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My Other Friend Bob is in the Houston Chronicle today with some dandy oil well safety regulation ideas.

You can go over there and get into a fight with Republicans, Libertarians, and all the other nut cases who thin k the free market will solve everything form oil spills to bunions.

Bob calls for —

• • An immediate moratorium on all offshore drilling that involves sea-floor well control, until standardized systems are developed and tested that prove a well can be controlled and killed without the necessity of a connected surface rig.

• • Development of a sophisticated, high-volume, subsea oil-collection system that is available 24/7 to the industry for more efficient cleanup of spills in the event they do occur.

• • Strict regulation of the types and use of oil dispersants to mitigate damage to the environment and life.

• • Complete the split of the Minerals Management Service into the three agencies, making safety and environmental regulation totally separate from the revenue and leasing functions.

• • Conform safety, equipment, procedures and inspections for all vessels working in U.S. waters, whether they are foreign or U.S. flagged. Strengthen tax regulation to assure all vessels are on equal footing.

• • Establish a subsea technology function within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the MMS to advance the research, standardization and regulation of all subsea operations in U.S. waters, with the goal of making these functions safer and more reliable.

By the way, My Other Friend Bob is an oil man, but not the Dick Cheney kind.  Not even close.

Bob’s regular blog is listed on the right side over there as El Jefe Bob.

And Regular Bob is also back at work.  Check out what he’s done for Democrats.

Fort Bend County, the home of Tom DeLay, went 48.5% for Barack Obama and we’re pushing it over the top this year.  Be a part of it.  We’re going to do the Rent a Sign thing this summer where you can buy a Democratic yardsign to be placed in Fort Bend and we even put your name on it and send you a picture of it for $25.  Start saving your money NOW.