President Barack Obama took to the Oval Office last night to assure the nation that BP will pay for spilling millions of gallons of oil in to the Gulf of Mexico.
Using strong language and sounding resolute but calm, Obama vowed to hold BP responsible for its actions.
"We will make BP pay," Obama said. "We will fight this spill with everything we've got for as long it takes," he added.
Obama announced a new head for the agency that oversees offshore drilling and is meeting with BP executives at the White House Wednesday morning. He also used the speech as a chance to push for a change in the nation's energy policies:
"The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean-energy future is now," Obama said. "I say we can't afford not to change how we produce and use energy, because the long-term costs to our economy, our national security and our environment are far greater."
It's no surprise that President Obama would take to the airwaves to address the catastrophe in the Gulf. The president has often used his oratory skills to communicate to the nation during difficult times, such as the health care reform debate and during the government bailout of the financial and auto industries.
I was disappointed, though, that Obama's speech did not detail how the spill will be stopped.
Oil has been spilling for 58 days. BP was not honest about the damage. Estimates show that more than 2.5 million gallons of oil per day may be spilling in to the Gulf. More than 116 million gallons may have spilled into the water thus far.
At this point, a panel of experts should be assembled at BP's expense to find a way to completely eliminate the leak. In addition, BP needs to make it easier for those affected by the spill to file claims and receive compensation.
Obama also did not spell out what would happen if BP resists. With the amount of money the company is going to have to pay, it might make more sense for BP to try to battle it out in court. There should be serious consequences if BP resists efforts to pay for the environmental and economic restoration of the Gulf.
We all know that the stage for this spill was set long before Obama came into office. Our unquenchable thirst for oil and lax management of the companies drilling for profit were issues before Obama was elected, but it is his problem now to deal with, and I hope he doesn't waste the opportunity to make change.
"The one approach I will not accept is inaction," Obama said. "The one answer I will not settle for is the idea that this challenge is somehow too big and too difficult to meet."
09-June-10 - Todd Bridges, who co-starred with Gary Coleman on the popular sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes,"is livid about both Globe Magazine's and Shannon Price's involvement in Coleman's death photos.
09-June-10 - Todd Bridges, who co-starred with Gary Coleman on the popular sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes,"is livid about both Globe Magazine's and Shannon Price's involvement in Coleman's death photos.
08-June-10 - Desiree Rogers, the former White House social secretary who "left" to seek greener pastures after a major security faux paux occurred under her watch, was recently hired by Johnson Publishing Co., the owners of Jet and Ebony magazines, as a consultant.
07-June-10 - A Seattle writer is angry beyond words, because late last month his 8-year-old child was removed from her honors elementary school class. No, the child did not misbehave. Instead, the little girl was guilty of using a hair moisturizer that allegedly annoyed her Caucasian teacher.
04-June-10 - Alejandra, Jermaine Jackson's ex-wife, is taking her ex-mother-in-law, Katherine, to court to demand financial security for herself and her children.
01-June-2010 - In an effort to tackle the latest crisis, the horrendous BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast, Bill Maher thinks Obama needs to act more like a "real black president" and go in to the BP meetings flashing his gat.
25-May-2010 - Ex-police Lt. Jon Burge may have overseen the torture of and obtained coerced confessions from more than 100 African-American men over the course of a 22-year career.
Down with the Blatantly Incompetent Incumbentss, and a ‘Big Up’ for the Unknown Underdogs, in an Alvin Greene.
With good reason many voters are fed up with incumbent elected officials who are a disgrace to the essence of what it means to be an elected official.
….and a Harvard Law degree, an affinity for public speaking, illegal/undocumented immigration promotion, community organizing, nor years of experience as a university professor are required, nor does this mean that such an individual is truly competent to be President of the United States, a Congressperson, or Senator.
Down with the Blatantly Incompetent Incumbentss, and a ‘Big Up’ for the Unknown Underdogs, in an Alvin Greene.
With good reason many voters are fed up with incumbent elected officials who are a disgrace to the essence of what it means to be an elected official.
....and a Harvard Law degree, an affinity for public speaking, illegal/undocumented immigration promotion, community organizing, nor years of experience as a university professor are required, nor does this mean that such an individual is truly competent to be President of the United States, a Congressperson, or Senator.
Obama should learn how to stay his ground sometimes. I will not continue to patrol the beach because the Republicans wants me to. I do not have to patrol the gulf to know the impact of the spills on our ecosystem. You can go there a thousand times, and without a solution to the spill, your visits is meaningless. And you can go there one time, stop the spills, and you are a hero. Yielding to political heat from adversaries is weakness. When President W. Bush was lambasted for not meeting with the NAACP, he stood his ground and still refused to meet with the organization. He still won the second time.
If you’re interested in President Obama's actions to the BP oil spill , you would probably like the PBS show Basic Black. You can watch tonight online at 7:30pm Eastern time at www.wgbh.org, where you can also join a live chat. Tonight’s topic: As we head into the July 4th holiday, what does patriotism look like when the president is black? We’ll look at several examples such as: General Stanley McChrystal’s remarks to Rolling Stone, the critical response to the administration’s handling of the BP spill, and African Americans gaining traction in the tea party movement. We hope you can join us!
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Comments: (5)
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By: Michael Lofton on 6/16/2010 7:48PM
......as usual President Obama sends the wrong message, and believe it or not, have had enough of Obama's empty speeches.
http://www.africanamericanconservatives.com/forum/topics/a-huge-up-for-the-unknown
http://deadwiler.blogtownhall.com/2010/06/16/down_with_the_incompetent_incumbents_and_a_‘big_up’_for_the_unknown_underdogs,_such_as_alvin_greene!.thtml
Down with the Blatantly Incompetent Incumbentss, and a ‘Big Up’ for the Unknown Underdogs, in an Alvin Greene.
With good reason many voters are fed up with incumbent elected officials who are a disgrace to the essence of what it means to be an elected official.
….and a Harvard Law degree, an affinity for public speaking, illegal/undocumented immigration promotion, community organizing, nor years of experience as a university professor are required, nor does this mean that such an individual is truly competent to be President of the United States, a Congressperson, or Senator.
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By: Michael Lofton on 6/18/2010 5:39PM
and believe it or not, the people have had enough of President Obama's worthless and empty speeches.
http://www.africanamericanconservatives.com/forum/topics/a-huge-up-for-the-unknown
http://deadwiler.blogtownhall.com/2010/06/16/down_with_the_incompetent_incumbents_and_a_‘big_up’_for_the_unknown_underdogs,_such_as_alvin_greene!.thtml
Down with the Blatantly Incompetent Incumbentss, and a ‘Big Up’ for the Unknown Underdogs, in an Alvin Greene.
With good reason many voters are fed up with incumbent elected officials who are a disgrace to the essence of what it means to be an elected official.
....and a Harvard Law degree, an affinity for public speaking, illegal/undocumented immigration promotion, community organizing, nor years of experience as a university professor are required, nor does this mean that such an individual is truly competent to be President of the United States, a Congressperson, or Senator.
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By: BG on 6/17/2010 6:28PM
Obama should learn how to stay his ground sometimes. I will not continue to patrol the beach because the Republicans wants me to. I do not have to patrol the gulf to know the impact of the spills on our ecosystem. You can go there a thousand times, and without a solution to the spill, your visits is meaningless. And you can go there one time, stop the spills, and you are a hero.
Yielding to political heat from adversaries is weakness.
When President W. Bush was lambasted for not meeting with the NAACP, he stood his ground and still refused to meet with the organization. He still won the second time.
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By: laotaitai520 on 6/24/2010 10:00AM
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By: Basic Black on 7/01/2010 3:36PM
If you’re interested in President Obama's actions to the BP oil spill , you would probably like the PBS show Basic Black. You can watch tonight online at 7:30pm Eastern time at www.wgbh.org, where you can also join a live chat. Tonight’s topic: As we head into the July 4th holiday, what does patriotism look like when the president is black? We’ll look at several examples such as: General Stanley McChrystal’s remarks to Rolling Stone, the critical response to the administration’s handling of the BP spill, and African Americans gaining traction in the tea party movement. We hope you can join us!
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