Epic Asshattedness For Profit

This is the Gulf Of Mexico.

Disgusting, yes?

Makes you wanna cry, I hope.

Pisses you off, I pray.

But is these photos don't piss you off, maybe this will.

As oil began covering two miles of Mississippi’s Petit Bois Island yesterday and crept closer to Dauphin Island in Alabama, the edge of the main slick is now within about 35 miles of Mississippi.

Much of that oil has “escaped detection because it was floating a couple of feet below the surface,” but Mississippi Governor, Republican and Asshat-In-Chief, Haley Barbour says it "could turn out to be something catastrophic and terrible, but that has just not been the case so far.”

Take a look at the pictures again. This could turn out to be a catastrophe.

But, this mention of catastrophe is new from Barbour, considering that, in the weeks after the spill, as dead dolphins arrived onshore, Haley Barbour encouraged people to “enjoy the beach.” Then he stated that the "news media keep forcing this on the public as the equivalent of Exxon Valdez. Well, the difference is just enormous.”

Yes, it is, Haley. It's bigger; it's sicker; it's worse. And wingnuts like you who try to mitigate the effects, while praising BP, only make it so.

Haley Barbour complained to CNN that Mississippi hasn't "had enough oil hit [it's] beaches to fill up a milk jug.” Then he went on to praise BP:

"BP has never said no to any requests we have made. Now, some requests we’ve made they haven’t been able to perform. But they have never said no. The federal government, whether it’s the Coast Guard or whomever, has worked hard with us. Like I say, they’re giving a lot more attention to Louisiana and should be. But we are satisfied that they’re trying as hard as they can and that they are being very cooperative. I’m not going to complain."

Dead dolphins onshore, sea birds swimming in oil, and he won't complain. Makes one wonder: Well, for one, Haley Barbour’s rise in politics has been mostly fueled by the oil and gas industry. While chairman of the Republican national Committee in the mid-90's, Haley Barbour courted oil and coal companies to donate over $30 million to Republicans.

Hmmmm, maybe this is why he's so reticent to place blame, so reticent to consider this spill a catastrophe.

A lobbying firm that Haley Barbour personally founded relied heavily on oil industry clients, and Haley Barbour personally lobbied for regulation changes to the Bush White House. In addition, oil and gas companies donated nearly two-million-dollars to Haley Barbour when he ran for governor.

So, why should he care? When all is said and done, he can take his bank account and leave Mississippi for someplace that hasn't been destroyed.

Haley Barbour. Politics as usual; asshat as usual.