Last November, we reported on a commission appointed by the president to investigate the causes of last summer's BP oil disaster. At the time, the commission said there was really no one to blame for the accident. However, the commission's final findings contradict that early sentiment, saying the accident could have been avoided.

 

President Obama's commission to investigate the causes of the Gulf oil spill revealed their results yesterday, and it seems that they couldn't find anyone specifically to blame. Fred Bartlit, lead counsel on the investigation, said "We have not seen a single instance where a human being made a conscious decision to favor dollars over safety." While the commission says it agrees "90 percent" with BP's own report on the explosion and spill — does the public need someone to blame for all of this?

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mi.) joins us to remember Senator Ted Kennedy as a political colleague. We also have New York Times Reporter John Broder, who wrote a piece in for The New York Times on Senator Kennedy.

Among the more creative ways the White House plans to pay for its spending is a carbon emissions cap that the President says will produce $150 billion. The money would finance renewable energy projects and pay for middle-class tax credits. President Obama's budget blueprint is a nearly $4 trillion plan that includes major spending and major deficits as the government tries to combat the severe recession. Joining us this morning to discuss this plan to cap and spend is New York Times Reporter John Broder who has been covering this story.

For more, read Drilling Down on the Budget: Setting ‘Green’ Goals in today's New York Times.

President George W. Bush's lack of action on carbon dioxide regulation frustrated environmentalists and global regulators for years. All signs now point to President Obama moving quickly to try and offset those eight years. John Broder is a reporter for our partner, the New York Times and he landed one of the first interviews with Lisa Jackson, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and he joins us now to highlight some of the Obama administration's environmental initiatives.

For more, read John Broder's article, E.P.A. Expected to Regulate Carbon Dioxide in today's New York Times.