Where's the media outrage at the federal government's handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil leak?

Hurricane Katrina was still blowing through New Orleans when the media began blaming President George W. Bush for the disaster.  Shouldn't President Barack Obama be given the same treatment?

It is the federal govenment's insistence on being involved in everything and changing the rules willy-nilly that are standing in the way of those who are trying to mitigate the damage caused by this tragedy.

Let's look at several examples of the federal govenment's recklessness.

The first one is the dispersant issue.

The Environmental Protection Agency led BP to believe that it could use whichever dispersant it wanted in breaking up the oil slick.  BP chose a dispersant called Corexit.  Then, after BP purchased the dispersant and began using it, the EPA decided it didn't like Corexit and demanded that BP use a different dispersant.  BP said no other dispersant was available in the quantities needed to fight such a large slick.

The EPA fears that Corexit is too toxic and could harm wildlife.

How ridiculous!  I have a news flash for the EPA: Corexit is magnitudes less toxic to wildlife than oil.

The EPA, because there are conflicting reports of Corexit's toxicity, decided to set up a testing lab and ordered BP to reduce the amount of Corexit it is using.

In what universe does the EPA live?  There is no time for federal bureaucrats to take the matter under advisement, issue white papers, hold conferences, and do whatever else pointless and petty bureaucrats do to make themselves feel important.

Louisiana's governor, Bobby Jindal, said it best, "Every day we wait is another day where thousands of gallons of oil pollute our wetlands, our estuaries, our fishing grounds, our coastal communities, and our way of life."

BP, for its part, said it would switch dispersants if one could be found in the quantities needed.

The dispersant issue is just one example of government silliness.

Another example involves Jindal and state officials.  Jindal wanted to dredge the gulf and install sand barriers to protect the coastline from the encroaching oil.

The Army Corps of Engineers has taken the plan under advisement.  Meanwhile, Jindal was able to start one dredging operation under a current permit and is urging the federal government to allow him to complete the rest of his plan.

"We are calling on the federal government to get this two-mile segment done quickly," he said.  "We know it works, we have seen it work, but if they need to see it work, they need to do that quickly. ... They could have built nearly ten miles of sand boom already if they would have approved our permit request when we originally requested it."

There are many other examples of government interference making the situation worse.

Now, idiots in Congress want to change the law limiting the cap on BP's liability for the spill at $75 million and they want to do so retroactively.

Retroactive laws are a threat to our freedoms and violate the Constitution.  That congressional representatives would even suggest such a thing should frighten every American.

Nor is it needed.

BP said it would not seek protection under the cap and that it would pay all legitimate claims and, indeed, has begun paying damages to those who have filed claims.

While BP is working diligently and responsibly to solve the problem, spending massive amounts of money in the process, federal officials are acting like bratty children starved for attention.

Finally, the government's attempts to bully and threaten BP are counterproductive.  When Obama said, "Plug the damn hole," and tossed out accusations that BP has had a "breakdown of responsibility," he accomplished nothing.

When U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, "We will keep our boot on their neck until the job gets done," he accomplished nothing.

The reality is that no one has ever plugged an oil leak a mile under water.  The federal government lacks the equipment and the expertise to do so.  Only BP and the private sector can accomplish this task and the best thing the federal government can do is to shut up and let BP "plug the damn hole."

Yes, this is copy-pasted.  However, I don't care if you take issue with that.