4. “I don’t honestly think it opens up a whole new series of questions, because, you know, in all honesty I doubt this is the first accident that has happened and I doubt it will be the last.”
— Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary, April 23, 2010, inspiring all kinds of confidence in the safety of offshore drilling three days after the spill
5. “The reality is we will be depending on oil and gas as we transition to a new energy future. You are not going to turn off the lights of this country or the economy by shutting it all down.”
— Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, on May 18, 2010, in response to Senator Bernie Sanders’ question about reinstating the moratorium on offshore drilling
NOTE: Petroleum accounted for less than one percent of electricity generation in the U.S. last year. Oil does not keep the lights on.
6. “We need the increased production. The president still continues to believe the great majority of that can be done safely, securely and without any harm to the environment.”
— Gibbs, White House Press Secretary, April 23, 2010
7. “There were good reasons for us to put in offshore drilling, and this terrible accident is very rare in drilling. I mean, accidents happen. You learn from them and you try not to make sure they don’t happen again.”
— Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), May 4, 2010, on why the new American Power Act includes new offshore drilling