would be on the hook for billions -- so says Shelly Bachmann. Yeah, it's not the best argument, but she just came up with it. Give her time to knock the bugs out of it.

Not to be outdone, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour worries that if we ask BP to set money aside so they'll be able to afford to pay us what they owe, BP won't make enough money to be able to afford to pay us what they owe.

No, seriously.

And finally, de facto Republican Party head Rush Limbaugh wonders why the federal government doesn't have to kick into the fund designed to save the taxpayers money -- because he's smart that way.

At the heart of all these arguments is that BP shouldn't have to pay for this, you should. Corporate welfare at the expense of the taxpayers?

Where's that public teat? (Minnesota Independent, Think Progress, Media Matters)


-Bonus HotD-
"Palin: Call in the Dutch!"

Sarah Palin told Bill O'Reilly that she doesn't understand why Obama doesn't get a hold of the Netherlands to help with the oil gusher, because they're all good with dikes and stuff.

No, really. (Talking Points Memo, with video)