But unlike his predecessor, President Obama has declined to suspend the law, even temporarily.
Obama's decision has turned into a public relations headache for an administration already reeling from its oversight of the oil spill. European allies, longtime opponents of the Jones Act, have asserted they were turned away when making offers of assistance. The State Department acknowledges it has had 21 aid offers from 17 countries.
The article sets out facts which undermine the "protecting the unions" theory. The refusal to waive the Jones Act appears to be simply rank incompetence and an abject failure to do the things which could and should be done.
ReplyDeleteApparently golfing is more important to Obama than focusing o0n this crisis. No one knows what Napolitano is doing, but it can't be much.