Althouse: Oh, no! Ron Johnson wants to move the BP oil spill to Lake Michigan!

July 26, 2010

Oh, no! Ron Johnson wants to move the BP oil spill to Lake Michigan!

The graphic in this new Russ Feingold ad had us guffawing.

34 comments:

Brian said...: Educate me. Is there actually oil under the great lakes? Is there enough to be worth the risk?

I think it's fair to say after the gulf leak that no one is drilling in the great lakes anytime soon.; 7/26/10, 9:04 AM
Synova said...: Apparently the unemployment rate in North Dakota is something south of 3%.

Bad oil! Bad, bad oil!; 7/26/10, 9:07 AM
traditionalguy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/26/10, 9:17 AM
MadisonMan said...: I'm like Brian -- is there actually oil under the Great Lakes?

I think Feingold should be talking about Asian Carp, but then we wouldn't have seen that great graphic; 7/26/10, 9:19 AM
traditionalguy said...: Once more, BS rules the airwaves. The level of discourse Feingold is using here makes Palin look like a genius by comparison. Are the Wisconsin folks really that easy to scare?; 7/26/10, 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...: Let's not have affordable energy! It's ugly! Economically devastated cheeseheads can instead go to the shore and stare at the unmarred vista during their funemployment.; 7/26/10, 9:24 AM
roesch-voltaire said...: Here is the quote that set the oil boat in motion:
Asked, "Do you want to open up more of the United States - the continental United States - to drilling. I mean, would you support drilling like in the Great Lakes for example, if there was oil found there, or using more exploration in Alaska, in ANWR, those kinds of things?" Johnson said:
"Yeah. You know, the bottom line is that we are an oil-based economy. So the question is how inclusive is Ron Johnson-- bottom line.; 7/26/10, 9:25 AM
AllenS said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/26/10, 9:38 AM
John said...: Remember how some people say that Feingold is a good guy and just a well meaning Leftist? No. He is like all lefty politicians a shameless crapweasel who has no business in public life of a just country.; 7/26/10, 9:38 AM
TosaGuy said...: The real issue with the Great Lakes is the billion plus gallons of raw sewage dumped into them by the likes of Milwaukee after each rainstorm.

The enviros never seem to notice that.....because politicians on their side lead those cities.

I've never seen Russ Feingold bring up that issue during his 18 years in the Senate.; 7/26/10, 9:40 AM
AllenS said...: Watch him get re-elected. Who do you think The Althouse Woman will vote for?

WV: eupers

They're right across the border from us. Up nort. I wish they could vote in WI.; 7/26/10, 9:40 AM
TosaGuy said...: The media also doesn't want to ask Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett about the sewage dumping, even though he appoints the board of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage Commission.; 7/26/10, 9:43 AM
Unknown said...: When The Zero gets his way and gas is $8 a gallon, that tune may change.

This is just so much NIMBY.

WV "skylitt" Philly DJ from the 50s and 60s.; 7/26/10, 9:49 AM
Calypso Facto said...: Good point, Tosa.

Russ must be desperate. So despite being in a recession, he goes back to banging the "evil corporations" drum he's had so much success with over the years.; 7/26/10, 9:51 AM
Sofa King said...: R-V:

In the interest of intellectual honesty, you ought to provide the full answer given to the question you are quoting. Failing that, you might at least provide the entire sentence you are quoting, or, at the very minimum, basic ethics demands an ellipsis to indicate your editorial redaction.

The full answer to the question as quoted by R-V:

"The bottom line is that we are an oil-based economy, and there’s nothing we’re going to do to get off of that for many, many years, so I think we have to be realistic and recognize that fact, and I think we have to get the oil where it is but we need to do it responsibly. We need to utilize, you know, American ingenuity and American technology to make sure that we do do it environmentally sensitive and safely. I will say I think it is extremely unfair. I think conservatives get a rap that we don’t care about the environment. I care deeply about the environment. I mean, I am a huge outdoorsman. I love the outdoors. My own personal water source comes from a well. I don’t want groundwater contamination. So, I am extremely concerned about protecting the environment, but I think we also have to make sure our economy continues to function. You can’t just shut off oil. We need oil. It’s what drives our economy."; 7/26/10, 10:13 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: roesch-voltaire doesn't need oil, he commutes to and from his world-class environmental engineering program a solar-powered unicorn. Stupid Ron Johnson, claiming that we need oil to power our economy. What a wingnut moron.; 7/26/10, 10:18 AM
David said...: He thinks we are stupid and gullible. He's counting on it.; 7/26/10, 10:35 AM
MadisonMan said...: The media also doesn't want to ask Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett about the sewage dumping

Have they asked Scott Walker about it?; 7/26/10, 11:18 AM
MadisonMan said...: I mean, I think a large part of the sewage dumping problem is that the solution costs billions of dollars. And that's after money that's already been flushed down the Deep Tunnel Hole. While it's true that those billions would go to create good union-paying Democratic-voting workers, I don't see how anyone could propose such a thing in the current fiscal climate.; 7/26/10, 11:20 AM
Sofa King said...: Have they asked Scott Walker about it?

What do you imagine they would ask him? Walker runs the county. MMSD is not a county operation and Walker has zero input into its governance or administration.; 7/26/10, 11:34 AM
kjbe said...: So, an off the cuff comment by Johnson gets made into a attack ad by Feingold...and you're guffawing at Feingold?

Johnson's answer didn't specifically say Great Lakes, and he didn't specifically say ANWR either. What he did was answer the question, which included both ANWR and the Great Lakes.

For those wondering, about 10 years ago Michigan wanted to lift a ban on oil and gas drillimng in the Great Lakes. I recallthat Canada, at some point, was also interested.

Like MM, carp is really the bigger issue here.; 7/26/10, 11:40 AM
roesch-voltaire said...: Magro- like many in Madison, I can bike to work or hitch a ride on the solar car developed by faculty and students at our world class COE.; 7/26/10, 11:52 AM
Drew said...: Uh, I thought Johnson had spoken out against drilling in the Great Lakes, but Feingold voted against the ban. Can someone confirm this? I thought this lie from Feingold was exposed a week ago or more.

Is this false ad still running?; 7/26/10, 11:55 AM
traditionalguy said...: Wait a minute...Oil Spills can clean up the Carp Spills.; 7/26/10, 12:01 PM
Sofa King said...: Drew -

Yes, Feingold voted against the bill, though not for the reason of allowing drilling.

http://www.factcheck.org/2010/07/mud-and-oil-dont-mix-in-wisconsin-senate-race/; 7/26/10, 12:03 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Magro- like many in Madison, I can bike to work or hitch a ride on the solar car developed by faculty and students at our world class COE.

Bet those solar cars work great in the winter up there. And any idea how your groceries make their way to the shelves at Whole Foods? Done by solar power as well?; 7/26/10, 12:07 PM
roesch-voltaire said...: Maguro I do not follow your logic; I never claimed that we were not dependent on oil, only wondering how far we are willing to go to get it such as drilling in Lake Michigan etc. Frankly,I support promoting multiple approaches to the energy problem including nuclear, wind, solar, hydro, mass transit, etc as well as personal choices, when possible, of using less energy. As an aside, some of the developments in thin film solar hold great promise for increased panel efficiency--stick around and that solar car may work in winter-- part of the time.; 7/26/10, 12:42 PM
Cedarford said...: Brian said...
Educate me. Is there actually oil under the great lakes? Is there enough to be worth the risk?

I think it's fair to say after the gulf leak that no one is drilling in the great lakes anytime soon.

Some oil, mostly natural gas. Democrat hysterics who see drilling as the latest EVIL energy thing, want the "pristine" Great Lakes off-limits.

But you would lose the bet, since drilling is happening now and has for decades on the Canadian side. Thet also mine ore from lakeside deposits. And operate the world's largest salt mine, which is under Lake Huron, amazingly enough. Canada is also busy mining and extracting oil from Tar Sands out West bringing Canada tens of billions in revenue and creating 166,000 high paying jobs....something our American green zealots managed to block.; 7/26/10, 12:43 PM
TosaGuy said...: MM. MMSD has its own property tax authority and is unaccountable to the voters. Its board is appointed by the Milwaukee Mayor.

MMSD did indeed build the Not Deep Enough Tunnel years ago to capture "100 year rainfalls" so the system would not be overwhelmed and force a flush of sewage into Lake Michigan. It still spends money on massive infrastructure by currently expanding the Deep Tunnel and building a 40-acre retention lake in Wauwatosa (on a forest and grassland site) as well as a host of other projects. The organization concentrates on retention instead of fixing the underlying cause -- connected storm and sanitary sewers in older parts of Milwaukee and the liberal progressive suburb of Shorewood (everywhere else has separated, albeit aging, systems. Those two communities don't want to unhitch their connections because it will cost them a load of money. Its much easier for the Milwaukee Mayor to have the MMSD board build big new infrastructure with suburban tax dollars.

Tom Barrett is mentioned in the local media with MMSD and sewage dumping as often as the City of Madison mayor.

You are correct, it's a huge problem that can't be fixed overnight, but for years no one has approached the issue that actually is creating the most of the problem. Barrett has been mayor long enough to change the culture and direction of MMSD if he really wanted to.; 7/26/10, 1:01 PM
Original Mike said...: Well, if they do drill in the Great Lakes, I hope they remember about that salt mine.; 7/26/10, 1:28 PM
MadisonMan said...: What do you imagine they would ask him? Walker runs the county. MMSD is not a county operation and Walker has zero input into its governance or administration.

Scott Walker does live in Milwaukee County, presumably, and would have an opinion on this, since the MMSD (Not the Madison Metropolitan School District) is something appointed by Barrett, his opponent. It might be interesting to hear if he had any ideas about it, as any fix would have to be okayed on some level through Madison.; 7/26/10, 1:32 PM
Chase said...: Feingold and Democrats this year make commercials like this one - over the top, exaggerated, and even flagrantly dishonest - for one main reason:

They have to. They have nothing else left.

C'mon November!; 7/26/10, 2:50 PM
Anonymous said...: The real issue with the Great Lakes is the billion plus gallons of raw sewage dumped into them by the likes of Milwaukee after each rainstorm.

Better in the lake than in my basement.; 7/27/10, 3:47 PM
Anonymous said...: The only thing better than this is the Johnson ad talking about ad cliches, then cutting to him in his factory heroically supervising his workers. Sad that the public swing against incumbents is only bringing out loser opportunists, whining about the deficit after they've stayed silent for years. Their whole act is so phony.; 7/27/10, 7:36 PM