Judge in oil spill case sells energy stocks OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Meenah]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37937049...er_in_the_gulf

[SuzySunshine]

What an idiot!

[Meenah]

Made me cry.

[DCJenn]

Honestly, the entire spill thing has me sooo depressed that I can't think rationally about it. I do get frustrated when people start commenting that "obama" has to make it stop. Really. I'm pretty sure that he's getting tired of his tween daughters lambasting him for not making it go away, too. But- I don't think this is going to end. I think it's going to blow on up to the East Coast beaches- up into the Chesapeake Bay and eco systems from LA through Maine are going to be devastated.

and until we get some viable alternatives, we still need to make out w/ the devil and keep on pumping oil from way off shore wells. It's going to be the end of a LOT of industries.

It's not pretty.

J.

PS- the judge should have recused himself from the outset.

[Meenah]

PS- the judge should have recused himself from the outset.

I can't believe he did't. DH and I actually argued about that fact!!!!

[Thirteen]

The whole thing is terrible, really. I agree with Jenn, although right now the majority of the West Coast isn't ready to admit that it WILL eventually come all the way over here.
It breaks my heart.

[GrayMatterWife]

So what? He owned stocks and sold them before presiding and ruling. Happens all the time. A federal judge realizes that he owns stocks that might create the appearance of an impropriety and he sells them before hearing the matter. The conflict is then eliminated and there is no need for recusal. There has been no motion to vacate due to a conflict and no motion for recusal.

This judge is very well-respected federal judge with a reputation for very solid opinions. It is ridiculous that the media is trying to make him look like a bad guy. His opinion was excellent. This was an preliminary injunction issue. He applied the appropriate test and found that the requisite level of proof had failed. Essentially the Government overreached. It doesn't mean that the Government can't create a moratorium. It means it can't do it for the reasons and to the degree that it did.

[SuzySunshine]

But it says he sold them during the hearing - shouldn't he have recused himself when he still owned them when it began?

Respected or not it looks fishy that he sold them during the hearings. Looking at it from the business side and not the legal side I see it as he thought his ruling would hurt the stocks so he sold them to keep from losing money.

[SoonerTexan]

I thought his ruling would help the stocks?

ETA: Meaning, I don't see a problem with him selling them to avoid a conflict of interest. Oil stocks would be a pretty normal part of a diversified portfolio these days.

[GrayMatterWife]

I posted something, but I've changed my mind. I think this is probably a "gut" type issue, and I suspect folks may not be particularly interested in a nebulous, tedious discussion of the federal recusal statute. And I really don't want people to be pissed at me, to be honest. It has been a long, bad day. And I have to go to a NSG party tonight...stag. I need positive mojo.

[Pollyanna]

I posted something, but I've changed my mind. I think this is probably a "gut" type issue, and I suspect folks may not be particularly interested in a nebulous, tedious discussion of the federal recusal statute. And I really don't want people to be pissed at me, to be honest. It has been a long, bad day. And I have to go to a NSG party tonight...stag. I need positive mojo.

Bummer, I would have been interested in the explanation.

Sorry you had a bad day and very sorry that you have to go to a NSG party stag. Can I just say that you are a super wife because I would never go to a dept. function without dh, not in a million years. I hope you can make a quick exit and have some down time tonight.