The legendary message machine of Barack Obama, after 38 days of fumbling, finally shows at least one sign that it's going to get back on track after having blown it badly. Commander Thad Allen, a qualified and trusted leader, will finally take over the briefings, relieving Sect. Salazar of a duty to which he was unqualified. I was on the first conference call with Com. Allen, when he first said that there was no way to estimate the amount of oil gushing, opposed to BP's marketed lies about what was being released. As for Carol M. Browner, President Obama's climate change and energy policy adviser, she has been the least convincing of anyone.
As BP readied its latest fallback plan to stop oil gushing from one of its wells in the Gulf of Mexico, the Obama administration and the company warned that the crude could continue flowing until August, compounding threats to coastal wetlands, fisheries and beaches.White House energy and climate adviser Carol M. Browner said Sunday that the oil spill was "probably the biggest environmental disaster we've ever faced in this country" and that "we are prepared for the worst." On the CBS show "Face the Nation," she said that the "American people need to know that it is possible we will have oil leaking from this well until August when the relief wells will be finished."
So, we're now all caught in a horror film entitled Waiting for BP.
The whole problem with Pres. Obama's continued reliance on BP is that there was never any proof that they could get the job done, because contrary to the mantra coming from federal officials, BP simply could never be trusted. They have been in a place of epic corporate damage control that prevents them from being transparent about how this blowout happened in the first place. Everything from that point is mitigating the damage that can be seen.
Gov. Jindal's outrage and frustrations are understandable, even if it's contrary to conservatism to have a Republican screaming about federal help. Let that be a lesson to the small government rabble. Politics aside, Mr. Jindal should be given every resource he needs and then some. Arguing with him on technicalities of Corp of Engineers is petty and small. Give him everything, sand barriers, anything else.
What we're now seeing unfold brings to mind what was said on Dylan Ratigan's show last week by Matthew Simmons:
"... The thing you need to be terrified about is there might be no way to put this out other than waiting for the giant oil (inaudible) to deplete, which would be 9,000 days. So what they're already worried about is that it's going to take (the oil) out of the Gulf of Mexico."
I also find the juvenile back and forth between Robert Gibbs and James Carville not only beneath the debate that needs to take place, but nakedly political on the part of Gibbs. The only thing that will help Pres. Obama is if this leak is stopped. Saying that Carville, who is on the ground in Louisiana, doesn't have the facts to weigh in is insulting, elitist, and arrogant.
All anyone has been seeing for over 38 days is the futile fumbling of BP. There has been no federal action out of the White House to give people the sense that there is another side at least mobilized on another front. This is about perception as much as anything, which the Obama team should know full well. There has never been any federal efforts that Obama is overseeing, which would offer another point of information, study or fact gathering that can lead the public to believe Pres. Obama is not only in charge, but has people mobilized beyond BP. People need to see Obama's leadership in action. Watching BP fail over and over again is going to start sticking if he's not careful.
Oil experts I've emailed or with whom I've had dialogue offered some suggestions, which I believe would make a huge difference even at this point. I've compiled some, which includes my own interpretations of what was written or said, to prove that it's not that hard for the Administration to show visible signs of leadership that would have an impact immediately.
Aid to businesses: Obama needs to get the ball rolling on economic damages immediately. This takes BP, Transocean, Halliburton and Cameron International Corp (who supplied the rig) working together. Get the money flowing now. Immediately. This should be Obama's number one priority. Use last year's tax return as jumping off point.
Plugging the well: Obama needs to assemble a task force of oil and drilling company CEOs beyond BP. These individuals will come up with a plan of action beyond "top kill." This group will also decide what role BP will play. A spokesperson from the group will report.
Clean up the gulf: All the governors of the states impacted, plus scientists and environmentalists in another group. Same thing as above, get a plan of action together, one person report.
Wildlife and bird rescue: International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) needs all the help they can get. Pick a team, the best team should be assembled, plan of action, one person reporting to Obama, as above.
If Pres. Obama had done these things from the start he wouldn't be in this colossal political mess. His Administration also wouldn't look so out of control.
With every passing summer month, as we all wait for relief wells to be constructed, Pres. Obama's leadership will be drawn more into question with every dead bird, destroyed ecosystem, with the sobering bottom line that the President should never have trusted BP in the first place, which I wrote days ago, let alone made them the only company on point after the blowout occurred. It could end up being a fatal mistake.
Taylor Marsh is a political analyst out of Washington, D.C.
Follow Taylor Marsh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/taylormarsh
"Under threat of receivership and criminal investigation for its destruction of the Gulf of Mexico, foreign oil giant BP has hired a former top aide for Vice President Dick Cheney to be their new spokeswoman. Anne Womack-Kolton has been hired to be “head of U.S. media relations.” A rising star in the Bush-Cheney White House since the 2000 campaign, Womack-Kolton served as Cheney’s press secretary during the 2004 election before running public affairs in the Bush Department of Energy:"
This is probably a good hire for BP: It was press aides to Cheney that made us think that there was WMD in Iraq; outted CIA operative Valerie Plame, and also pushed the idea of giving taxpayer money from the war to private contractors for Iraq.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2008/03/06/top_iraq_contractor_skirts_us_taxes_offshore/
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/02/25/cheneys_unprecedented_power/
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/09/what-did-bush-tell-gonzales/7064/
http://www.theatlantic.com/murray-waas/
Yes, BP has been deceptive, but they do have big incentives to stop the leak. They are trying. They have more expertise than the government--which isn't saying much.
The fact of the matter is this is going to be difficult to stop and IMPOSSIBLE to clean up. Once the well head failed, there is NOTHING Obama could do to make it better. Unregulated "free enterprise" created this mess. The government is not equipped to fix the mess. What Obama should be doing is working to make sure this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. I blame him for not making that case, but not for "failure" to take action after BPs mistake.
The government, which is now represented by Pres. Obama, is not expected to have all the answers. But what they are expected to do is stand up in the face of criminal corporate malfeasance and government incompetence. So far, though I still believe he can change the current perception, Pres. Obama and his administration has failed in presenting a case that illustrates that he's situated on the side of The People. That's what Obama must do NOW.
Optics is all.
If you know all this why doesn't the WH...They have bright people even Gibby is no dummy...They've been on the wrong side of this disaster right from the start...It gets tiresome seeing BP hide behind the EPA or the Coast Guard or the WH who continue to show support for everything BP does...
The leak is for the Experts...So call in the international experts not just BP experts and then come up with solutions...
As far as the spill goes, it is the one thing they can do something about and should have been the #1 focus from the start but again here again you have government representatives overseeing something they have no concept about and therefore giving their Expert amateur approval to what BP suggest...Great, thats really gonna help...While those who are experts are home watching, waiting for the "All Hands on Deck" Call...
See Worst Case Scenario and other articles at http://www.aesopinstitute.org
A Russian Report, summarized in a couple of European articles on that site, states the entire Eastern half of North America will experience what can only be described as an apocolypse. We can only hope it proves to be dramatically wrong!
The White House needs to establish an emergency Command Post immediately and staff it with the best people who might be able to help.
Kevin Costner has supported development of a remarkable centrifuge that can remove 200,000 gallons of oil from the water every day. These should be manufactured on a 24/7 basis in the largest quantities possible and deployed as they are completed.
The response so far falls dangerously short of what must be done!
Wake up folks!!!
If we cannot fix this, then the question becomes whether we should proceed with underwater drilling at all. At the very least the operating offshore oil rigs have to be shut down until and unless they can be thoroughly inspected and cleared by independent inspectors (if such inspectors exist). We might not be able to fix this catastrophe, but we can certainly take immediate steps to make sure it isn't repeated.
"Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it." --Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 1786.
I have seen this morning on CNN a reversal of attitude. I have seen several stories where they want Pres Obama to lift the ban on deep water drilling. It is hilarious. The oil is flowing and politicians and residents want more of it.
Until the rightful people are forced to speak the truth the silliness will continue.
What we are looking at is failed republican policy. The people down south vote for these people election after election. I have no sympathy.
Tax cheats don't get money.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-claims-20100530%2C0%2C4758933.story
Govenors who point fingers and hold on to money and resources need to called out.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1275200404226630.xml&coll=1
Pres. Obama needs to have a point person to intervene with BP, Transocean, Halliburton and Cameron International Corp, because there are a lot of ways these corporations will say no if they don't have the feds watching.
As for Mr. Jindal, he deserves a lot of criticism. On the other hand, he's the governor on the ground and needs to get the help required. Politics serves no one on this one.
Here's a question for you Taylor: Where are the live news feeds showing what is being done from beyond the beach...
As far as Bobby, he should have cried "wolf" weeks ago but at least he was the first out of the BP box...and the 350 million beaches is a bit of a reach when the super tankers should have been sucking up the oil....