Republicans block subpoena power, back business interests over all else

The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
has asked for the power to subpoena to help investigate the causes of the Gulf oil spill. Senate Republicans have blocked this request laying the blame at the feet of partisan politics. Unfortunately that is a cover to hide their true concerns - big business may be to blame for this accident and that revelation would take away from the Republican narrative that President Obama should take a political hit for this man made, corporate disaster. The commission consists of two Democrats, one Republicans and four individuals who are experts in the area of science, oceanography, engineering and oil spill clean up.

Bob Graham – Democratic Governor
William K. Reilly – Republican, Head of EPA under George W. Bush
Frances G. Beinecke – President National Resources Defense Council
Donald Boesch – Oceanographer, President Maryland University Center for Environmental Sciences
Terry D. Garcia - Led the implementation of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Plan
Cherry A. Murray – Dean of Havard school of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Frances Ulmer – Democrat, Lieutenant governor Alaska

While the non party affiliated members may lean Democrat it is safe to say that the people who tend to care about the environment tend to be Democrats. This happens to be a disaster whose affects are mainly environmental so while the Republicans cry foul based on partisanship the commission is made up of people who can offer serious insight on this particular problem and that expertise clearly trumps the need for an equal balance of self proclaimed Democrats to self proclaimed Republicans. After all facts of an accident have no political leanings. They're just facts.

This Republican block party is just a further example of how little regard Republicans have for American citizens when corporate interests are involved. This accident did after all kill 11 Americans. Should we limit the rights of these Americans just because it may be bad for big business?

Focusing on a simple minded and fairly unprovable idea like partisanship just allows politicians to ignore real issues. If you become convinced that the system is fine but the people are the problem you accept inactivity and the failure of progress. Politicians are the problem but only to the extend that Americans don't hold them responsible for their actions but rather hold them accountable to an arbitrary set of ideals that all but eliminate the need to actually legislate.