BP, real slick

In the past few days a war of words has erupted over the oil spill floating its way toward the Gulf Coast. Like so many issues in today's America, partisan politics has somehow made front stage. Republicans, all too happy to take the limelight off the repeated Palin mantra, 'drill baby drill', have accused Barack Obama of failing to gauge the gravity of the situation and reacting too slowly. As Obama flies down to the Louisiana coastline tomorrow morning, it seems absurd that his reaction is being compared to Bush's failings post-Katrina. 'If this whole thing had gotten outta hand during the Bush administration Liberals would have had a field day' - Fox's Sean Hannity has clearly summed up the Republican line. Let us stop for a minute, dear Sean, and take a look at the evidence. It is increasingly apparent that BP, our blessed native oil barons, have done everything in their power to cover up the details and probability of such a horrific accident. The possibility that the main artery from the oil well to the rig could leak was never proffered by the longtime power-house. Hoping something may never happen seems to have been enough for BP. Be that as it may, what's done is done, the pipeline burst. So BP, here's your chance. Into action - aid every relevant organization and company in their attempts to minimize the effects of the catastrophe. Transparency, selflessness and decency. Perhaps a chance to show the world that the 'baddies' in the oil industry aren't so bad after all. Apparently not. Once the oil had begun to spill, BP moved to conceal the possible scale of damage - effectively lying ['withholding information' can surely no longer exist as a separate action] to the American people, and more disastrously in this case, the President. Only in the last 48 hours has the Obama administration been alerted by experts on the ground [sea] as to the true scale of the incident. So you see folks, it turns out Obama has acted on information, and BP have truly screwed the people of the Golf region for what could be months and years to come. Wildlife, seafood, beaches and more - the economic and environmental effects of the oil slick are hard to comprehend for Louisiana, Mississippi and the South in general.

To return to partisan opportunism that has, yet again, reared its ugly head in US politics. If the Republicans are going to compare Obama's reaction to the Bush-Katrina response, they may want to step back and halt their shouting. The two are incomparable. BP has caused this disaster, not mother nature. Indeed, there aren't any powerhouse hurricane companies around to my knowledge either. No company or organization to lie about Katrina, no one to 'cover it up' or prejudge that it was an impossibility. Direct your cries then, my friends on left and right, at good 'ol BP - not the President. Nice one BP, real slick.