Barack Obama’s Own Personal Oily Katrina

The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then they get elected and prove it. — P.J. O’Rourke

Liberals believe that the government should be deeply involved in EVERYTHING. It’s in their DNA at this point. Asking liberals to come up with solutions that don’t involve bigger government is like asking a:  fox:  for : a solution to the problem of chicken overpopulation that doesn’t involve his : eating them. It’s just not going to happen.

So, for example, when Katrina occurred, it was very natural for conservatives to say, “It’s not the Bush:  Administration’s responsibility to rescue people, restore order, feed everyone. That’s a local responsibility.” That’s because conservatives believe the:  federal government’s power should be much more limited. They also view the:  federal government as slow, stupid, and incompetent. Again, this is not the view of liberals. When there’s a problem, the first thing they ask is, “What’s the government doing about this?”

So, when there’s a massive oil spill in the Gulf and liberals who believe the government should be on point in the fight against every problem America faces are in charge, it seems pretty natural to ask, “So, what are they doing about this problem?”

Moreover, it’s not as if the government REALLY doesn’t have any responsibilities here. After all, this oil drilling was HEAVILY REGULATED. So, the government gave the thumbs up to all the safety procedures that failed. Moreover, hasn’t the Obama:  Administration been bragging that they have their “boot on the throat” of BP? So, if they’re directing BP’s response to the oil spill and the reaction to the oil spill has been a disaster, doesn’t the government share the blame? By any honest standard, Barack Obama is every bit as responsible for cleaning up the oil spill as George W. Bush was for the aftermath of Katrina.

In addition, the American people, conservatives included, are not anarchists. We do believe the government has certain responsibilities. The American people, including conservatives, : believe in safety regulations. Additionally, although we often disagree with liberals on how far to go,:  conservatives accept that the government should be allowed to deal with threats to the environment. Moreover, it’s simply accepted that certain situations are so big, that only the:  federal government can manage them. For example, if nuclear bombs went off in LA, New York, and Chicago tomorrow, you wouldn’t have conservatives protesting that the:  federal:  government doesn’t:  : have a role in reacting to those disasters

That brings us back to this massive oil spill, which is affecting mulitple states. Louisiana is getting hit. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi — all are in danger. For something like that, the:  federal:  government should play a role. Certainly, we can argue about how big that role would be, but can any honest person claim that liberals believe it should be a small role? If George W. Bush were still in office, is there anybody who doubts that almost every newspaper in America would be laying this disaster right at:  his feet?

With that in mind, it seems quite natural to hold liberal Democrats to their own standards. They’re the ones who think:  the:  federal:  government can handle anything. The:  federal:  government is certainly involved. The:  federal:  government’s regulatory failures helped create the problem. So, since this whole thing has been a colossal failure — a Katrina level failure — why shouldn’t Barack Obama be held responsible?

Bonus: From the NRSC, a web ad that’s full of win: “Never Again:” : Obama and the BP Oil Spill

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