Obama says he is 'furious' at oil spill, but anger won't plug well

[babylonsister]

For all the clowns who bemoaned Obama's lack of emotion, stick it!

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/101353-obama-says-he-is-furious-at-oil-spill-but-anger-wont-plug-well


Obama says he is 'furious' at oil spill, but anger won't plug well
By Jordan Fabian - 06/03/10 06:51 PM ET


President Barack Obama on Thursday said he is "furious at {the} entire situation" surrounding the BP oil spill but that his anger will not stop the leak.

In an interview with CNN's Larry King on Thursday night, Obama expressed disappointment with the lack of preparedness to deal with a spill of this magnitude.

Asked if he is angry at BP, Obama said "You know, I am furious at this entire situation because this is an example where somebody didn't think through the consequences of their actions. It's imperiling not just a handful of people. This is imperiling an entire way of life and an entire region for potentially years."

snip//

Obama said that he would "love" to spend a lot of his time "venting and yelling at people" but said that it is more important to find a solution to plug the leak from the underwater oil well quickly.

"My job is to solve this problem and ultimately this isn't about me and how angry I am," he said. "Ultimately this is about the people down in the Gulf who are being impacted and what am I doing to make sure that they're able to salvage their way of life. And that's going to be the main focus that I've got in the weeks and months ahead."

[pnorman]

1. Rec, #3!

n/t

[johnaries]

2. Kick for a sensible President.

"My job is to solve this problem and ultimately this isn't about me and how angry I am," he said. "Ultimately this is about the people down in the Gulf who are being impacted and what am I doing to make sure that they're able to salvage their way of life. And that's going to be the main focus that I've got in the weeks and months ahead."

[Cha]

3. I think that's exactly the line the corporatemediawhores

would use if he were the kind to get all angry and pound podium..the "media" would be beating the drum that all that "Anger" isn't getting anything done.

[rudy23]

4. Again--we don't really need anger as much as action. Take clear action to show which side you're on

Unfortunately, the President is severely compromised on this issue.

[phleshdef]

8. This isn't about "sides". Jesus Christ, could it get any more childish!

[rudy23]

10. When one entity kills 11 humans and destroys others' lives, and court decisions are pending, YES

It's all about sides. Courts generally don't rule for everyone.

[babylonsister]

12. Then it might behoove you to go after the responsible 'entity'. nt

[rudy23]

24. And its enablers, yes. nt

[Arkana]

20. If his actions so far concerning the oil spill have not convinced you he's on our side,

then you have either been living under a rock or not paying attention. Either way, I don't know what to tell you.

[Kalun D]

25. Sure It's About Sides

I'm afraid that Obama is on the side of the corporations

Obama's appointee Ken Salazar is a corporate stooge beholden to the oil companies.

BP has a long history of criminality.

The dispersants that are being used are making the problem worse, all they do is temporarily hide the oil and make it harder to clean up. They are toxins on top of toxins.

[Inuca]

34. BS n/t

[saracat]

5. What about a little anger at the dept of Interior that "allowed" those permits?

What about a little anger at Salazar who admits he knew about the corruption of M+M and was "going" to do something about it a year ago? What about anger at the Dept of Interior today "denying" they extended the moriatorium on shallow drilling? Anger might not plug the leak but a little anger could result in firings that lead to "reform" and just maybe a solution.

[JanusAscending]

22. It seems to be helping you ....

but not the President. Thank God that he is not a "reactionary" like our former pResident. Cooler minds will prevail. I'm angry too, about a lot of things, but actions, not reactions, seem to get things done a lot better. I have NO DOUBT at all that he KNOWS what he's doing!

[saracat]

26. Wow. I don't have that kind of faith in anyone. It must be comforting.

I gave up believing in superheroes when I was a tiny child. And as for believing in politicians, I was only thirteen when I realized I was smarter than most politicians. Funny thing is, I really wanted to believe in the Pols, and I really hoped they would be smarter than a 13 year old, but they never were.

[JanusAscending]

43. Thank you, it is.

I guess with age comes maturity, patience, and good judgement. It's been the case for me anyhow.

[saracat]

45. I agree to a point but for me age has brought the knowledge that none in political life are

trustworthy! Barney Frank once told me the only honest politician he ever knew was himself before he had been elected. I think that encapsulates it very well.

[vaberella]

27. He doesn't deny anger at the entire situation.

But he just said that anger won't plug the leak so we have to find a solution rather than waste it on emotions that don't do anything. I figure that's a realistic response. Anger will be here after the situation, but anger doesn't plug a leaking hole of disaster.

[saracat]

29. He says he is angry at BP but I have never heard him express anger at either Salazar or Interior.

The only use for anger is as a motivator to direct action and anger is usually the best motivation there is.Salazar needs to go and Interior needs to be cleaned up.

[vaberella]

33. He says in bold...He's angry at the ENTIRE SITUATION.

He was asked however about BP---but his response doesn't seem only towards BP. So I didn't read his statement as him being explicitly angry at BP.

You want names called out and finger pointing. He has rarely, if ever done that, in his time as President. Even with the Republicans, who he knows, by name have double crossed him or caused problems for him, he doesn't call them out by name---just says Republicans in general.

I think you want Obama to react the way you want him to react---because that's the way you would react. He's not made that way. His response is enough to say to me that he realizes there are failures everywhere. In another article on the site earlier in the week he even aimed blame at himself. So to say that he's expressed anger only at BP is silly. I think he's said what where his problem lies---the situation---which has many people and departments/entities at fault. However, again, that's not going to plug the hole.

[saracat]

37. I want accountability, firings and competent replacements . Competency

often leads to solutions.

[NewsTilt]

6. “No-drama Obama” does not put his emotions on display. If he tried it, he would look phony.

Great article on this topic by Jon Margolis

...one commentator after another urges Obama to show more emotion.

It might help him politically but for the rule that politicians should never try to be who they are not. For better and for worse, this president of Kenyan-Kansan origins and Hawaii-Chicago-Harvard rearing has acquired British reserve. “No-drama Obama” does not put his emotions on display. If he tried it, he would look phony.

But just because the President can’t cork the geyser does not mean he couldn't have prevented it—or at least made it less likely—before it ever happened. It is now widely known that, like other companies drilling in the Gulf, BP was, to put it mildly, not held to the strictest environmental or safety standards by the theoretical standard-holder, the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service.

That’s the US Gummint: Barack Obama, proprietor. He shoulda done something about this, right?

Yeah, but it’s complicated. The MMS was almost designed to be dysfunctional. It is supposed to regulate the industry it is also assigned to promote. A bad combo. Promote invariably trumps regulate.

http://newstilt.com/newsguy/news/oil-up-obama-down

[babylonsister]

9. Hi, NewsTilt, and welcome to DU! nt

[NewsTilt]

49. Hi babylonsister!

Thanks for the note. The DU community seems super interested and engaged. I look forward to posting more articles from our talented team of independent journalists.

Check us out at NewsTilt.com, Facebook and Twitter

Thanks!
Amanda (NewsTilt Community Manager)

[bigwillq]

15. Hello

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[NewsTilt]

51. Thanks for the Welcome!

Hi bigwillq,

I'm Amanda, community manager at NewsTilt. Looking forward to posting more articles from the talented journalists at http://newstilt.com.

For our daily headlines, check us out on http://twitter.com/NewsTilt

Thanks!

[1Hippiechick]

39. Sorry, but I disagree. To show no PASSION makes him look phony, imo.

And I am a grassroots supporter who worked very hard to get him elected. But to stick him on a beach w/marble-size 'tarballs' when on other beaches a newscaster scooped up a handful of sand to expose crude seeping up through the sand made Obama's whole scenario look phony, imo, and made me wonder if HE was trying to downplay this travesty. I usually appreciate his calm and reserve, but he showed more passion in his campaign than he has with the gushing oil volcano debacle. To now be noted in the press that he is 'outraged' reeks of disconnect and "just another politician." I feel I am entitled to know how my President really feels about a topic. Not interested in just a talking head who appears out of touch, imo.

[Celebration]

7. there is more to do than plugging the well

There's so much oil out there and all they are doing is throwing toxic chemicals at it. There are tons of innovative technologies to address the oil in the water and the EPA and BP are just sitting on their hands.

So, yeah, I am angry too. Because nothing IS being done about that, and it could be.

[babylonsister]

11. Name one innovative technology that would clear up this mess, thanks.

And were you one of the 35,000 who submitted an idea to bp? Just like the lottery, you can't win if you don't play.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-02/bp-suggestion-box-frustrating-companies-not-cameron-costner.html

June 2 (Bloomberg) -- BP Plc has received almost 35,000 ideas in just over a month on how best to clean up millions of gallons of oil from the biggest spill in U.S. history. So far, only four have made it into testing.

[freddie mertz]

16. We should have invested in developing methods to plug these things BEFORE drilling them.

Which is kind of obvious now...

[vaberella]

28. From my understanding there isn't one.

There's something that cleans the oil from the ocean---like microbes. But that's not the real problem---our problem is dealing with the leaking hole.

[iamthebandfanman]

31. wonder if only 4

because of costs.

[babylonsister]

32. I doubt it; anything anyone could come up with

that might work would probably be a lot less expensive than the expense in money and PR bp is currently facing.

[Jennicut]

13. It is not about Obama, it is about saving the Gulf. You are right, Mr. President.

He really is an adult. I have no idea why that shocks me sometimes but I guess I am used to idiocy from politicians. He has a very mature way of looking at his role.

[GeorgeGist]

14. I wonder if President Obama thought through the consequences ...

of selecting BP to plug the hole.

Given their terrible safety record, my guess is NO.

[JanusAscending]

23. You don't think that they should be responsible to clean up the

mess that THEY MADE????? Come on.....don't worry they will clean it and get the bill for it as well.....and much ,much more!!

[katandmoon]

36. Getting the bill doesn't mean they'll ever pay more then a tiny fraction of it.

[JanusAscending]

44. THIS IS DIFFERENT...

and this time will be different. They WILL pay....and more than money.

[vaberella]

30. I think he was thinking along the cost for the American people.

However, allowing BP's trashy background in these situations---it would still mean we'd have to deal with it in the end. So yeah, I don't think he did. But I also think he was thinking along the lines of the vast technological improvements we've had since the last oil spill. Not only that, but also the fact that BP is responsible and should take care of the situation.

[zulchzulu]

17. As Gibbs said, banging on a podium and yelling won't stop the oil from gushing

Anyone who thinks so is a Palin.

[amborin]

18. Obama gives good talk; too bad he didn't act on his fury toward MMS 18 months ago, when promised

[saracat]

38. +1000

[babylonsister]

41. You're absolutely right, because he was just sitting around,

twiddling his thumbs 18 months ago. Seems you expect an awful lot from one man.

[Arkana]

19. He should have personally addressed this to, and I quote,

"that sniveling, obsequious weasel Chris Matthews."

[JanusAscending]

21. Tell it Sister!

n/t

[katandmoon]

35. Stick it yourself. His administration is still putting BP's welfare first.

[JuniperLea]

40. Like I keep saying...

He's an adult, acting like an adult... and all the children who want him to fuss and fume need to stfu.

[Cha]

42. President Obama's demeanor

is one of his many strengths.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JanusAscending]

47. You are just getting on my last nerve!

That's the best I can do without getting TS'd!!!

[janx]

48. ...

:tinfoilhat:

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[amborin]

50. populist kabuki theater; Obama doesn't need to emote outrage, he just needs to take charge

stop allowing BP to screw around

[treestar]

52. He's right

I agree with what Obama says.

[Phx_Dem]

53. WTF?! The media led me to believe anger would fix the leak!

:crazy:

[treestar]

54. If all that steam coming out of people's ears could be sent down

to plug that leak it'd be plugged by now! :silly:

[Arkana]

55. And there it is.

Sadly, no matter how many times he says it, certain folks will only concentrate on the fact that he isn't pooping his pants with impotent rage.

[besdayz]

57. a

just saying he's on your side doesn't make it so...just as he said. words are meaningless here. action counts. i just don't get his vacillation. i don't mean he's going back and forth but c'mon it took 4 wks for him to outright break relations with BP. until then the govt took a backseat to BP's decisions. there has to be some provision in the law that circumvents and prexisting industry law.

and he has been made an invalid in this situation for some reason, a lame duck. perhaps BP has a copy of his real birth certificate...lol


seriously though, i'm glad he sent holder but further action that needs to be taken is

1. expedite pay outs and claims for some of these soon to be starving fisherman and local community
2. change the law so that the govt can exact a severe penalty on BP, financially for breaking environmental laws and for punitive damages for the families of the 11
3. prosecute known instances of obstruction, from purposely underestimating the barrel amount to delaying release of the video and dragging their feet on every major issue pertaining to shore protection and cleanup.

if you treat this as a sort of top level national crisis, you can empower the federal govt to take action such as # 3. this would not only expiate but also set a nice precedent....


too say i'm disappointed by this administration is understatement. i'm embarassed. i thought i voted for competence and less corruption not an maintainance of status quo. there has been a worrisome string of compromises in enforcing the rule of law. it didn't start with obama for sure. but he has done little to change it whether it be torture prosecution, war crimes etc, to bank industry trust busting,..essentially corporate malfeasance.