'Furious' Obama Explains Oil Spill Frustration To Larry King (VIDEO): 'Venting' Won't Solve Anything, Says Obama

WASHINGTON (AP)-- President Barack Obama said Thursday he was "furious" about the situation in the Gulf of Mexico and that BP hasn't moved fast enough to respond to the massive oil spill there.

The president said in an interview for broadcast on CNN's "Larry King Live" that BP has felt his anger -- although he said "venting and yelling at people" won't solve the problem.

Using his strongest language to date on the spill, Obama said: "I am furious at this entire situation because this is an example where somebody didn't think through the consequences of their actions."

Obama had not previously voiced such sweeping criticisms of BP. But Thursday the president said he hadn't seen the kind of "rapid response" from BP that he'd like.
Obama is returning to the Gulf on Friday for his third trip since the spill that began when a

Obama is returning to the Gulf on Friday for his third trip since the spill that began when a BP-leased drilling rig exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and releasing millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf. He said BP caused the ongoing spill and had to pay, but the federal government has the responsibility for making sure recovery and mitigation efforts were proceeding and local fishermen and businesses were getting hired and paid properly.

"All those efforts are ones where we can do it better," the president said.

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Comments

[jemiltd]

05:32 PM on 06/07/2010

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conveniences, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King Jr.

We have only to look at the protracted temper tantrums of the GOP Congress to tell us what it nets in results. I applaud the President for his self control. #p2 #tcot

[rougebaisers]

02:07 PM on 06/06/2010

Yes it will. Stop coming across like a President Lackey of BP and CRUCIFY THEM.

[ConvictMedia]

08:13 PM on 06/05/2010

The United States has spent billions to figure out ways to protect this Country, its citizens. It so boldly has done this in the name of protecting us against the ??? so called enemies of the nation.

However, lets just take a look at how easily corporations have been able to threaten the lives of US citizens, especially given this latest Gulf Oil Spill crisis.

So, what was the protection mechanisms in place to prevent such an attack against the people of the united states from this economic (lost business), personal freedoms (can't swim, enjoy the beach, look into the sunset), health (toxic pollution)? Was it the US Minerals Management Service? What was their budget? Okay, 10-20 people making 100 grand a year or so, plus rent, equipment, toner, broadband connection, etc.

So, that was our only line of defense. Oh yea, we also were taking the word of the prospective entity that could cause such a crisis upon this nation - BP, the oil industry. We were to take their word ( a spread sheet or something) attached to their application to drill - explaining how they will operate so safetly, and be ready to contain any spill. That was also the line of defense.

Yet, no matter how much was spent on the military killing machine, the nation and its people have been crippled, in a way only terrorists could envy - and by a foreign corporation British Petroleum.

This redefines "To protect and defend."

[Benover de Viros]

02:54 PM on 06/05/2010

?

[gypsy508]

01:03 PM on 06/05/2010

I didn't vote for the guy nor do I have much confidence that he (or any other who would be in the white house) is going to come down hard on BP. But he didn't cause the mess and there really isn't a solution at the moment. I think evidence is pretty clear he reacted quickly by sending government help. His biggest mistake was not going on TV to prepare people how bad the disaster was going to be. And that's a fine line between leadership and political posturing anyway. Blaming politcians on either side is what is really sad in the face of the crisis. Like we should have given up oil during the Bush years? If someone has to be blamed, we should stick to BP and the grossly irresponsible enablers that profited off building oil rigs without a contingency plan for something like this.

[electra10]

12:44 PM on 06/05/2010

want to know what the president's saying & doing?

go to the source:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy-and-environment/deepwater-bp-oil-spill

[DueTruthinesss]

01:54 PM on 06/05/2010

I read it and while there are some good bits of info regarding what our government is doing in response to this disaster, too much is vague. In particular what they put regarding the role of the DOI and their role in overseeing BP. To what extent they are coordinating the clean-up remains unclear.

BP has a voice recording through which scientists not affiliated with them must submit clean-up ideas. Even Nobel winning experts in fields associated to this project are being forced to submit complicated ideas in 200 words or less over a voice mail system. This is ludicrous. Even as they work to cap this gusher, they are also making sure that the methods used erase their fingerprints from the crime scene.

I understand that the government lacks the equipment to make this fix. We need BP's resources and BP should be the ones providing those resources anyway seeing as they are the ones responsible for the mess. However, BP should not be the ones coordinating the fix. There are plenty of third party experts in the field that could be called in who have no vested interest. They could devise the plan and tell BP what to do with BP's facilities.

[electra10]

06:16 PM on 06/05/2010

there are no third party experts with no vested interests.

[tempting]

12:20 PM on 06/05/2010

All these CEOs should be tried and convicted and made to do hard time/life/death penalty for the killing and destruction of the people, animals, and the environment.

The supreme court ruled that corporations are people who can give countless amounts to politicians, thereby overriding any voice or values the communities that they are from may have.

Therefore these same CEO's should pay for their crimes as people who commit crimes do.

I heard a lawyer on MSM arguing that these people will not be held to the same standards as criminals because it has to be proven that they personally set out to hurt us.....give me a break.
If that's the case I will be proud to put my name on any document challenging the Supreme Court's dicision in the "Citizens United" case. If anyone has a link for that let me know please.

In the main time check out this site and their amazing links.
http://www.freespeech.org/blog/weekly-mulch-oil-spill-could-bring-mass-extinction-gulf-coast

[electra10]

12:28 PM on 06/05/2010

interesting pov...

real people can be charged with 2nd & 3rd degree murder & manslaughter even if they didn't 'MEAN' to do it. so why not with the corporate 'people' too?

[gypsy508]

12:51 PM on 06/05/2010

Because there is one rule for them and another for the people.

[tempting]

12:59 PM on 06/05/2010

What an outrage! I for one am going to find a way to help in protesting against these b@#tards and look for petitions to sign that call for justice.

[Aikaterina]

11:24 AM on 06/05/2010

Tony Hayward is the CEO, but BP's board of directors and stock-holders are the ones to whom he reports, is accountable. While the focus of blame is on him, the site managers were the ones who wanted to save-time, cut costs, and despite warnings (pressure build-up and a damaged gasket-ring on the blow out preventer) insisted drilling proceed, rather than stopping to assess what was wrong.

We could blame political-government leaders, departments, agencies that deregulated industries, and those that were apparently cozy with the oil industry, easily granting leases, drilling-rights, not means-testing reports of the oil companies, relying solely on their data and rosy projections: nothing wrong would happen, or their had plans ready to contain potential leaks.

We need to also look at ourselves as the problem. The US has 5% of the world's population, 3% of its proven oil reserves, yet copiously consumes 25% of oil supplies. We've been spoiled and feel entitled to have plentiful gas/oil at cheap prices. We're reluctant to conserve or buy more fuel-efficient autos-appliances, or make changes in our life-styles: use public transportation, car-pool, install solar panels on our homes, etc.

We knew more than 3 decades ago (after the OPEC embargo in the 70's) that oil was a finite, depleting, heavily polluting and toxic resource, yet did nothing to change our source or quantity of energy consumption. We're now paying the price for our indifference and complacency.

[tempting]

01:03 PM on 06/05/2010

And from what I heard yesterday, this rig's oil is not for our use. It is built to produce oil for the world market and the bidders who are contracted to get this oil are outside of the U.S.

So when all the baggers cry for the oil companies and the energy they get from all this drilling, I hope they know that the Horizon Rig is not pumping oil for them.

[nobleday]

11:07 AM on 06/05/2010

Obama is partly responsible for the mess in the Gulf at this point. He has to be the least involved and most divisive "leader" we have ever had. No wonder he loves his job...it's just one party and one international trip after another. Camp Obama is the priority. In Obama's world who really cares about the Gulf?

Someone needs to make a list of all of the other priorities this man has had since the day the well exploded...it's disgraceful. No matter what spin Obama tries to put on it...the truth is still there and it's not pretty. I have no respect left for this man.

The government's finger-pointing, hearings to find fault, government lawyers running down to threaten suing, and other divisive actions don't bring people together to get good things done. The Obama administration's actions have led people to hunker down and run from the disaster.

If we had a REAL leader, they would have IMMEDIATELY gotten every scientist, engineer, and inventor down to the Gulf to problem solve this disaster...people working together on any and every solution possible. They should have started implementing every and any good solution immediately to see which ones worked.

But no...Obama has lawyers running around and people throwing blame around. No wonder things aren't getting better. Seminar-leader in Chief...Obama can talk a good game, but gets nothing done in the Gulf.

[lentinelia]

12:18 PM on 06/05/2010

Now now, nobleday.

Lighten up a little.

Didn't you enjoy watching THE ONE singing "Michelle" to his wife at the Paul McCartney concert the other day?

And you can't argue with his oil spill outfit.
Open shirt. Slacks. Perfect. An air on relaxed concerned authority.

And who can forget his hilarious turn at the Press Corps banquet?
I can hardly suppress a smile when I recall that predator drone joke.

The best entertainer/toastmaster since Bush.

[electra10]

10:30 AM on 06/05/2010

SirSLOPPY - once again you LIE.

recent stats show further job growth in the private sector, the biggest spike seen in years & well before the horrid bush administration.

care to regale us with more fairy tales from the land of MORAN?

[nobleday]

10:56 AM on 06/05/2010

The only reason for job growth is the huge number of CENSUS takers, and other government workers. The census taker numbers are so large partly because of all of the corruption occurring where people are going on and off the payroll and training. Larger government...more government jobs. The rest of employment numbers still are horrible...and will most likely get worse with everything going on.

[electra10]

11:07 AM on 06/05/2010

what part of 'private sector' didn't you understand?

reading comprehension still kicking your butt i see?

poor sad, silly, i-talk-trash-all-friggin'-day, foiled again. :)

[gypsy508]

12:54 PM on 06/05/2010

Corruption in hiring and training Census workers? Their hours are in direct proportion to people who either answer their door or not or mailed in the forms originally.

[DueTruthinesss]

02:24 PM on 06/05/2010

While I agree that Obama's administration has been better for job growth then anything the GOP has attempted to give the people in the last last 9 years, I would have to still caution not breaking out the champagne just yet. According to Robert Reich in this article, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/why-were-falling-into-a-d_b_600571.html, we are still seeing some record length unemployment. Apparently averaging 34.4weeks. And the Labor Department reported that while the private sector did add 41,000 new jobs, the population expansion requires a job growth of 100,000 new jobs in the private sector in order to keep pace. So thats not really good news either.

Until we can get our government out of the pocket of big business, we're never going to get them regulated enough to stop the out-sourcing of jobs for cheap and quick profit. We need laws that will force these CEOs to think long term profit in the interest of everyone and not just their own bonuses. I'm afraid, as much as I keep hoping to see this type of tough stance from president Obama's administration--and our congress--I just haven't yet.

[SirSlappy]

09:37 AM on 06/05/2010

Check any job board and get a reality check about this anemic economy.
Job boards began a second collapse about 2 months ago. There is nothing out there
This WILL be a double-dip depression.

Gear up.
Obama isn't helping you.

[electra10]

10:30 AM on 06/05/2010

SirSLOPPY - once again you LIE.

recent stats show further job growth in the private sector, the biggest spike seen in years & well before the horrid bush administration.

care to regale us with more fairy tales from the land of MORAN?

[lentinelia]

11:01 AM on 06/05/2010

Call people with whom you disagree "liars".
That's the style of the disagreeable Obamabots.
Same as the Bushbots of old.

[SirSlappy]

11:13 AM on 06/05/2010

So go to a job board enter any single job title and regale me with the millions of options we have, that you insist are out there. I'll get you started.

http://houston.craigslist.org/jjj/

You have nothing but insults.

[electra10]

08:44 AM on 06/05/2010

BP received a 400 million insurance payout, gave shareholders 1 billion in dividends, but is trying to cap their personal accountability for the ecological disaster to be $27 million citing an old 1871 law.

the way they're trying to weasel out of their personal responsibility is disgusting, but PRESIDENT OBAMA is not having it. he already sent them the 1st of many bills:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/03/white-house-sends-bp-a-69-million-bill/?fbid=1fob4JNYMY9

furthermore, the BP CEO sold millions in shares, as did GOLDMAN SACHS a couple of weeks before the 'spill'. coincidence? no, more probably 'INSIDER TRADING'.

we don't have free market capitalism in america, we have rampant corporatism. risk is socialized while profits are privatized. BIG BUSINESS provides the $$ that funds campaigns & gets politicians their jobs, CORPS buy & sell misinformation outlets to convince huge numbers of undereducated and fearful citizens (faux-news drones & republican wing-nuts) that they're doing them a favor by gutting oversight.

BP's disregard of the damage they're doing via this ecological disaster & their lack of accountability is what happens when tea-baggers, libertarians & gop ‘fright' wing-nuts demand small government and minimum corporate regulation.

NEWSFLASH: all industries must be regulated & monitored by strong government policies & oversight which means tax revenue. If not, then nightmare disasters like this will become commonplace.

[electra10]

08:09 AM on 06/05/2010

CONFUDDLED PEOPLE -

in case you forgot, obama has a country to lead & run, fraught w/racial & political divide that hasn't been seen since the '60's era of civil rights. a country at WAR (occupying not one, but 2 different countries) & dealing with the biggest depression since the 30's (maybe reagan's) & millions of people screaming for help, healthcare, jobs - & smaller government w/less taxes... D'OH!

do you not see the great task & pressing problems the man inherited with from the awful administration before?

for some of you to say he turned a 'blind eye' when he was simply engrossed in other much more pressing matters is very disingenuous. furthermore, when the situation came to light, he held the woman in charge of the cabinet that oversees oil company drilling accountable. her head rolled 2 weeks now i think? i wish i saved the link to the article, i would have attached it here for you to read yourself - but believe me, it did happen.

our president is doing a damned good job - an AMAZING JOB, considering all that is on his plate. people eager to hate & cast stones need to take a step back from the criticism. i thank heaven he is our leader during our nations time of crisis - no other person could be doing a better job. HOLLA!

[DueTruthinesss]

02:48 PM on 06/05/2010

Did you just say, "... he was simply engrossed in other much more pressing matters..."?

Wow, as much as I dislike the far right nut-jobs, I have to admit that it's wing-nuts like you on the far left that make it hard for independents to find candidates less concerned with politics and more concerned with commonsense solutions. Do you not understand that by ignoring facts and blindly drinking the kool-aid of your party--be it on the left or the right--you exacerbate the problem we have with in our nation with politicians more concerned with the politics then the governance they were appointed to do.

Just for a moment, forget you are a Democrat. Forget you voted for Obama or that another election is upcoming. Go out and find five independent web sites on the economy, the environment, world politics, employment and healthcare. Then read them without any bias. Then go, not to the White House web site, but to the http://www.house.gov/ and see how the various candidates--both the ones you like and the ones you don't--voted on the issues.

Then I will take you seriously. And that goes for the rabid right wing nut-jobs too.

[electra10]

04:26 PM on 06/05/2010

it has barely been 1-1/2yrs & YES, when he took office there were much more pressing things for him to focus on than combing thru prior 'oil-drilling' legislation. his people in the appropriate cabinets should have been on the ball for the things given jurisdiction to them - & the woman incharge of 'OFF-SHORE' drilling was not, which is why he fired her.

i don't care if pseudo-intellectual posers take me seriously or not. your done to death 'KOOL-AID' cliche gives you away as someone desperately trying to sound smart, well informed & appear above the fray but failing miserably. if you're too CONFUDDLED to grasp the FACT that he had other more important things going on, you display your lack of ignorance, you don't detract from the person stating the obvious.

[waffe]

07:54 AM on 06/05/2010

O'blabla is in the pocket of BP as seemingly most of our government is.

Nothing substantial will be done against BP and they will continue to reap massive profits while destroying the ecology of the Gulf of Mexico.

O'blabla will make some stern faces and a few more "harsh" words and BP executives will sit back and laugh.

[electra10]

08:43 AM on 06/05/2010

are you a dishonest person who LIES?

or simply a MISINFORMED & STUPID one w/a big mouth?

BP received a 400 million insurance payout, gave shareholders 1 billion in dividends, but is trying to cap their personal accountability for the ecological disaster to be $27 million citing an old 1871 law.

the way they're trying to weasel out of their personal responsibility is disgusting, but PRESIDENT OBAMA is not having it. he already sent them the 1st of many bills:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/03/white-house-sends-bp-a-69-million-bill/?fbid=1fob4JNYMY9

furthermore, the BP CEO sold millions in shares, as did GOLDMAN SACHS a couple of weeks before the 'spill'. coincidence? no, more probably 'INSIDER TRADING'.

we don't have free market capitalism in america, we have rampant corporatism. risk is socialized while profits are privatized. BIG BUSINESS provides the $$ that funds campaigns & gets politicians their jobs, CORPS buy & sell misinformation outlets to convince huge numbers of undereducated and fearful citizens (faux-news drones & republican wing-nuts) that they're doing them a favor by gutting oversight.

BP's disregard of the damage they're doing via this ecological disaster & their lack of accountability is what happens when tea-baggers, libertarians & gop ‘fright' wing-nuts demand small government and minimum corporate regulation.

NEWSFLASH: all industries must be regulated & monitored by strong government policies & oversight which means tax revenue. If not, then nightmare disasters like this will become commonplace.

[waffe]

10:00 AM on 06/05/2010

I agree with you completely. I just don't believe Obama is the person to solve this problem.

[DueTruthinesss]

03:43 PM on 06/05/2010

I agree that corporations have made a mockery of the free market model our society is supposedly based upon. I agree in strong regulations--though I have yet to see the Obama administration/Democratic led Congress really attempt anything other then lukewarm reform. Note, I include Congress. What should he do? He--and Congress--should reenact Glass-Steagall. They should enforce regulations on the oil and coal industries. And before you say that he inherited a corrupt regulatory system from Bush-which he did--remember that Obama was of late pushing the idea of clean coal and off shore drilling. When a president pushes that kind of agenda, he takes ownership of the regulatory operations over those initiatives. First you make sure your house is clean before you take the show on the road. It's obvious, from this disaster, that this was not properly done by his administration-and thus by extension himself.

Also, you should be aware that after the Exxon Valdez disastor, Congress passed a law that capped corporate liability for such eco-disasters at a mere $75 million. So really, it doesn't matter what President Obama says for the sound bites, after $75 million is laid out by BP, they can pack up their stuff and go home scott-free. Thats the law. And it's a pretty dumb one.

[kite38]

06:06 AM on 06/05/2010

Obam didn't play kissy face with the oil companies.
Obama didn't loosen the regulations that made BP all powerful.
Obama didn't cut corners on safety and ultimately explode this rig.
Obama didn't spill oil all over the Louisiana's coastline.

The right wing's talent to obfuscate is working overtime. I'm not sure any president could have responded in a way that would have made the actual physical circumstance any less desperate than it is today. Why is Jindal not taking heat for his support of offshore drilling? Where are all those "Drill baby, drill!" proponents now? Obama only came around supporting offshore drilling within recent months as part of a comprehensive energy plan to sustain us while we make the switch to cleaner energy. Yet there are people who made BP's ascent to God-hood possible. There are politicians who've been legislating on their behalf as their palms were being greased. I'm for finding the one's truly responsible for this debacle and making them accountable. Try as he might to correct it, this mess isn't Obama's fault. As president he has to take it on but this crap was made possible before Obama ever stepped foot into office.

[lentinelia]

08:04 AM on 06/05/2010

But he kept in place all the Bush cronies in the MMS.

And - he named Salazar the fox to mind the henhouse.

Bush was the worst ever -- but why is Obama still holding on to his people - and his wars?

[SirSlappy]

09:35 AM on 06/05/2010

Obama too $213,000 from BP.
Obama announce more offshore drilling on March 30 2010, amonth before this occured.

[electra10]

11:10 AM on 06/05/2010

McCAIN/PALIN accepted 2.4 MILLION
http://www.bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2010/05/drink_this_milk.html

so 'who' do you think is in BIG OIL's pocket?