You could spend your Joe Barton money on some action, that would be great! Jim, seriously you care about the people and issues in the 6th district for about 3 months every 2 years. What’s worse while this is a TERRIBLE environmental tragedy it has little to do with the unemployment in the district, the school teachers losing their jobs, and the massive infrastructure improvements that are very much needed. Again thanks for the concern, even though you are VERY wrong. Again, the Joe Barton money just reeks of hypocracy. The again you come from the part of Steele, you know the guy who put the Afghan war on Obama’s shoulders. You are all smart types. But good luck against a real man like Trivedi.

So this article boils down to ‘repeal the Jones Act’. Republicans don’t let pass any opportunity pass to screw labor. There’s no proof that the Jones Act is hampering the cleanup effort.

Also, ‘Neither BP nor the federal government should stand in the way.’ OK. Then who’s in charge? The GOP led state governments on the Gulf–who haven’t fully deployed their National Guard units?

This seems like the typical GOP response to our country’s problems. Scream about how much Democrats are screwing up the country, and not actually do anything.

As someone who competed for the GOP nomination for the 6th District until Jim Gerlach decided to run for re-election, I have followed this campaign very closely. Surely this will be a very competitive race. However, we are fortunate to have someone with Jim Gerlach’s thoughtful approachs to public issues as our Congressman.

His comments on the environmental tragedy and management go to the core of the problem and call for CEO actions, including the President by-passing the Jones Act. That is not an anti-labor decision when such a huge emergency is bringing disaster to our shores.

Since the second day of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster I have thought that the President, our Commander in Chief, should assign command of the situatioin to the United States Navy, which could use the U.S. Coast Guard and other public and private organizations to do what they do best. For instance, the Coast Guard should continue to have the lead on containing the oil and gas already released.

However, the specialists for deep sea issues are in and available to the Navy. They have the expertiseof managing emergency task forces of diverse experts.

It’s pretty sad when a member of Congress needs a civics lesson. He’s suggesting that the President should “suspend” a law? If you don’t like a law Jim, ask Congress to repeal it. That’s YOUR job. The President follows and impliments the law. I love President Obama, but I still don’t want him unilaterally “suspending” laws.

This is a thoughtful analysis, free of partisan polemics and cheap thought. I wish the responses had met the same standard:
*The Jones Act can be suspended in an emergency- which this is.
*Under the current circumstance, suspending the Jones Act hardly “screws labor”, and Gerlach has been moderate on labor issues.
*Whining about “Barton donations”, without acknowledging BP’s massive donations to Obama, is hypocrisy of the lowest order.
Keep up the good work, Congressman.

“Thoughtful analysis”? What a joke!

Jim, you wrote a bunch of generalities and complaints; but offered no significant proposal to address the problem. Don’t bring us criticism; bring us solutions.

Anyone can complain. Do something about it.

Too little too late. How about fixing issues at home Jim. We never see you up here anyway. Your constituency services are awful and you’re never in the district at events talking to the people. So the only interaction you have is 4 months from the elections on issues that aren’t exactly related to home? Great.

Facts count, there are already foreign ships at work at the leak, the Jones Act applies to the three mile limit, Deepwater Horizon is at least 50 miles from shore. Just a red herring from a Congressman who is uninformed or is just trying to score cheap political points by appealing to the uninformed.

Facts count, there are already foreign ships at work at the leak, the Jones Act applies to the three mile limit, Deepwater Horizon is at least 50 miles from shore. Just a red herring from a Congressman who is uninformed or is just trying to score cheap political points by appealing to the uninformed.

Congressman Gerlach raises good points. Specifically, the Federal Government should not be getting in the way of the cleanup. The Obama administration’s response has been slow and obstructionary. I’m glad my congressman has the courage and insight to call them out.

I’m kind of surprised by some of the other comments here. Jim’s always been a thoughtful, moderate Republican, someone who seems to follow his own conscience rather than following the herd. I just don’t see where the anger some seem to have for Congressman Gerlach comes from. You don’t have to be a Republican to appreciate the good work he’s done for his district.

except Jim has voted with the GOP the entire time this Congress. On big heard of morons.

@ Cap’n S.

Name one good point that Gerlach raised — or any relevant point at all, for that matter.

And that nonsense about the federal government getting in the way of the cleanup is nothing but a phony partisan Republican talking point.

It’s obvious that you are pretending not to be a Republican Gerlach suporter.

@Captain:

You say the Federal Government should get out of the way, but you also complain that Obama’s response has been slow. So which is it? Should he have done more or less?

Also, mind telling me whose way the Federal Government is supposed to be getting out of? BP?

HAHA! Adam great stuff!

How much are these Trivedi interns getting paid to troll blogs and post comments?

At this point, I, for one, would be happy if the administration just got out of the way and let the locals do their best to clean up BP’s mess. I’m not waiting for Obama to be part of the solution, but I would like him to stop being part of the problem.

Gerlach is the wrong choice, he represents exactly what the problem was from 2000-2008, he is the wrong choice and I have no idea how anyone could vote for him again to represent the 6th after he has been behind so many of the failed policies that have led to awful war, terrible environmental disasters, and most of a broken economy and massive job loss. Anyone who thinks the GOP initiatives aren’t responsible for these problems hasn’t been paying attention. After having living in the 6th for all my life now (except for when I’m off at college) I will be putting all my support behind Manan Trivedi, and this Gerlach column illustrates for me exactly why.

And Jim, please, just give the Barton money back.

How has the admin gotten in the way? They’ve given BP resources to use and have asked them to pay for that……in other words they’ve been pushing BP to actually get something done. You shouldn’t do something without back up and contingency plans. Drilling this deep is NOT easy, and they knew that and now a well is gushing with very few ways to stop it. BP was irresponsible to not have a back up and even more the republicans who said we must drill here in this country more push these policy ideas forward.

This is exactly why we need to go green and focus on green energy solutions. Because our insatiable need for fossil fuels has us drilling in wild places, such as miles under the ocean. Stupidity. I too will NOT support Jim Gerlach.

So, “Hold On” is a college student. Good to see you’ve got your eagle eye on the situation from your ivory tower.

What ivory tower? I go to a state school and I work hard and will pay for my loans. Thanks though. Glad to hear going to college puts you on the ivory tower, that means all but 15 people in my HS graduating class are on the ivory tower with me. Get real Al.

Yea I didn’t think you would respond. Good stuff.