Obama Oil Spill Press Conference: Government Was Complacent Ahead Of Spill

AP:

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama says there was too much complacency in the government before the Gulf Coast oil spill and not enough focus on what could happen in a worst-case scenario.

He says failing to anticipate worst-case scenarios has turned out to be a problem.

Obama said at a White House news conference Thursday that even before the spill, his administration hadn't moved fast enough to make big changes at the agency that oversees oil drilling.

The president has said there was a too cozy relationship between regulators at the Minerals Management Service and industry.

Obama's administration has decided to split the agency into three pieces, and the agency chief announced her resignation Thursday.

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[dragonmaster]

05:38 AM on 05/31/2010

The Government has been complacent not only this spill, but the little regulation it has had over entire corporate issues ranging from oil companies, to the banking industry, and health insurance companies.

Obama has tried to turn this thinking of a total non regulatory environment around. It will take years.

[lboucher]

03:55 PM on 05/30/2010

Given the complexity a relief well that actually intersects the Deepwater Horizon bore might possibly not be accomplished until November, January 2011?

[hard center]

06:49 PM on 05/28/2010

I hope these people here have learnt a valuable lesson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o0iJDA7_lY&feature=related

[Christian]

05:22 PM on 05/28/2010

This is what you get when you are out fund raising and doing political dance most of the time.

[kenudy]

09:49 AM on 05/28/2010

BP corporate greed at it's finest.

[robjh1]

09:12 AM on 05/28/2010

Complacent? Or careful. Folks look at reality.

[BillyPilgram57]

07:28 AM on 05/28/2010

I see in the picture Cowboy Ken Salazar
is in position for more back stabbing.

[pinkylee23]

06:46 AM on 05/28/2010

Dirge for the age:
DUMP OIL on 'adolf' svanberg, suttles and hayward!
Dump oil on all BP workers!
Jail all BP workers for life
Strip all BP workers of their assets and use them for the clean up
Dismantle BP as a warning to other 'oilistas'
Jail all regulators for life
Fire salazar
Fire chu
Remove obama from the B(ack) P(ocket)
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!

DUMP OIL on 'adolf' svanberg, suttles and hayward!
Dump oil on all BP workers!
Jail all BP workers for life
Strip all BP workers of their assets and use them for the clean up
Dismantle BP as a warning to other 'oilistas'
Jail all regulators for life
Fire salazar
Fire chu
Remove obama from the B(ack) P(ocket)
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!

[rougebaisers]

05:24 AM on 05/28/2010

A message to the president on this day of his second visit to this Disaster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auIhx850Lxc

[kenudy]

09:47 AM on 05/28/2010

Firstly, a message to BP, their shareholders and their greed at all cost mentality.

[ibsteve2u]

12:59 AM on 05/28/2010

"President Barack Obama says there was [...] not enough focus on what could happen in a worst-case scenario."

Snicker (and not the candy bar)....

Corporate America doesn't DO "worst-case scenarios", because planning for them and for their containment costs MONEY...money that could be going to the CEO, or to that "private investor group" that threatens to break up the corporation unless they get fat returns, or into the bottom line so Wall Street is impressed and the e-suites pay-in-stocks go up fast TODAY and to HE...that hot place with tomorrow.

If Corporate America planned for "worst-case scenarios", Deepwater Horizon would never have HAPPENED...and the Exxon Valdez wouldn't have happened, either...nor would any of Massey Energy's killer coal catastrophes...

And neither would 9/11, 'cuz the cockpit doors would have been secure and passengers would ALREADY have been going thorough security checks as they had been in Israel for...decades.

But noooooo...can't plan for "worst-case scenarios", 'cuz that would "negatively impact" "the free flow of trade", or "shareholder value", or "return on equity", or...of course...the CEO's paycheck.

lollll...but really - is there anybody left in America who thinks their livelihoods - their very lives - are worth anything if it gets in the way of profit?

The betrayal of the American people began in earnest with "flood-up/trickle-down" economics...when the Republicans made the penalty for excessive greed more money.

[Michael Valentine]

02:51 AM on 05/28/2010

Could be the difference between a business and government huh?

Contrary to what Reagan, the old fool, said. The scariest sentence in the english language is, "I am a CEO of a for profit corporation and I'm here to help the bottom line."

A government with the interest of the people and the economic interest of the area would have demanded that worst case scenarios were in place before drilling started.

Greed is the choosing of money over God.

[lizr]

12:29 AM on 05/28/2010

I'm thinking they've been pretty complacent SINCE The spill too.

Those poor people in Louisiana!

[Bradley K Evans]

10:53 PM on 05/27/2010

I love the irony of this oil spill. this is the 8 years of bush taking apart every piece of regulation and oversight and then there's an accident, and this is completely ignored. The 2008 investigation of MMS is clear about the cozy relationship, uh, no duh... bush was an oil man, cheney was an oil man... they lined the ducks up to get more $$ and why does this come as a surprise. The sad part is that the bottom line is that this is all about GREED and nothing about the suffering a spill of this magnitude will cause. When are we going to change our ways and stop being the stupid pawns of the rich?

[FairProgressive]

08:23 AM on 05/28/2010

whoohoo........now that is quite a reach and a lovely spin. guess what boy blunder, the whole world is about to change. I suggest you move to a more sympathetic country. won't save you in the end, but you will feel better

[Supercommercialismisbad]

10:51 AM on 05/28/2010

Fanned for that comment!
Completely agree with you.
Everyone keeps blaming the Obama administration, I the lack of regulation was really co-president Cheney's doing.

[superdrummer]

10:28 PM on 05/27/2010

Does anyone here know just how difficult it is to replace a government employee? But much worse, the Repugs would not allow Obama to do just that! Now the Repugs want government government intervention! Idiots, you can't have it both ways!!!

[gakabani]

09:45 PM on 05/27/2010

Salazar needs to go! Obama knows that the government is not working and is corrupt. What is he doing? He is protecting his inner circle.

[cynical one]

10:11 PM on 05/27/2010

And you know that Obama's protecting Salazar because of you can read Obama's mind when you wear your tinfoil hat...

[gakabani]

10:20 PM on 05/27/2010

It is my opinion, it reflects the fact that from day one Obama knew the situation at the MMS.

[gracie99]

08:44 PM on 05/27/2010

Didn't he say anything that would at least strongly imply that the GOP and the previous administration are most at fault for the lax regulation and oversight?

I wish Obama could become more realistic about how to talk to the American people. Apparently he thought after the election he could go back to being a nice, self-effacing, modest guy -- heedless of what happened to nice, self-effacing, modest, one-termer Jimmy Carter!

[lizr]

12:30 AM on 05/28/2010

he also should have talked to us a week ago.

He is just too laid back for me.