Former Governor and Senator Graham is eminently qualified to sit the panel.
...Co-chairman of the seven-member panel charged with recommending ways to prevent future oil spills from offshore drilling. Graham recently finished a stint as chairman of the government's Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. He's also a member of the federal Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission studying the global financial meltdown....
Mr. Graham has served the State of Florida for decades. He knows the economic stability of Florida, has experience examining the dynamics of the recent Financial Crisis, knows the Gulf of Mexico and knew it when it was healthy and a strategic part of the Florida economy.
He has had a long history of relationships with the Gulf States leadership. He knows the history of tragedies, natural and otherwise, including hurricanes. I do believe he left the Senate during the year of Katrina, 2005. I am quite confident he understands any and all of the dynamics regarding the issue of the current disaster.
If the Blue Ribbon Commission needs information about 'engineering' all they have to do is subpoena the records and/or witnesses of any and all the engineers involved in this crisis and the petroleum industry. Someone like Mr. Graham is able to discern the facts and ask for insight as it is required.
The criticism is completely unfounded. The people of the Gulf States and the nation have to begin to trust the people brought to help to protect the USA, its fisheries and its citizens.
I can't think of anyone whom can be trusted more than Mr. Graham.
The Commission is expected to render finding by January 2011. I would not expect any changes until after they have concluded their work.
A pressure gauge used to test the cap installed by BP over its leaking oil well. Photograph: AP
However, this new cap is completely experimental. It has never been in use before. The well is known to be very unstable with high pressures and high methane content.
There is a great deal riding on this new cap and the community I am a member is expecting this to work with so much damage occurring to the environment.
There is no way any of us are wishing 'bad luck' or 'poor design' on this new cap. We are expecting it to work.
This is a completely experiemental cap and is isolated from any other issue regarding this rupture INCLUDING the current moritorium to protect the National Security of the USA by protecting our economy and fisheries.
Not until this cap has significantly proven it works beyond any doubt for a reasonable length of time and well past the completion of the relief wells, can anyone say it is a way of stopping such an explosion from becoming a disaster.
Time will tell.
This new cap and the moritorium are two completely different issues. One has nothing to do with the other, EXCEPT, a 'rush to judgement' that the cap is a miracle.
The 'status' of the American Indian tribes is that they are an independent and autonomous nation.
Their nations exist within the borders of the USA, NO DIFFERENT, than the nation of Palestine exists within the borders of Israel.
If the British Consolate accepts the autonomy of Palestine, then, it is obvious the consulate is discriminating against the native American nation of Iroquois.
They cannot accept a USA Passport, it would be illegal.
The Secretary of State needs to advocate for their 'autonomous' recognition evidence by the treaties that have established these nations.
This is an outrage by the British. What is there problem?
