and now for the Obama quote

18 days before the BP Gulf of Mexico oil rig disaster, Obama seemed to be reading from a Big Oil talking points memo.

President Obama on April 2, 2010: "I don’t agree with the notion that we shouldn’t do anything. It turns out, by the way, that oil rigs today generally don’t cause spills. They are technologically very advanced. Even during Katrina, the spills didn’t come from the oil rigs, they came from the refineries onshore."

Sarah Palin quote of the day

"After inheriting a good pro-development GOP plan that opened up both coasts for drilling, the Obama administration halted development ... and now we're gonna study, more study of the South Atlantic and parts of the Gulf of Mexico ... my goodness, folks, these areas have been studied to death ... I have seen so many, many studies! I say, let's send the White House this message: that, you know, we can save taxpayer time, save money and announce: there is oil and gas down there, and we can produce it safely and responsibly! We don't need more studies, we need more action! Because energy produced in America is security for America, and it is jobs for American workers, jobs that can't be outsourced. Let's drill baby, drill, not stall, baby, stall!"

-Sarah Palin on March 31, 2010. (Three weeks before the BP oil spill.)

Obama and BP oil

Oil giant BP has given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.


Congress' Top Recipients of BP Oil Money:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) $77,051
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) $73,000
Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) $41,400
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) $44,899
Sen. Mary Landreiu (D-LA) $28,000


In 2000, BP gave 39 percent more to Republican candidates, but by 2008, Democrats had nearly pulled even with Republicans in BP donations.