The Gulf spill and our contradictions

In an era when calling oneself a liberal or a conservative can suggest a desire for a position on the front lines of the culture wars, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne manages to label himself 'liberal' while maintaining a rare civility. Which puts him in a great place to call out the contradictions in the posturing of both sides as bared by the oil spill in the gulf.

Are you a "big government" liberal who all of a sudden sees the benefit of blaming the private sector when things go wrong? Or are you a "small government conservative" like New Orleans Gov. Bobby Jindal now insisting that the government step in when private enterprise boots it?

Whose spill is it? Dionne asks, and his analysis of our conflicting and confused answers is spot on.