After watching and rewatching Obama’s speech, my feelings are mixed. While he spelled out what is being done quite well, took the proper tone about BP’s obligation to pay for all the damages, and pointed out the need for clean energy, he missed the opportunity to present a clean energy plan himself.
President Obama vowed last night to make BP pay for the damage its oil disaster has wrought on the Gulf Coast’s people and environment, using a national address to assure an angry public that the victims will be compensated and the ravaged area restored.
In his first address from the Oval Office — an event that marked the gravity of the situation and Obama’s desire to show leadership on it — the president said he would insist that compensation be awarded by an independent entity, not controlled by the multibillion dollar oil company whose rig explosion killed 11 people, injured 17 others, and caused widespread economic and environmental damage to the coastal region.
“I will meet with the chairman of BP and inform him that he is to set aside whatever resources are required to compensate the workers and business owners who have been harmed as a result of his company’s recklessness,’’ Obama said, jabbing his finger in the air. He is set to meet chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg and chief executive Tony Hayward for the first time at the White House today.
“Make no mistake: We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever’s necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy,’’ he added.
As part of that effort, the president named Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former governor of Mississippi, to lead efforts on developing a plan to “restore the unique beauty and bounty of this region.’’
The president also announced a new head of the agency charged with regulating the oil industry, naming a former Justice Department official, Michael Bromwich, to revamp the Minerals Management Agency. The government entity has been attacked for being too cozy with the industry it is supposed to oversee, effectively letting oil companies monitor themselves and develop their own emergency plans for handling spills.
And Obama acknowledged that his decision a few months ago to expand offshore drilling may not have fully addressed concerns on safety, as he said he had been assured.
“That was obviously not the case on the Deepwater Horizon rig, and I want to know why. The American people deserve to know why. The families I met with last week who lost their loved ones in the explosion — these families deserve to know why,’’ Obama said…
Inserted from <Boston Globe>
You be the judge. Here is the speech in its entirety.
Part 2
Where I have a problem is that stating his willingness to listen to all ideas from all parties sounds very much like his approach to health care. Bipartisanship will serve him no better now than it did then. The GOP is already sucking the oil tit too greedily to let it go. They will make a big show at bipartisanship, but every time an agreement looks close, they will move the goalposts. Instead of this approach, Obama should have presented a fully formed energy policy to serve as a starting point. Then those who would weaken it, whether Republican or DINO, cannot do so without going on the record and exposing themselves to the wrath of a public sick to death of watching the oil destroying the Gulf and it’s wildlife.
21 Responses to “Obama’s Oval Office Speech”
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I liked the speech and don’t understand the criticism especially from my friends at MSNBC. I don’t think last night was the night to go fully into detail about a blockbuster energy plan. BUT It would have been nice to hear how Congress is full of oil sucking whores and they are the reason we have no energy bill!
Sue, I did not mean he needed to explain all the details during the speech. I wanted him to say he had one.
I agree with Sue that this was not the night to go into a detailed energy plan. The focus should have been on the spill. The Q&A session with Robert Gibbs after the speech was quite good. I’m sure you can still see it @ whitehouse.gov
Leslie, see my reply to Sue, please.
I was very harsh on his speech. The things I was looking for were just not addressed. He’s coming off to me as the great appeaser. Last night was his moment to shine, tell us the truth whatever it may be. For him to say the coast will be better than ever was a down right lie. These effects will last for many years.
He hasn’t displayed the leadership I want. Ex. Tell BP not one worker on the cleanup is to be without training and full PPE for the job.. Right now exposure levels are out of sight.
This thing is epic. I wanted him to address some of our fears, like cracks in the ocean floor emitting Oil. I would have liked him to address all the people getting sick from exposure.
Open up many Medical centers. Document symptoms and treatment.
I’ll cut his short cause I’m all wound up about it. I don’t want to have to say in sticking up for President Obama, well he’s better than Bush. I still think he has it in him to be an FDR,Truman,or Kennedy. He’s running out of time and I’d prefer him not to be a one term Pres.
Time has changed your view, I see.
He should not seek bipartisanship on this matter because it will bury any chance for clean energy reform. Instead, he should work diligently to rectify the Gulf disaster and then make a stronger push for clean energy, pointing to the disaster as a reason why,,,
Allowing Republicans to enter into the debate will just allow them to promote oil some more. Democrats should push some clean energy bills and when Republicans push back, they should publicize how Republicans are in bed with big oil…
That was my main point, so I agree.
I didn’t hear much clarity or solution or solution seeking in the speech, TC. It’s a frustration that we all are suffering from this national impotency over the crisis and then the President comes before us with what sounds like generalities and then kinda ended up with strong reliance on prayer. That’s definitely NOT what I wanted to hear. I’d be much more assured by a reference to the science being explored in a hurry, not just a reference to a Nobel prize winning quantum scientist who has suggested what so far? I’m happy to know he is going to ‘be tough on BP’… but as it stands in too many instances, BP is running the show. They say what they want when they want and they are in control of much of the government mechanisms at work down there. I understand that they are considered the ‘experts’ and need to be initiating … but hey… did anyone catch that panel of CEO’s from big oil in front of congress.
I’m just so fupping mad I could be easily talked into tea buggery styled demonstration… our ecosystems are a risk here … and I do realize that the President is trying to do his best to contain and recover the situation. He’s just isn’t achieving it.
Like you said about HCR… in reflection, it’s half assed.
My sister and friends think I’m way to hard on the President, the gov response. Even many of my blog pals think I’m a bit overboard. I have to say, I expected much better and much more from such a brilliant guy. We need a leadership of brilliance, risk taking and defiance of the big money that is corrupting the health of the planet. Like every other arsehole, it’s just my opinion and I think your post was pretty dang fair and open minded TomCat. Ta for letting me say what I think.
🙂
Did the big win change your mind?
I agree that the energy policy shouldn’t have been included in the speech – he has more immediate issues to deal with on the cleanup and restoration of the Gulf. We shall see whom he picks for his panel to do this – if there are Repubs on there, nothing but jack shit is gonna get done. I want some real reform this time and if he has to personally go down to the Senate and twist arms to get it passed, then he should do it. I have a button that says “No more Mr. Nice Guy.” I think I’ll send it to Obama and he should wear it like he wears the flag pin. This bullshit has to end.
Lisa, see my reply to Sue, please.
I still think Obama has not shown the leadership that he promised during his election campaign. As one critic of his speech said, “It’s like a car accident — fix the damage first and then ask questions and attach blame afterwards…” As you know, Tom, that is exactly what I have been saying.
When the swine flu broke out last fall, Obama declared a State of Emergency. As it turned out, the swine flu was not a dangerous epidemic (thank goodness). But my question is, why didn’t Obama declare a State of Emergency as soon as the well blew? Much more could have been done to prevent the resulting devastation.
His speech last night was too little, too late. It sounded more like damage control for his own image and career, than a concise plan as to how the damaged Gulf is going to be fixed.
As Gwendolyn stated above: “I expected much better and much more from such a brilliant guy. We need a leadership of brilliance, risk taking and defiance of the big money that is corrupting the health of the planet.”
(Not that I ever thought he was brilliant .. in any case…)
Speeches and prayers are not going to do it at this point.
Josie, I have 20 billion reasons to disagree.
Reading this site and others today, it appears that no one has anything good to say about Obama’s speech and can only criticize it for what it did not include or what it should have included, etc., etc. A big part of the problem here is that no one, NO ONE knows what to do about this situation. We have never had a catastrophe of this magnitude at hand and there is no way in hell that we could be prepared for it. If the oil companies, and after all this is their business for which they are expected to be the experts, don’t know what to do about it, why should the government be expected to know what to do about it? True, this is extremely frustrating and anger inducing, but unfortunately there is no magic wand to wave to make it go away and everyone is going to have to stop pointing fingers and work together for to get this mess cleared up. In our insatiable greed for cheap oil and energy we have pulled the cork out of the bottle and there is no way to get the genie back into it.
Charles, the bulk of what I said about the speech was positive.
Charles. Bravo. Seems like BP made a lot of concessions today and agreed to compensate the Gulf workers and agreed not to pay compensations to sbhareholders. But I’m sure the president didn’t have an effin thing to do with any of it. Snarllll.
Actually there’s a lot more to this BP story. Go to Sue’s blog.
http://theleftinme.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-that-time.html
I covered it too, Leslie.
Classic Obama speech. He is certainly a modern Tacitus.
But it begs the question.
I agree with Charles,
no one, NO ONE knows what to do about this situation.
It reminds me of the Chernobyl disaster. I think some of my relatives still glow in the dark.
Too bad most of the Chernobyl emergency team is either dead or sick.
It might take just as much heroism and selflessness to pour sand into this blast.
Good points Ivan.