Al Gore: Stop the censorship in the Gulf

Al Gore on reports that journalists and news photographers have been banned and bullied away from the scenes of devastation in the gulf, and from interviewing sources who might provide information unflattering to BP:

This behavior is completely unacceptable. Access by reporters should be as unfettered as possible. This de facto form of censorship needs to stop

(via Instapundit)

• [Anonymous]

  Why is his criticism not also directed at Obama? His administration has assisted the censorship, including by using the coast guard to turn away reporters.

  • [benher]

    Maybe we can use all our HOPE T-shirts to wipe down some birds and rocks…

• [orwellian]

  Huh, an oil company and the federal government colluding to block investigations by Congress and the media. Has anyone actually seen Bush and Obama in the same place at the same time? I swear there are times I think this is the third term of Bush.

• [teapot]

  This is not Obama’s fault. As a non-American I find it FUCKING HILARIOUS how, at present, anything that happens is suddenly the President’s fault… a far cry from the Bush years when everything was all because of the “terrorists” and foreigners. I think I see a pattern forming here:

  White guy president – blame the ‘darkies’
  Black guy president – blame him

  If you must direct responsibility to some public figure, then how about Reagan? As far as I understand, it was he who neutered the EPA – the one government body which could have solved this mess quickly.

  I absolutely agree that reporters should get access to sources of real information, not spin doctors, but I also question how much good it would do having hundreds more boats in the gulf area for the sole purpose of reporting…

  • [Anonymous]

    I blamed Bush for a lot, including the mismanagement of disaster relief during Katrina. Now I’m blaming Obama for the environmental equivalent. He’s been in office long enough that if any president could ever take some responsibility, he can too.

• [OrcOnTheEndOfMyFork]

  Does this mean the British own the Gulf of Mexico now?

• [Blackbird]

  It’s not the refusal of the flight that seems the most disturbing to me, it’s that a BP Contractor is even ANSWERING the phones at a CG-FAA command centre. How about letting an actual FAA official at least answer the phones in an FAA office. Or even an FAA contractor, but a BP contractor…NO. Put the phone down, find a brick wall, commence smashing of head against the wall saying “I will not answer the phone again” .. repeat.

• [DD4U]

  Er… it’s not like the Gulf spill is not getting enough media coverage.

  • [Cowicide]

    RTFA

• [Self Defense Chick]

  BP has got to be one of the most hated companies in the world now….they sure are on my hate list…what kills me is seeing the pictures of the poor animals covered in oil….My heart actually hurts when i see that :(

  • [querent]

    Me too. Oil is finite, and we all have to kick eventually. Let’s kick now.