"Rig victims' families invited to White House"

Rig victims' families invited to White House

By DANE SCHILLER and RICHARD S. DUNHAM
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
June 4, 2010, 7:00PM

The families of 11 men killed in the Deepwater Horizon drilling-rig explosion have been invited to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama, who has been criticized in recent weeks for not meeting with victims of the Gulf tragedy.

Arleen Weise, of Victoria, said she was phoned by an Obama aide and accepted the invitation for next week on behalf of her deceased son, Adam.

“Next Thursday, the president will offer his condolences in person to those who lost loved ones in the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster,” a White House official said.

“The president sent a letter to each of the families extending the invitation and sharing his heartfelt sympathy on their tragic loss,” he continued.

Weise will be accompanied by her son's grandmother and his girlfriend. She said she plans to tell Obama that while she greatly supports efforts to save wildlife and stop the spill, no good is being done by halting deepwater drilling and taking jobs from men like her son. “It is kicking the legs out from under the energy industry,” she said.

“Look at all the oil-field workers he is putting out of work,” she continued. “Nobody mentions these guys.”

Her 24-year-old son from Yorktown was on duty in the pump room when the rig exploded in April.

Like the others who have been declared dead, his remains were never found.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/deepwaterhorizon/7037350.html