Palin Lies: Claims Obama Refused Help in Gulf from Norway, Netherlands – But They Are on Site

On his Fox News show last night, Bill O’Reilly asked Sarah Palin what she would do if it were up to her to stop the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Palin avoided answering the question, choosing instead to criticize Pres. Obama for not accepting help from foreign countries, even stating emphatically that the White House had failed to return calls from the governments of Norway and the Netherlands:

O’REILLY: Obama obviously doesn’t know how to stop the leak. Do you know how to stop it?

PALIN: Well, then what the federal government should have done was accept the assistance of foreign countries, of entrepreneurial Americans who have had solutions —

O’REILLY: Who?

PALIN: — that they wanted presented.

O’REILLY: Who?

PALIN: They can’t even get a phone call returned, Bill. The Dutch. They are known in the Norwegian. They are known for — for dikes and for cleaning up water and for dealing with spills.

This was a lie ripped from that day’s Fox News’ Republican talking points:

…On the June 15 edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Glenn Beck said that Obama “needs to explain why we haven’t — why we turned down all the international help. They offered it within a couple of days. We said no…”

…In a later segment on the June 15 Fox & Friends, co-host Gretchen Carlson hosted Sen. George LeMieux (R-FL) and stated: “Steve Doocy asked [White House press secretary Robert Gibbs] why the Jones Act has not been waived, allowing international ships to come into the Gulf.” LeMieux later responded, in part, “The Jones Act shouldn’t be preventing any foreign ships from coming to help in the skimming operations.”

…Later on Fox & Friends, Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham stated that one of the “things the president needs to talk about and needs to do” is to “waive the Jones Act” so that “all of our technology, all of our manpower, all the skimmers internationally” could reach the Gulf. Ingraham did not note that there are already international ships in the Gulf responding to the spill.

Meanwhile, back in reality-based reality:

In an interview on the June 15 edition of Fox & Friends, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs stated that “[w]e have talked to several countries” and that “foreign entities are operating within the Gulf that help us respond” to the oil spill. Despite this, both Carlson and Ingraham continued to falsely suggest that foreign aide was being denied.

…In a June 15 press release, the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center (JIC) stated that “[c]urrently, 15 foreign-flagged vessels are involved in the largest response to an oil spill in U.S. history.” The JIC further explained, “No Jones Act waivers have been granted because none of these vessels have required such a waiver to conduct their operations in the Gulf of Mexico.” The press release further stated:

To date, the administration has leveraged assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as part of this historic, all-hands-on-deck response, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization and the European Union’s Monitoring and Information Centre. In some cases, offers of international assistance have been turned down because the offer didn’t fit the needs of the response.

…On June 10, Fox News reporter Brian Wilson wrote on his blog that “[t]he Coast Guard and the Administration are quick to point out that some foreign technology is being used in the current cleanup effort.” According to Wilson, this technology includes:

  • Canada’s offer of 3,000 meters of containment boom
  • Three sets of COSEQ sweeping arms from the Dutch
  • Mexico’s offer of two skimmers and 4200 meters of boom
  • Norway’s offer of 8 skimming systems

Gibbs: “We are using equipment … from countries like Norway, Canada, the Netherlands”; no need “thus far” for “any type of waiver.” In a June 10 press briefing, Gibbs fielded a question on the administration’s position in issuing waivers to the Jones Act. Gibbs stated that “there has not been any problem” with “using equipment” from foreign countries. From the briefing:

Q Senator Bill Nelson is going to write a letter to the President today asking for some clarification on the Jones Act and whether or not it is in any way inhibiting the U.S. government’s use of offers from other foreign nations and foreign-flagged vessels to help in any way — mediation, skimming, any of the other operations you’re doing on the Gulf. What is the administration’s position on it? The Jones Act was waived during Katrina by the Bush administration to bring oil in. What’s your position on this?

MR. GIBBS: I would say this —

Q Is it an impediment or are you open to waiving it if you need to?

MR. GIBBS: No, no, as Admiral Allen said today, we are using equipment and vessels from countries like Norway, Canada, the Netherlands. There has not been any problem with this. If there is the need for any type of waiver, that would obviously be granted. But this — we’ve not had that problem thus far in the Gulf.

Q But you’re open to waiving it if you need to?

MR. GIBBS: If there’s anything that needs to happen, that will — we will make sure that it happens.

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13 thoughts on “Palin Lies: Claims Obama Refused Help in Gulf from Norway, Netherlands – But They Are on Site”

  1. WHY was Bill O’Reilly asking Palin how she would stop the oil spill??? Like she was going to give a semi-intelligent answer?

    What a stupid premise for a show by, for and of stupid people!

  2. Why the hell do you think they were asking her the question ‘NIKOLAI’. ??? She would have taken office of the Presidency if McCain couldn’t fulfill his obligation ie died. NIKOLAI do you sense any intelligence in this womans answer to the question? Do you see a solution in her answer besides sidestepping the issue and placing blame? The Dutch?? My husband was in the oil business for over 30 years and has a better answer than this idiot.

  3. I listened to Sarah Palin and she specifically said the US turned down intellectual resources. Per your article, GIBBS stated that the US is borrowing equipment. They are not one and the same. Get your facts straight and clean up your own house before you label people as liars.

  4. @J Morgan: Your husband’s knowledge of countries that can actually deal with this is not up to date, or he forgot to tell you. Either way it would be wise if you would try to be better informed before you imply that the Dutch can’t deal with the effects of this oil spill. No we can’t stop the oil from flowing into the ocean. That’s BP’s concern and I sincerely hope they go bankrupt on this, showing lack of interest as much as they do. But we can however help you clean the mess. We’re on site. Where’s your husband? Any help is welcome.

  5. Rhod – Thanks for proving that people who worship the Quitter Queen really are stupid. These countries aren’t donating or loaning their ships and technology to us. They’re here with the ships and equipment using them to help with the crisis — like when a fire company from one town rushes to a big fire in another town with their trucks and ladders. They don’t donate the trucks and ladders, they deploy them during the crisis and then take them home when the crisis is over.

  6. The other 4 oil companies testified before Congress and said they had NO IDEA on how to fix the disaster.
    Every GOP/TeaParty politician and every wingnut poster seems to know exactly how to fix it. Why don’t you tell BP, they might be interested.

  7. your message was lost in all the insults you thrown out there. you’d get your point across a lot better if you argued intelligently. my view, your resarch is definitely not solid and if we are indeed using all resources avaialbe from foreign countries…Obama should have layed it out to the public in his speech or made it more publically known. republicans are not the only concerned citizens who are demanding to know what is going on.

  8. cindy – Palin does nothing but attack and insult people every time she posts her screeds on Facebook or reads a speech from a teleprompter, but that’s okay to the hypocrites who adore her. The difference is the statements here are based on facts and everything she says is spin, propaganda and lies.

  9. Whether the president specifically stated it in his speech or not, Palin lied, as usual. The information about Norway, Canada, The Netherlands, and Mexico loaning equipment to help with the spill has been easily accessible on the internet for weeks now. With her Blackberry always in hand, a simple Google would have provided Palin with this information BEFORE she opened her mouth and made a fool of herself on national teevee. Just because someone likes her doesn’t mean that she is not to be held accountable. She pretends to be holding the president accountable, but every word that comes out of her mouth is an attack, never a solution to any problem. Who’s holding her accountable? Definitely not her willing sycophants, who rubber stamp everything she says, even though she’s an habitual liar. If she were president, she’d do the same thing. Anyone who questioned her would be attacked. Palin lied, and this is not the first time she has lied. Politifact rated her “death panel” comments as the 2009 lie of the YEAR. IMHO, if a politician has to lie to sway public opinion and garner support, they have no principles. Principled people have no reason to lie, therefore I question Palin’s principles. That she promotes herself as a “Christian” and lies constantly is a huge turn off for me. Evidently Palin’s “Christianity” allows her to do things that go against the teachings of Christ. She lies, keeps smiling, and gives no thought to the impact her lies have on public discourse/opinion or on her soul. As a Christian, I find Palin’s brand of “Christianity” to be unlike anything my Bible teaches because of her constant lying, hypocrisy, and thirst for power and money above all else.

  10. What do you expect? Faux hired her so she could be a mouthpiece to voice lies to keep the public stupid.

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