The Democrats have no concept that the purpose of government is to reduce friction in and remove barriers to commerce and productivity. They just don't understand that government can function in that way at all.
So we have the ridiculous spectacle of Gov. Jindal having to beg for permission to take critical steps necessary to protect the coastline because of Federal environmental regulations, and effective oil-gathering techniques prohibited because of Federal ocean effluent discharge rules. We see the whole process of protecting people and limiting damage from the spill slogging through a snarl of red tape.
On Day TWO, the first act of the Obama Administration should have been to announce a total and complete waiver of any and all laws and regulations that had even the most remote chance of hampering spill response. Use the executive power to dismiss any federal prosecutor or EPA regulator who makes even the slightest move to investigate or charge anyone over oil spill mitigation efforts. And they should have marshalled and orchestrated the efforts of experts not only from BP but from across the nation and around the world.
THAT would have been real leadership.
But instead we have a never-ending Amateur Hour in the White House, just as so many of us predicted.
IMHO, Jindal has NOT covered himself with glory here. Instead of asking the feds for permission, he should have just gone ahead and done it, and told the feds after the fact. Call out the National Guard construction battalions (I know Louisiana has at least one, and I doubt that all their resources are in Iraq/Afghanistan) and any other resources available. I'm sure there are lots of Louisiana contractors who would have DONATED time/equipment/personnel to fight this thing if asked.