Could this be true? As it turns out, there is plenty of room for concern regarding this apparent marriage of public relations and a government agency, especially when the PR firm that employs Petty Officer Polish is the same PR firm that represents BP.
It is this sort of behavior that leads to suspicion and accusations that BP and the Coast Guard are being less than candid with the media and the American public. If the "vandalized boom" press release was an honest mistake, it stands to reason that there would be no need to scrub the previous release from the Internet, unless, perhaps, the photo was staged to begin with.
It is also curious that the new press releases came out on the Fourth of July (usually a dead media day) and after comments criticizing Petty Officer Polish ramped up on the Huffington Post.
Coincidence? It is certainly possible, but curious all the same.
Again, you be the judge. I don't know what was in their minds. I can only see the results.