Per a New York Times article: “As Congress prepares to debate expansion of drilling in taxpayer-owned coastal waters, the Interior Department agency that collects oil and gas royalties has been caught up in a wide-ranging ethics scandal — including allegations of financial self-dealing, accepting gifts from energy companies, cocaine use and sexual misconduct. . . . The reports portray a dysfunctional organization that has been riddled with conflicts of interest, unprofessional behavior and a free-for-all atmosphere for much of the Bush administration’s watch.”
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- CapnAmerica on Open thread 11/22
- Phantom on Health care reform would save state money
- Monkeyhawk on Minority status in Senate; majority approval at home
- Phantom on Health care reform would save state money
- CapnAmerica on Open thread 11/22
- Phantom on Health care reform would save state money
- writerdog on Minority status in Senate; majority approval at home
- Monkeyhawk on Open thread 11/22
- CapnAmerica on ACORN stole election?
- DavidB on Health care reform would save state money
63 Comments
Well, the Dept. of the Interior was placed in charge of drilling, and now they’ve been caught literally in bed with the oil industry doing just that. So, what did you expect?
Will there be slide shows and videos on the naked encounters?
One of the top big wigs was giving oral sex to her employees. Might be some sexual harassment there.
I think we need every salacious detail.
Ready for the whiners to come in and say it’d be a non story if it had been dem. appointees.
I bet Americans are getting ripped off big time in the royalties.
Sure puts a new slant on the drill here, drill now meme.
Linda, tsk, tsk.
Fell on the floor laughing. Thanks for brightening up a dreary, rainy day.
Dennis
I believe they have these kind of offices all over the country. Everyone of them should be examined.
I would also bet under reporting by the oil companies on amounts taken out.
Are they taking applications? Just wonderin’.
Sounds like a “hands on” type of job. Not to much desk work.
Slant drilling can be tricky, if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Regular
Posted September 11, 2008 at 2:13 pm | Permalink
Slant drilling can be tricky, if you don’t know what you’re doing.
——–
Nah, not with an elevated heart rate and a well lubed bit.
#
ANTI
Posted September 11, 2008 at 2:16 pm | Permalink
Regular
Posted September 11, 2008 at 2:13 pm | Permalink
Slant drilling can be tricky, if you don’t know what you’re doing.
——–
Nah, not with an elevated heart rate and a well lubed bit.
——————–
But what about rigging?
I mean if the piping isn’t long enough, it could cause some external contamination?
But what about rigging?
I mean if the piping isn’t long enough, it could cause some external contamination?
—–
Never had that problem.
and sloppy drilling is the best drilling.
#
ANTI
Posted September 11, 2008 at 2:22 pm | Permalink
and sloppy drilling is the best drilling.
—————————–
Would you recommend custom attachments or would pipe enhancement though specialized chemistry work?
Would you recommend custom attachments or would pipe enhancement though specialized chemistry work?
—-
Nope, use straight pipe. But once you are down hole, don’t get carried away and have a blow out.
Damn, guess I’ll have rejoin the pipe fitters union again.
RepubliCONs have the belief that government is bad and inefficient.
So when they get into positions of power, they make government bad and inefficient.
Worst.
President.
Ever.
Worst.
Administration.
Ever.
Worst
Congress
Ever
Forgot that one capn.
Yup the cons break government.
So that they can then piss and moan about how bad government is. Thomas Frank wrote a very good book about it.
Get cons and business out of government and let government work.
Welcome to Franklins World!
Franklin will tell you, nothing worse than hitting a dry hole!
Repubs. are a bunch of Big Oil whores. For some reason Chevron wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation. I’m sure it was just to protect their employees.
For some reason Chevron wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation. I’m sure it was just to protect their employees.
——
WOW, nothing gets by Phantom.
From 2000-2007,
Worst
Congress
Ever
*****
There, I fixed it for you, Sol.
It was this Congress who’s pursuing the graft and corruption.
Drill, Baby, Drill! Let’s punish these big oil companies by expanding their leases!That’ll teach em.
For a dept. of the Administration, where does the buck stop?
Yup, BlueJ, I’m reading “The Wrecking Crew” right now.
Am having a hard time getting through it. I knew that Bush and his entire administration were despicable traitors to everything good and holy, but he proves it over and over.
One wonders how many decades it’ll take to set right what these horrible sons of Satan did to our beloved country.
For a real patriot like myself, it’s a sad, sad story.
BTW, Turner Movie Classics showed “Mr Smith Goes to Washington” last night.
When do the good guys get to win one like they do in the movies?
It sure has been a long time, hasn’t it.
We’ve got Mrs. P. Goes to Washington. Don’t think it’ll have a happy ending.
Ah yes, Republic ethics and family values!
“Phantom
Posted September 11, 2008 at 1:41 pm | Permalink
One of the top big wigs was giving oral sex to her employees. Might be some sexual harassment there.”
Maybe McCain can put some lipstick on her and then trace where it ends up.
I’m sure somehow, someway, it can all be traced back to bill and monica. There, I said it so they won’t have to. Got tired of waiting.
Drill now! Drill here! Drill everwhere!
Oh,yeess, baybee!! DRILL! DRILL! DRILL!
Opec decided yesterday, I believe, to cut 500,000 barrels. So, you can bet whatever we could put on the market would be offset by what opec took off the market. Difference would be in the trade account balance, not directly in the public’s pocket.
So how many of these crooks and liars were political appointees, and how many staff left over from previous administrations? Inquiring minds want to know.
Hang them all, by their drilling rigs.
Repubs. aren’t going to like this, no oil subsidies,
tax increase, no revenue sharing for the coastal states (bribe), and tax inc. for the oil companies.
They’ll block it.
“”So we’re saying: OK, you want to drill, this is how it will be. No more subsidies,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday.
Republicans, who have been pushing to lift the moratorium on drilling, criticized the proposal because it does not provide a revenue-sharing plan to coastal states as an incentive to allow drilling.
Separately, Senators Max Baucus and Chuck Grassley on Thursday unveiled energy tax legislation that would extend solar and wind energy tax credits and provide $2.5 billion in credits to clean coal facilities.
Baucus, a Democrat from Montana, and Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, said the bill would provide consumers with a tax credit of up to $7,500 for plug-in electric vehicles and also would extend credits for extend energy efficiency.
The tax bill would be funded partially by reducing tax breaks for the five largest oil and gas companies.
“This bill has the right tax policy to create thousands of jobs, jump-start alternative energy solutions and finally move America away from our dependence on foreign oil,” Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement.
#
Phantom
Posted September 11, 2008 at 3:07 pm | Permalink
Franklin will tell you, nothing worse than hitting a dry hole!
=======================================================
Wangoboy IS a dry hole!!!
=========================================================
Seriously, it amazes me how the republicans, the so-called Christian arm of politics, cab sit with a straight face, and tell us the Bush administration is doing a good job. It also amazes me how this so-called Christian group can sit there with a straight face and spout the nonsense and downright lies about Obama and think they are still being Christians. Christian right, thy name is hypocrite.
This whole fiasco is indicative of this administrations lack of ethics, morals and judgment. And they want McSame running the show. I guess ignorance really is bliss.
News flash
“In three reports delivered to Congress on Wednesday, the department’s inspector general, Earl E. Devaney, found wrongdoing by a dozen current and former employees of the Minerals Management Service, which collects about $10 billion in royalties annually and is one of the government’s largest sources of revenue other than taxes.”
News flash.
The Interior department it self caught these corrupt activities and is getting this straightened out.
It is clear to the common person the Administration and the top management do not allow this and never did. It looks like they will do some environmental cleanup as needed.
More ho-hum. Make an issue of evil surrounding oil everywhere.
taxpayer-owned coastal waters: since when did liberals give a rats ass about the taxpayers?
Unless it means socking it to the rich.
Seven–
Why were the reports delivered to Congress?
It couldn’t be because that’s who ordered the investigation or anything, could it?
BushCo. has a consistent history of putting industry insiders in charge of the regulatory agencies that are supposed to police them.
Why? He hates government and wants to destroy it.
What follows is exactly what one would expect.
“Since when did liberals give a rat’s ass about the taxpayers?”
Uh . . . since Bush blew the Clinton’s balanced budgets?
And nearly doubled the national debt?
BTW, that offshore oil is my oil along with 350 million other Americans.
I want my share.
“Uh . . . since Bush blew the Clinton’s balanced budgets?”
Keep trying. The national debt was 1.5 TRILLION dollars higher after Clinton left office.
“BTW, that offshore oil is my oil along with 350 million other Americans.”
YOu will get your share just as soon as they pump it out and you pay for it at the gas station. “Your share” goes into the general fund in the form of taxes on the companies pulling it out and royalties.
Of all people Capn, I would expect you to KNOW your government knows what BEST to do with YOUR money.
And Capn stop saying 350,000,000 Americans. Either you are counting those illegal criminals twice, are afflicted by transposition of numbers, or you just don’t know.
US Population is 305,000,000.
http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
(I keep that link right next to my national debt clock)
But hey, for a guy who thinks Clinton didn’t increase the debt, what can I expect? Public schools are still having problems teaching math.
Sorry Amway, Clinton did leave office with the budget running a surplus. It’s not Capt’s fault you don’t know the difference between the national debt and a budget deficit.
Oh I certainly do know the difference. But of course, did Billy take that surplus and pay down the debt with it? Nope. It was squandered away.
Had he at least paid down the debt with his tiny surplus,
HE WOULD ONLY HAVE INCREASED OUR NATIONAL DEBT 1.3 TRILLION (count them) DOLLARS.
Try again.
Looks like McCain likes hanging out with the criminals:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Photo_catches_McCain_meeting_with_indicted_0911.html
McCain was seen celebrating his 70th B-day with a notorious Italian con man. Nice to know where McCain gets his advice on ripping off the American taxpayer, but I don’t think McCain needed any additional help.
Amway confuses reality:
“Oh I certainly do know the difference. But of course, did Billy take that surplus and pay down the debt with it? Nope. It was squandered away.
Had he at least paid down the debt with his tiny surplus,”
Running a surplus will reduce the debt because interest payments and loans will be paid off as usual. Since no additional debt is accumulating the debt will go down. It might help to have a better understanding of the economy than McCain if you want to discuss the issue.
It’s real simple folks.
Let me make it as simple as possible, but no simpler for you (e.g. Maggot/Capn).
Let’s say you get a bonus check. Or maybe a tax rebate. Say it’s for $600.
And you owe $1000 on your personal credit card.
You have a choice. You can pay down your credit card debt, which will result in a lower daily balance and less interest accumulating.
Or, you can blow the $600 on something else.
In Clinton’s case, left his credit card debt alone and let it grow, and grow, and grow.
Rememeber, a Lockbox is a figure of someone’s imagination.
Amway let me educate you on government bonds, which make up the national debt. Bonds, savings bonds, t-bills, whatever, are bought and mature at a set time, like 25 years or a year or whenever. Unlike credit card debt they eventually mature.
Making the comparison between government bonds and a credit card bill shows your lack of understanding. If a saving bond mature the government pays it off with the interest accumulated during a set period. The government has to pay it off and has never missed a payment.
So when the budget has a surplus it is still paying off the debts, and it is paying off the debts when it runs a deficit.
It might help to know what you are talking about one of these days.
Clinton wanted to start paying down the debt, but there were more projected surpluses (remember bush’s far as the eye can see, and of course he gave it back and more to the wealthy) so it wasn’t a big issue on where to put it.
I wonder. DId Clinton blow it on Monica? No. That can’t be right. Monica blew Clinton. Not the other way around.
BTW, Congress determines how the money is spent. The Republicans opposed Clinton’s desire to pay down more of the debt (the debt accumulated from taking from the social security trust fund) and wanted to give it away in the form of tax breaks to the rich.
“BTW, Congress determines how the money is spent.”
I’m glad to hear that Maggotpunk. Then you must be as thoroughly DISGUSTED with the DEMOCRAT LED CONGRESS as I am.
They have done little of nothing since coming to power. Except run up the national debt TRILLIONS, approve HUGE EARMARKS for their home districts (but pledge to cut them), and pass a worthless Energy Act.
The democrats RUNNING CONGRESS have approved BILLIONS to bail out private companies and RICH people.
And handed out money like candy like that FREE MONEY they approved for every breathing American with pubic hair.
Like we told the republicans before them: It is time to throw these rascals out!
Hey AMWAY how are you related to the toon Character Franklin again ? inquiring mids want to know , why when one isn’t writing GRAND OIL PARTY/RUSH THE DRUG LUSH TALKING POINTS THE OTHER IS!
AmWay – as you are aware it took several years for Clinton to develop enough of an operating surplus to cover the interest on the GOP debt he inherited. During that time the interest did accrue to the debt and the debt increased. That was solely due to the runaway deficit spending of the GOP.
There is Clinton where you need to declare you’re out. This is the easiest and cheapest the difference to learn.