Well I voted for Barack Obama.. and I am standing by him

[Peacetrain]

This right wing bull hockey that the BP disaster is his Katrina.. is Bull Hockey!

Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and all the rest of them have are in a CONSTANT never ending tizzy about something.

This is a huge disaster.. Could ruin habitats for generations.

Those who are looking for political gain in this disaster, can take a flying leap

[Captain Hilts]

1. The Govt. needs to stop trusting BP so much, or it will be his Katrina. nt

[Peacetrain]

4. I have been down this road so many times in the last 2 years.. every other week

It is the end of the Obama administration.. that it does not register anymore.

This is a disaster that could ruinous for our oceans.. its not some political "gotcha" moment..

[Captain Hilts]

10. He's got to be more pro-active. nt

[WeDidIt]

12. So do you want him to declare martial law?

You do know that's the only unilateral action that will allow him to take control of BP, don't you?

[Webster Green]

15. Works for me.

If that's truly the only way he could put sensible people in charge, rather than BP.

I suspect there are probably actions that could be taken that are less drastic than martial law. I think you're blowing hot air. Are you some sort of expert?

[WeDidIt]

17. The other actions are legislative or judicial

I see no legislative possibility and the judiciary is a slow, drawn out process. Step one is building a case and to date, there is no case.

[polichick]

18. Yes, it could be ruinous for our oceans - so why is the prez letting BP run the show...

Why is our EPA allowing BP to use chemicals banned in other countries?

Why is the president going around the country giving speeches instead of engaging until the problem is solved?

Why is information being kept from Americans?

Why is the Coast Guard keeping new organizations from filming the mess?

[Arkana]

63. White House Residence Toilet Backs Up, Republicans Declare "Obama's Katrina Has Come"

[bluestateguy]

2. Now is a time to be standing with the president

and saying thank God that he is the president.

If John McCain was in there, he'd be openly encouraging BP to spill more oil and calling for more tax cuts.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

57. Totally agree, the federal government do not have the resources to do this. Let alone the liability

the taxpayer would have if Pres. obama got involved, no cost is too high some will say, well my guess it probably is if it's not doable. This would be the case whoever there was in power. I mean hey,,, say he pleased everyone and does get involved,, and all his efforts to stop it don't work. That's probably ten times more damaging. So yes I agree Barack is doing the only thing possible and monitoring the progress of BP. It's a tricky situation but things are kind of stuck. One thing I know the drill here drill now crowd should be completely quiet on this one. Knowing Pres. Obama he's probably doing all he cab behind the scenes as he did in the pirate situation.

[kickysnana]

3. Then get ready to duck n/t

[Peacetrain]

5. Duck from what?

[Webster Green]

6. Why is the coast Guard covering for BP?

They wouldn't let a CBS news crew film oil on the shoreline.

A foreign predator corporation denying media access with the assistance of the Coast guard? This is unacceptable.

The president needs to get on this. He needs to kick some BP ass.

[Peacetrain]

7. Some one at the Coast Guard needs to be hauled up to congress and tell why

the Coast Guard did that

Here is the link to that story
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/19/tech/main6500110.shtml

[Webster Green]

8. I'm beyond pissed at that.

As far as "Obama's Katrina", and political points:

Lots of folks saw 60 minutes and know that BP caused this through negligence. Many people are aware that they are still covering up the magnitude of this thing.

I think the president needs to reign in BP. Somehow we need to get our own smartest people in charge, and not just down there begging for data from BP, but running the show!

BP can do the work, but they are not the only ones who understand this technology. They need supervision, because they have already proved they cannot be trusted.

It's my opinion that the president's response does not portray the required sense of urgency.

[Captain Hilts]

11. He's got to drop a hammer on BP. nt

[WeDidIt]

13. How?

Describe the legal process by which he could "drop a hammer on BP".

[suzie]

62. If he could "drop a hammer" on BP, who then would be drilling the relief well

that will eventually stop the oil gushing into the Gulf?

Would other companies take over?

And if that doesn't immediately work, would BP be off the hook for all damages?

Would the US Government pay for driling the relief well?

[suzie]

61. Perhaps because the TV crews get it wrong and sensationalize everything so they

can get their big story.

And before you call me a DLC corporatist, right wing blah blah blah, let me state that the National Media came to my little area of the Gulf and said there was oil on the beaches.

Which was totally untrue--there were lakes which are next to the Gulf that empty out into it after large rainstorms. Because they have different vegetative material than in the Gulf, the outflow from the lakes always looks brown where it meets the clear Gulf water. That's ALWAYS as in EVERY YEAR EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO OIL IN THE GULF.

But the National news crews wanted their 15 minutes, so they erroneously publicized this. Now, tourists are canceling their reservations because they think there is OIL ON THE BEACHES. They won't even believe the hotels and resorts when they tell them the truth.

These are the same national media that descend like turkey buzzards on the Gulf during a hurricane so they can stand on the sand and say "It's kicking up pretty bad behind me and it's gonna get worse pretty quickly." While those of us watching from somewhere on the Gulf know that the actual storms are several hundred miles from the and the Gulf waters where they're standing are quite calm.

The biggest tourist weekend of the year is coming up, followed by the biggest 2 weeks of the year. Most of the Gulf is open and has no oil--but the National Media is in the process of destroying the tourist business for 2010 in an area that is going to be direly in need of it.

How do you suggest that the President keep the National Media from doing this?

[amborin]

9. why is the NOAA suppressing data? why does the EPA allow toxic dispersants banned in England?

[WeDidIt]

14. Energy policies enacted under the Bush regime

That's why.

[amborin]

16. nope; these are current policies; the current EPA & NOAA allow toxins & suppress data

and, Salazar vowed to clean out MMS as new sherrif in town when he took over at Int Dept, yet did nothing

[ljm2002]

31. Let's imagine GWB is president...

...and he has been in office for nearly a year and a half. Then something bad happens, and he says "Well those policies were enacted by Bill Clinton! What could I do about it? It's not my fault, I didn't cause this disaster!"

Even if all that were true, would you be so quick to accept those excuses?

President Obama is in charge now. He doesn't get to say "It's not my fault", he owns the government's response. To date, apart from the initial surge of activity, the government's response looks more like being lapdogs to BP. This is not a good thing.

I understand this is a terribly difficult problem, and I do not expect that the government can wave a magic wand and make it all better. What they can do, however, is to ensure transparency of operations, and foster a sense of urgency, and throw resources at the cleanup problem, and override BP when they try to shut out scientists, and when they try to recover oil rather than cap the well, and other things like that.

[freddie mertz]

19. I think he should get more involved in fixing the spill.

The BP effort is just not working.

We need government involved.

[ShortnFiery]

21. Yes! Right now we need to get our best and brightest engineers on it - World Wide.

President Obama is dropping the ball on this WORLD WIDE TRAGEDY.

He needs to act now!

[freddie mertz]

35. Exactly. Not so much to ask after a month, is it?

[NJmaverick]

20. President Obama has done an outstanding job, not only do I stand behind him

I am damn proud and happy that I voted for him. We couldn't have picked a better man to be President.

[ShortnFiery]

22. My life challenges would be so much easier if I had that much TRUST in one politician.

I reserve that amount of unconditional trust for only my life partner and children.

Life must be much easier for those who can put their trust in one non-related politician? :shrug:

[NJmaverick]

23. You are mistaken if you think this is a trust issue. It's about results

and what he has accomplished. Your life would be much easier if you would lose the irrational anger and distrust you unfairly direct at our President.

[ShortnFiery]

24. We have a very different take on what qualifies as positive results:

-Refusal to investigate the corrupt former administration
-Denial in release of torture photos (reversal)
-Seemingly endless war-mongering with Iran (sanctions will only hurt the average citizen)
-An HRC bill that will essentially enrich Insurance Cartel and mandate premiums
-Continuation of the Patriot Act
-Summary Executions of "suspects" (one USA Citizen) via killer drones
-No opening for even decriminalization of Marijuana

and now ...

A mechanism in the pipeline to allow large banks such as Goldman Sachs to acquire smaller banks and credit unions = a true realization of the absolute merging of corporate and government power.

The above horrific results are NOT what I envisioned when I voted for Barack Obama. :(

[NJmaverick]

25. I see you have ignored the huge list of positive accomplishments

which is a symptom of the unbalanced position you hold. Because of your unbalanced view you fail to appreciate that the President was faced with an economic meltdown. At that point he could have paralyzed the nation by investigating the Bush administration or he could make the difficult (but correct choice) of opting to move forward and deal with the crisis our nation found itself in (thanks to the GOP).

[ShortnFiery]

28. We don't have our full Civil Liberties, then the economic situations means nothing ...

we can't ignore our basic rights nor the stranglehold that the MIC has over our government.

[NJmaverick]

33. Specifically what civil liberties are you missing?

[ChiciB1]

41. ShortnFiery... You Are Only Going to Frustrate Yourself By Arguing With

this one! I think you KNOW that. Almost every day someone does it and it CHANGES nothing!

Sorry, not my place I suppose, but just needed to say what I did! There's just such a "blindness of loyalty" issue here!
IMO!
:shrug:

[treestar]

54. Are you blind to the fact that the same could be said the other way round?

:rofl:

[Butch350]

60. That's one of the many problems with america now.

[MissDeeds]

32. Do you know any other songs? n/t

[NJmaverick]

34. Sorry I don't do fantasy songs, so I doubt you would like anything I would sing

[freddie mertz]

36. Do you think that the government should be stepping in at this point?

Just wondering...

[mkultra]

48. I agree with you completly

So far, everyone that has bashed him here has distorted facts or blown issues out of proportion. In totality, he is doing an excellent job.

[Tarheel_Dem]

26. Exactly. (nt)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

27. He hasn't done anything wrong

He couldn't stop the 250,000 people dying in Haiti either.

I think the people who criticize him here are using it politically against us.

I don't think any other president could have suddenly stopped the flow. DO you think Dennis or Bernie could stop it. How about Palin or McCain could they stop it right away? It is easy to point fingers.

With Katrina it was different - Bush did not act until the late stages. Obama was right on it.

[goclark]

29. +1000

[kjackson227]

30. +1001

[freddie mertz]

37. I would like to see the government directly intervene at this point.

It's not a matter of one politician, its' the survival of our oceans.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

42. do we actually have the resources and the expertise?

what should they be doing that they are not doing already?

[freddie mertz]

44. I don't know. But I do know that what is being done is not working.

Is the company that created the problem the best option we have for fixing it?

This is a genuine crisis, and all the resources we can muster should be brought to bear, it seems to me.

[mkultra]

49. I think this post best sums up the complaints thus far

The lack of knowledge in terms of potential paired with a general feeling that "there must be something better" is pretty much the core of the complaint squad. Its a tragic emergency. BP is working on it and Obama has assembled a group of experts.

[Raineyb]

52. BP is the one who caused the problem in the first place. Generally speaking one does not

look to the entity that caused the problem as the source of the solution to fix it. You seem to be content to do exactly that as does the President. THAT is a problem and I don't consider it an acceptable response to this clusterfuck.

[Name removed]

53. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Number23]

55. "Generally speaking one does not look to the entity that caused the problem

...as the source of the solution to fix it."

The very definition of "accountability," "responsibility" and a myriad of other words that mark what reasonable people and entities do is "if you fuck it up, you fix it." In the immortal words of Pottery Barn, "you broke it, you bought it."

My mother spent many years pounding -- sometimes literally! -- that value into my head (and behind). More times than I can count I did something wrong and would have LOVED to pass the buck and get somebody else to fix it or clean it up for me. But unfortunately, that is not nor has ever been the way that the world works. Don't you think that the situation with BP is no different?

[Dr Fate]

38. Apparently he hasnt gotten anything right yet either- the oil is still gushing.

If Dennis, Bernie or a "Crazy, FAR LEFT Liberal" had been in charge, the spill would have never happened in the 1st place.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

43. do you propose that he swims down there and plugs it up himself

:shrug:

[freddie mertz]

45. I'm confused. Why are you, "Rosa Luxemburg," defending the corporate solution here?.

I don't get it.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

56. no one is defending the fat BP

did you read?

[Dr Fate]

47. Er, no. That's your strawman, not mine. n/t

n/t

[mkultra]

50. doubt it very seriously.

[TheKentuckian]

39. BP cannot be permitted to continue to screw the pooch here

This needs to be an all hands on deck response and experts from across disciplines should be brought in and help from other countries in solving the gusher must be requested.

If BP continues to roadblock then extreme measures are called for and must be taken, if it takes martial law or forcibly removing the criminally inept then so it must be. This is no occasion for human concerns and pussyfooting around.

THE FLOW MUST CEASE!!!!

[polichick]

40. imo the president should be making a daily progress report to the country...

Instead of giving political speeches. This should be treated like the catastrophe it is - and BP should in no way be in charge.

Yes, martial law is appropriate here.

[avaistheone1]

46. Daily progress report is definitely called for.

Proud to second the motion.

:kick:

[mkultra]

51. daily progress reports are here

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doctype/2931/52419/

[and-justice-for-all]

58. BP is not Obama's Katrina.....nt

[Lerkfish]

59. I voted for Barack Obama, too.

but that doesn't mean I agree with everything he does or doesn't do.

I loudly decried his call for more offshore drilling, not even 2 months ago, because I decried it when Bush wanted to do it, too.

I am consistent on my issues, I am a democrat, but I am not blind.

[NHDEMFORLIFE]

64. No one thinks you have to agree with him on every issue

I don't agree with him on every issue. But I'm not going to disown him every time I disagree with him, as people on this board seem to relish doing.
Once again, we get a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress and we are willing to chuck it all because the president doesn't pass a liberal litmus test. On several issues, I am decidedly more liberal than the president, and many members of Congress. But I remember, as a college student, working on the Draft Kennedy movement in the summer of 1979, then on the Kennedy campaign against Jimmy Carter in the 1980 NH primary. And in the fall, I ended up writing in Ted Kennedy because I simply couldn't get past a very bitter primary campaign.
With 30 years hindsight, I wish I hadn't. Not that my single vote made a whit's difference, but I do believe the country would've been better served had Jimmy Carter been reelected in 1980.
If the choice is ceding control of the government back to the GOP or standing with President Obama - and, in the final analysis, that is the choice, this fall and in two years - I'll proudly stand with President Obama. Not because I have blinders on, or am willing to forgive grievous transgressions from liberal dogma, but because the country will be one hell of a lot better off.

[TheKentuckian]

65. Hmm..."willing to forgive grievous transgressions from liberal dogma" is pretty dismissive

of the situation, in my opinion.
This isn't about "dogma" for me but about finding and executing real answers to crippling problems.

It is about stewardship of our environment and for the life we share and depend on in this world.

It is about ensuring opportunity for all our citizens.

It is about our health.

It is about keeping the lights on.

Its about keeping roofs over people's heads.

Its about access to quality and affordable food.

Its about jobs that pay wages a person can support themselves and a family on.

Its about education that will carry the next generation as far as their God given gifts will carry them, each and every child.

Its about our rights and what kind of people we are.

It is about peace.

It is about equality.

It is about one person, one vote.

It is about knowing our history rather than actual dogma.

Its about how we live today and what kind of tomorrows we will have.

The way you just cast off why we are here, what we do, and who we are and will be is putrid.