In keeping with the June is Pride theme, Sarah Palin is questioning the government’s rejection of those with experience in plugging dikes.  Well, Sarah, isn’t that the same question we are asking when demanding the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell”?

I know, I couldn’t resist teasing the former Governor of Alaska with a little semantic hanky panky with homo-nyms.  It seems that Palin has been reading again, and apparently any of them, all of them, includes The Silver Skates, where the heroic boy from Haarlem sticks his finger in the dike to stop the leak.  Definitely not the linguistic wordplay I was going for.

In conjuring up images of Mary Mapes Dodge’s 19th Century book on last night’s Factor with Bill O’Reilly, Ms. Palin seemed to criticize President Obama for not accepting Dutch offers of help, obviously a nation experienced in stopping mile deep crude leaks by utilizing an old folk tale and a finger.  Sarah, we’ve been getting the proverbial finger for almost two months now, and the oil is still flowing.  Many European countries and Canada are experienced in water salvage as these governments have oil and gas programs that are nationally regulated and have contingency plans.  Why do you think BP chose deep water operations in the United States in the first place?  Canada would have required them to drill a tandem relief well, and off shore drilling regs in Europe would have required a $500,000 blow-out preventer to be installed.

Sarah, none of us are happy with the lack of a quick and definite resolution to this disaster off our southern coast.  But when accusing the Obama administration of “cozying up to the oil companies” and disregarding offers of help from those with vast experience of an event that has never happened before is disingenuous.  The drill, baby, drill statements and the like in the 2008 campaign are well documented.  When it comes to big oil and their propensity to line the pockets of politicians, no politico comes out clean, Democrat, Republican, or Independent.  Before you apply a charge of corporate influence and incompetence at the Obama administration, think about your own ticket…and let’s go Dutch treat.