Research

An article in The Hill quotes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denying any dissent within the Democratic ranks over Obama’s mishandling of the Gulf Coast oil spill.  “No, I haven't heard those,” the Speaker is quoted saying when asked about rumors of griping among Dems over the administration’s response to the crisis.  Regardless of whether or not she heard it, we’ve compiled the following quotes from major Democratic players:

• Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) has criticized the Obama administration’s lack of leadership after their promise to keep their boot on the throat of BP: “You don't leave the fox to guard the henhouse, and you shouldn't leave the perpetrators of environmental crime to oversee the cleanup.”

• In a stern letter to Sec of the Interior Ken Salazar, Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) wrote, “After repeated phone calls by Committee staff, we were informed today that the requested information and records will not be produced any time soon and that no estimate can be provided as to when the committee will receive this information… to have this request ignored is simply unacceptable.”

• And Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) is on the record voicing his concern that Obama is not doing enough; “if this thing is not fixed today, the President doesn't have any choice and he better go in and completely take over, perhaps with the military in charge…”

• On MSNBC’s Daily Rundown, Democratic Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu criticized the Obama administration for not playing a more active role: “The federal government should be in charge. … [BP] needs to be pushed, in my view, by the federal government a little harder than they're being pushed now, obviously.”

• Democratic strategist James Carville has been on the air repeatedly admonishing the Obama administration citing their unbelievable “political stupidity” as well as their dangerously “lackadaisical” approach to the situation.

• And DNC member Donna Brazile chastised the Obama administration for not being tough enough with BP: “One of the problems I have with the administration is that they're not tough enough. They are waiting for BP to say, oh, we've got a new plan to stop the oil leak.”

Regrettably, while Speaker Pelosi attempts to provide political cover from members of her own party for a President who would rather hold fundraisers and vacation than provide necessary leadership to confront this growing environmental catastrophe, the spill continues to grow, exceeding that of the Exxon Valdez spill.