The oil disaster is getting crazier and crazier. The broken pipeline is still sending thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day, and the Obama administration is trying to stem the tide of negative public opinion. So it's not only an ecological disaster, it's a political disaster.
On Sunday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STENY HOYER, HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: The psychology of neglect in terms of regulatory oversight that was pursued in the Bush administration, which led to the banking failure, insurance prices going way up, and oil companies thinking they could do whatever they wanted because the "drill, baby, drill" crowd all they wanted them to do was to drill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
That's not entirely true. President Bush banned drilling off Florida's west coast, and there was not much difference in the Bush oil policy than the Clinton oil policy. Both presidents allowed deepwater drilling in some areas, as did President Obama, and Congress went along with it.
So there is plenty of blame to go around, and for the Democrats to continue to lay it all on Bush is flat-out dishonest. Even the liberal media is catching on to this ruse:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS: You hear this critique, why do Democrats keep blaming the Bush administration?
NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I haven't heard that. I haven't heard that.
(LAUGHTER)
TODD: So you think that's a favorite, but when does that run out? When do you feel like it runs out with the public?
PELOSI: Well, it runs out when the problems go away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
The Speaker hasn't heard Democrats blaming Bush? Are you kidding me? Is she in 24/7 lockdown?
"Talking Points" is just about fed up with the politics of the oil spill, so let's be very clear: No politician is responsible for BP's faulty equipment, and modern day presidents understand the country is ultra-dependent on oil.
In fact, everybody knows that. Yes, it's harmful to this country. We are funding terrorism with money we spend overseas on oil. ANWR in the Arctic should have been opened a long time ago. Nuclear power plants should have been built a long time ago, and other alternative fuels should be fast-tracked. Everybody knows this.
This oil disaster is a wake-up call, but it is nobody's fault, with one possible exception: If the British Petroleum corporation was derelict in safety procedures, then they must be held responsible in a criminal case.
As far as response time to the spill and the cleanup, obviously the Obama administration wasn't quick off the mark and they don't really know how to clean it up, do they?
So the Democrats should basically button it, and come up with some solutions.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
The cartoon "SpongeBob" is big among American urchins. The kids love Bob, and that really paid off for 5-year-old Andrew Gentile, who lives in New Jersey. He fell into a pool and was rescued by 8-year-old Reese Ronceray, who had seen SpongeBob make a rescue on TV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was like — I fell.
REESE RONCERAY: I jumped in. Grabbed him like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You grabbed him right here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, by where? Where do you grab him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like kind of on the shoulder. Then I start swimming to shore.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
So Reese and SpongeBob are patriots.
On the pinhead front, another cheap shot by a newspaper cartoonist.
Clay Bennett, who draws for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, served up an unfunny deal trying to link Fox News with unfair criticism of the president over the oil spill.
Click here to see the cartoon.
For that, Bennett is a pinhead.
— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com.
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