WE'RE SURE IT WAS ALL IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST – AT 4:01 P.M. ET:  It turns out that the proprietor of "change we can believe in" was getting his funds the old-fashioned way as he beat his path to righteousness.  From The Politico:

While the BP oil geyser pumps millions of gallons of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama and members of Congress may have to answer for the millions in campaign contributions they’ve taken from the oil and gas giant over the years.

BP and its employees have given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Donations come from a mix of employees and the company’s political action committees — $2.89 million flowed to campaigns from BP-related PACs and about $638,000 came from individuals.

On top of that, the oil giant has spent millions each year on lobbying — including $15.9 million last year alone — as it has tried to influence energy policy.

COMMENTS:  If it were Bush, this would be the headline story all over America today.  But it's Obama, so it will probably receive only a glancing mention in the MSM, if any mention at all.  After all, no one would suggest that Barack Obama, who has come to save us, would be influenced by oil money.

And Obama will go into self-righteous mode anyway, and rap BP, even mercilessly if he has to.  But his response to the spill was pathetically slow, something else covered up by the media.

May 5, 2010