During the winter of 2001 and throughout 2002, Miller produced a series of stunning stories about Saddam Hussein’s ambition and capacity to produce weapons of mass destruction, based largely on information provided by Chalabi and his allies—almost all of which have turned out to be stunningly inaccurate.

At what point are some in the media going to admit they Judy Millered the impact of the oil disaster?

The Washington Post: Scientists report undersea oil plume stretching 21 miles from BP spill site

Academic scientists are challenging the Obama administration’s assertion that most of BP’s oil is either gone or rapidly disappearing — citing, among other evidence, the discovery of an undersea “plume” of oil stretching more than 21 miles from the well site.

The New York Times: Gulf Oil Plume Is Not Breaking Down Fast, Research Says

“I expect the hydrocarbon imprint of the BP discharge will be detectable in the marine environment for the rest of my life,” Ian MacDonald, an oceanographer at Florida State University, told Congress in prepared testimony on Thursday. “The oil is not gone and is not going away anytime soon.”

The Wall Street Journal: Study Says Gulf Oil Spill Caused Manhattan-Size Plume

At the height of the Deepwater Horizon spill, oil escaping from the damaged well was trapped underwater in a drifting plume of hydrocarbons the size of Manhattan and helped turn the Gulf of Mexico into a test-tube of experimental petroleum chemistry, scientists who probed the submerged spill region said Thursday. …

By confirming the existence of this submerged plume, the new data also challenge government estimates that the vast majority of the 4.9 million barrels of spilled oil is already gone from the Gulf or being rapidly broken down by bacteria, several marine experts said.

Instead, some of that oil may persist deep underwater and in seafloor sediments—at levels thousands of times higher than those caused by the natural oil seeps that dot the Gulf sea floor—where it can elude conventional detection and clean-up efforts, scientists said.

Meanwhile, here’s ABC News’ front page at this moment. It contains news about Jennifer Aniston, the “Mystery of Beer Goggles Revealed,” the new girlfriend of cable star Jesse James, and something about blind waiters serving people in the dark … but not word one about the reappearing oil, much less the tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico:

I stopped in yesterday at the Southern Sting tattoo parlor in Larose, Louisiana, and spent some time talking with the owner, Bobby Pitre. As well as tattoos he does paintings and sculpture, and has decorated the outside of his shop with political statements about the BP oil disaster.

The Southern Sting tattoo shop in Larose, Louisiana.

Much of Pitre’s business since the disaster has been from Coast Guard workers. “One of them got a Spongebob [Squarepants] standing knee deep in oil, screaming, with an oil well blowing up in the background, on his calf,” he said. Read more and see pictures after the jump.

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Transcript: Obama’s Remarks on BP Oil Spill:

I’d like to lay out for you what our battle plan is going forward: what we’re doing to clean up the oil, what we’re doing to help our neighbors in the Gulf, and what we’re doing to make sure that a catastrophe like this never happens again.

It is a faith in the future that sustains us as a people. It is that same faith that sustains our neighbors in the Gulf right now.

… ?

Neighbors?

Are we Canada?

Are we Mexico?

Thought we were all Americans down here ….

… to donate.

As the president tours the Gulf coast over the next two days, he sent out a letter to supporters, asking to add their name to an unspecified petition and contribute $10 to $1,000 to unspecified efforts regarding climage change and energy policy. Obama hopes the oil disaster will generate movement in the Senate to get key energy legislation moving forward.

In a message from the Democratic National Committee’s Organizing for America, a link (that reads “Please stand with me today in backing clean energy. Adding your name will help Organizing for America create a powerful, public display of support for making this change happen“) sends you to this page, which reads like a standard online petition. Once you’ve submitted your information, you’re sent to another page — this one seeks donations of $10 to $1,000 (or “other”). It’s a fairly standard fundraising tactic for politicians as legislation heats up — and with the Gulf disaster lingering as a potential defining issue in his first four years, Obama is keen on getting it moving as a potential silver lining in the oilpocalypse. Here’s the accompanying message on the donations page:

We cannot miss this moment.

Thank you for standing with President Obama in forging a clean-energy future for America.

Now, we need to make sure legislation passes through the Senate.

We need you with us every step of the way. We’ll be fighting on voters’ doorsteps, on the phones, in the halls of Congress, and in the press — to send a message that now is the time for clean energy.

Donate today — support Organizing for America and our efforts to bring real change to our energy policy.

Meanwhile, Obama is touring the Gulf with local officials. He’s been snacking on Gulf seafood and has pronounced it safe it eat.

President Barack Obama says from the oil-stricken Gulf of Mexico that seafood from the region is safe to eat and announced a new coordinated effort to make sure it stays that way.

In remarks from Theodore, Ala., on Monday, Obama said that the government will step up its inspections and monitoring to help ensure that the Gulf Coast food industry is getting the kind of protection and certification it needs to sell its products around the country.

Obama said, “We don’t want tragedies on top of the tragedy we’re already seeing.”

Read more about Gulf seafood safety in this week’s Gambit, or read it online.

Update: The Deepwater Horizon Response team has sent out a a massive press release ensuring the safety of Gulf seafood. Hit the jump to read it in full.

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My inbox is constantly filled with the desperate pleas of Nigerian princes and Chinese widows that miss my spam folder, where so many fake bank statements and male enhancement offers go to die. I routinely delete these messages, and the message I received from a Robert Philippe Webb de Orleans with the subject line “URGENT” nearly received the same fate. But a quick glance at this message told me this guy is not some spambot, firing phishy missives from somewhere in Africa: he appears to be a real life crazy person, and he wants to be the king of Louisiana.

Addressed to Mitch Landrieu, Bobby Jindal, James D. “Buddy” Caldwell, Mary Landrieu and David Vittler, the 2,172-word email begins with Webb claiming to be the descendant of royalty, a relative of Robert E. Lee and a member of the Lykes shipping family.

Meet Robert Philippe Webb — your next king.

He advocates seceding from the union, doesn’t like President Obama very much, talks about some conspiracy theories, is sore about the Louisiana Purchase, and would totally let Jindal and crew have jobs under his leadership. Here some of the highlights:

• “President Barrack Obama worries me deeply. He is part of a massive Nazi and Mafia based Eugenics Conspiracy underway in The Federal Government’s intelligence circles.”
• “I am writing to formally express my willingness in this turbulent time to lead The People of New Orleans, Louisiana and The Louisiana Purchase Territory as lawfully installed King of Louisiana. There is no clear leadership in these lands which rightfully belong to me and my Family.”
• ”I would be willing to offer each of you a Title and position in a new government which I propose to lawfully put in place with International United Nations Laws and the support of all The Citizens in my Homeland.”
• “There are many of these violations but in particular I cite The United States Federal Government’s creating The HIV and AIDS Virus in 1970 at Ft. Detrick, Maryland’s Biological Weapons Laboratory.”
• “It is our legal right to bear arms against a Tyrannical and unwanted oppressive Government. I do however advocate my peaceful installation.”

I checked out his website, and apparently he’s an architect? I guess with this oil disaster going on, we all want to do something. While some of us just want to donate hair that may or may not be used for oil booms, or scrub oil-slicked ducks with Dawn soap, or never go to a BP gas station ever, ever again, this guy wants to be king. Just his way of coping. And it’s in his blood.

The entirety of his weirdo email is after the jump.

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