It’s not surprising that the president’s response to the oil spill has been lacking. If you consider the way the Underwear bomber was handled, it’s not a shock that the federal response has again been a boondoggle. In a situation that demands immediate and decisive action from the president, what has Obama done thus far, besides continuing to bash Arizona and Wall Street, and telling us how much money we should make? Here’s a list:
- A week after the spill, he has sent his Interior Secretary, his Homeland Security Secretary, his Energy and Climate Change Policy Assistant, and the NOAA administrator to the Gulf Coast, and they’ll also be on talk shows.
- He has called for his Interior Secretary to issue a report within 30 days.
- He has sent in a team of Justice Department attorneys.
- He has called the governors of the Gulf Coast states.
- He has claimed to still support offshore drilling, while Axelrod suggests the administration might be more reluctant to drill now.
Other than some additional lip service, am I missing something? The Defense Department has sent C-130s for aerial spraying, but it doesn’t sound like they’ve been given a green light yet. There was some Department of the Interior SWAT team sent in, but it’s uncertain what they’re doing (did anyone know they had SWAT teams at the Interior?). It looks like the White House is mobilizing to go after BP more than it is responding to this disaster.
Then again, politics is what Obama does best. He knows how to use the media, stir up anxiety with populism, and bully. Those are abilities that help win elections, but they don’t necessarily translate well into governing.
UPDATE: Eleven days after the initial spill, the administration has appointed a Coast Guard official to coordinate response efforts. H/T John Hinderaker at Power Line.
UPDATE 2: John Hinderaker has a closer look at the response. Hugh Hewitt notes the administration continues to suggest BP will pay the damages.
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