Bobby Jindal: Moron (or, yes idiot, Katrina and Rita did cause major oil spills)

Yesterday, it was Mitt Romney saying that nuclear non-proliferation was a liberal issue.

Today it was the republican governor of Louisiana and GOP vice-presidential hopeful Bobby Jindal saying that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused “no major [oil] spills.“

Ummm, Oops.

D’oh!

A Houston Chronicle review of data from the National Response Center shows that the two storms caused at least 595 spills, incidents that released untold amounts of oil, natural gas and other chemicals into the air, onto land and into the water.

The quantity and cumulative magnitude of the 595 spills, which were spread across four states and struck offshore and inland, rank these two hurricanes among the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. Some have even compared the total amount of oil released — estimated at 9 million gallons — to the tragedy of Exxon Valdez.

The Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million gallons of oil.  That’s just over 214,000 barrels and almost 257,000 barrels, respectively.

The hurricanes also destroyed 113 oil rigs.

Barnacle of the United States

I think that when the candidates select their running mates, I’ll say that they’re running to be the Barnacle of the United States:

Though the imagry of Cheney maliciously clinging to something for his own purposes is kind of appropriate.