Drill Now! Pay L- Oops.

by dday

So John McCain decided to head out on an oil rig in Louisiana to prove once and for all that we need responsible, environmentally safe drilling to lower gas prices (even though they won’t lower anything for ten years, and even then only a nickel).

And then this happens.

The DEQ has sent out this notice concerning the major oil spill occurring on the Mississippi River in which 9980 barrels of oil were lost:

On July 23, at approximately 2 a.m., a collision between a ship and a barge occurred on the Mississippi River at mile marker 98, near Harahan, splitting the barge in half. The barge was carrying #6 fuel oil and lost all of its contents, estimated at 9980 barrels. The barge came to rest at mile marker 97 at the Crescent City Connection Bridge.

Because drilling is TOTALLY safe.

CNN is now reporting that this spill is up to 400,000 gallons of fuel oil and the Coast Guard has closed 29 miles of the river. This could effectively end the “drill now” campaign. And now, McCain has cancelled the oil rig trip. Due to “weather.” B-but, how could there be a weather problem, I thought no oil was ever spilled during Katrina!

They really are running the worst campaign of all time.

UPDATE: Check out this activism at the GOP’s ridiculous “drill now” presser:

House Republican leaders were caught off guard Wednesday afternoon when, during the official unveiling of their “all-of-the-above” energy package, some 200 protesters showed up with pre-printed signs and in costumes to boo the proposal’s call for drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The 15-minute GOP event on the West Capitol steps was overrun by members of environmental groups, including the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters.

Protesters booed during the news conference and waved signs that read, “Grand Oil Party” and “Climate Action Now;” one person dressed as a polar bear carried the sign, “I love wilderness.”

The GOP didn’t even know about it. Here’s a good point-by-point rebuttal to the Republican’s plan put out by Ed Markey’s group, too. But the ultimate pushback is the 400,000 gallons floating down the Mississippi right now. Human error and environmental reality demands renewable resources.

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