Friday, April 30, 2010

SWAT Teams


Now president Obama is sending SWAT teams to the Gulf to offshore oil rigs? How confusing. I heard it on the radio, so if there were "air quotes" involved I couldn't see them. Well, the WSJ uses quotes so maybe they know something:

The Interior Department said it has assembled a "swat team" of inspectors to review safety at offshore drilling rigs across the U.S. Mr. Salazar was scheduled to meet in Washington late Thursday with representatives of more than a dozen oil and natural gas companies to discuss how to reduce the odds of another catastrophic blowout, according to an email sent by Mr. Salazar's office to industry representatives.

The oil rig, which was owned and operated by Transocean Ltd., was last inspected "less than two weeks" before the incident, said Deputy Interior Secretary David Hayes.

Doesn't that seem logical -- they're using the term "swat team" because it sounds cool. Like the local drugstore "sending out our swat team to lower prices" I mean, it's the only thing that makes sense. The Interior Department shouldn't have it's own police force or militia, right?

Anyway, how unlike this president to use words so imprecisely. Real SWAT teams are special weapons and tactics guys, who confront armed threats. If you don't mean SWAT, don't use the word. Sheesh.

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