Daily Political Wire 6-1-2010

George Wenschhof

Today, President Obama will meet with the Oil Spill Commission - Reuters.com has more here. The BP oil rig disaster in the Gulf coast continues to be bad news for the Obama administration. Is BP doing everything it can to stop the flow of thousands of barrels of oil per day into the ocean? Some are beginning to wonder if BP is trying to capture the escaping oil or plug it?

The re-organized Bureau of Land Management, splitting up of responsibilities of Minerals Mining Services and a resignation, along with an appointment of a oil spill commission to determine what went wrong does not stop the flow of oil into the ocean.

Rather, they are moves to preempt bad reaction to the administration down the road as more information becomes available as to the reasons that led up to this huge environmental disaster.

Now is the time to be implementing whatever actions can be taken to stop the flow of oil. Waiting for two months for another well to be drilled is unacceptable.

The President has scheduled a news conference around noon today to give an update on the situation after he meets with his newly formed commission.

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Today, Alabama, Mississippi and New Mexico hold primaries - in Alabama, watch for the results of the House seat currently held by Republican Parker Griffith - a similar story as the Sestak-Specter primary held recently for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.

Griffith was elected as a Democrat and switched to Republican and received the support from Republican leaders such as Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Oh.). However, two republicans filed to run against him: Mo Banks and Les Phillips and if no one receives a majority of the vote there will be a Republican runoff election on June 13.

Arthur Davis is running for the Democratic nomination for Governor, and if elected would be the first African-American Governor of Alabama.

Politico.com has more here.

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High Ranking Al-Qaeda official reportedly killed - yesterday Al-Qaeda announced Mustafa al-Yazid had been killed with his family by a missile strike, presumably fired by a U.S. drone. He is considered the number three in command and has been reported killed before. Time.com has more here.

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United Nations urges inquiry into Israeli raid - the raid by Israeli commandos on a flotilla headed for Gaza with humanitarian supplies has sparked international outrage. TPM.com has more here. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to say the commandos were simply defending themselves.

The Israeli blockade of Gaza has been in place for three years to prevent militants and arms from entering Gaza. Activists are also comlaining the raid took place in international waters.

Netanyahu canceled a planned with today with President Obama.

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