Malia: "Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?"

[kpete]

Obama on BP oil spill: "I'm fully engaged." Press conference transcript

TRANSCRIPT:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/05/obama_on_bp_oil_spill_im_fully.html

Snippet:.............................

OBAMA: I would say that, you know, we don't need to use language like that; what we need is actions that make sure that BP is being held accountable.

And that's what I intend to do, and I think that's what Ken Salazar intends to do.

But look, we've gone through a difficult year and a half. This is just one more bit of difficulty. And this is going to be hard, not just right now; it's going to be hard for months to come. The Gulf -- this spill -- the Gulf is going to be affected in -- in a bad way.

And so my job right now is just to make sure that everybody in the Gulf understands this is what I wake up to in the morning and this is what I go to bed at night thinking about -- the spill. The -- and it's not just me, by the way. You know, when I woke up this morning, and I'm shaving, and Malia knocks on my bathroom door and she peeks in her head and she says, "Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?" -- (soft laughter) -- because I think everybody understands that, you know, when we are fouling the Earth like this, it has concrete implications not just for this generation but for future generations.

I grew up in Hawaii, where the ocean is sacred. And when you see birds flying around with -- with oil all over their feathers and turtles dying and -- you know, that's -- that doesn't just speak to the immediate economic quences (sic) -- consequences of this; this speaks to, you know, how are we caring for this incredible bounty that we have?

And so, you know, sometimes when I hear folks down in Louisiana expressing frustrations, I may not always think that their comments are fair.

On the other hand, I probably think to myself, you know, these are folks who grew up, you know -- you know, fishing in these wetlands and, you know, seeing this as an integral part of who they are. And to see that messed up in this fashion would be infuriating.

So the thing that the American people need to understand is that not a day goes by where the federal government is not constantly thinking about, how do we make sure that we minimize the damage on this, we close this thing down, we review what happened, to make sure that it does not happen again?

[aquart]

1. Lovely speech.

38 days and the marshes already destroyed. No tankers in the gulf skimming the oil. No international assistance of any kind. But it's good they're concerned.

[theophilus]

2. Maybe things on this scale can't get done as fast as Hollywood shows it in fictional scenarios. n/t

[GodlessBiker]

3. I beg your pardon.

[Robb]

4. Glad I'm not the only one. nt

[apples and oranges]

6. Most likely repeating it the way the kids at school say it

You know how kids are these days. :)

[Bluebear]

5. Oh, that is sweet. I haven't heard a word about the girls for a long time!

[AllentownJake]

7. Must be frustrating

Being in power with everyone looking to you to do something when you can't do anything and what people are asking for is impossible with the tools you have.