Okay, it seems like we know what Boehner meant. It seems he thinks BP should be on the line for everything. But only up to $75 million once the oil itself if cleaned up.
Basically, the position is that BP should pay for removing the oil from the places that it went. But if the oil broke your stuff or put you out of business or whatever, BP’s liability for that should stay capped at $75 million.
It seems like Rep Boehner’s office is in the process of punking most of the other reporters up on the Hill by passing around a bamboozle quote that dodges the main issue at stake. To understand, you’ve got to understand the basic issue involved: the difference between the different kinds of liability involved. Read More
Greg Sargent followed up with John Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel who gave Greg the same non-responsive quote they’ve been giving other reporters. Greg pressed though on the distinction between “clean up” and “damages” noted here. And Steele replied that now Boehner is willing to say no government money for damages either, which is new. Pressed further by Greg, Steel said: “No taxpayer money for cleanup or damages — period. BP pays. If the current law doesn’t guarantee that, we are happy to work in a bipartisan way on reasonable new legislation.”
But there’s already legislation out there to raise the cap and it’s being opposed by congressional Republicans. So is Boehner really coming out in favor of raising the cap?
Arizona’s Treasurer says the state’s prisons are too good for illegals convicted of crimes in his state, proposes vast ‘tent cities’.
From a staffer on the Hill …
Senators Menendez, Nelson & Lautenberg introduced legislation on May 13 to lift the cap on economic damages from $75M to $10B.
At the urging of Senator Reid, they’ve since modified that to remove the cap altogether.
I think I might be honored if I was credited with inventing the word for serially sexually questing women. Language Log looks at the possibilities.
The White House just released a letter from oil spill czar Thad Allen to the chairman of BP inviting him and other appropriate company officials to a meeting at the White House next Wednesday with the President.
I’m not sure what Obama meeting directly with BP officials is supposed to accomplish, but at least we won’t have to keep hearing about Obama’s failure to meet with them and how that’s a huge mistake.
Olbermann interviews mystery Senate candidate Alvin Greene. See the video below the fold … Read More
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was the guest of honor at a dinner Wednesday night in Washington with representatives of some of the biggest Jewish organizations in the United States. Laura Rozen has more.
Remember all those state Attorneys General who were going to use suing to block Health Care Reform as their road to higher office. It hasn’t really panned out.