As Joe Fromm says, the Obama administration is not without some blame in the Gulf Oil Gusher mess, but before the bin lids start banging too loud, take a look at how the GOP keeps interfering with any attempts to do the right thing.

In early 2009 Bennett and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) blocked the confirmation of David Hayes, Salazar’s choice to be deputy secretary of the Interior Department. Their beef: Salazar had cancelled 77 oil and gas lease sales on western lands that had been drummed up in the last days of the Bush administration as a final gift to Big Oil, even though many of the parcels were close to some of Utah’s most iconic landscapes, including Arches and Canyonlands national parks.

As deputy secretary, Hayes is in charge of many day-to-day operations at Interior. He has been vital to the Obama administration’s response to the Gulf oil spill, and was on the scene on day two of the disaster.

Also last year, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), slowed down confirmation of two other key Interior officials, assistant secretary for land and minerals Wilma Lewis and Bureau of Land Management director Bob Abbey over concerns about legislation for an Arizona land swap. Lewis oversees the Minerals Management Service that regulates offshore oil development; Abbey’s BLM oversees onshore energy development.

Climate Progress