According to the Associated Press,
THEODORE, Ala. - In a newly optimistic tone, President Barack Obama promised Monday that "things are going to return to normal" along the stricken Gulf Coast and the region's fouled waters will be in even better shape than before the catastrophic BP oil spill.
He declared Gulf seafood safe to eat and said his administration is redoubling inspections and monitoring to make sure it stays that way. And his White House said Monday it had wrested apparent agreement from BP PLC to set up an independent, multibillion-dollar compensation fund for people and businesses suffering from the spill's effects.
He declared, "I am confident that we're going to be able to leave the Gulf Coast in better shape than it was before."
That pledge was reminiscent of George W. Bush's promise to rebuild the region "even better and stronger" than before Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Bush could not make good on that promise, and Obama did not spell out how he would fulfill his.
With Obama hoping to convince a frightened Gulf Coast and a skeptical nation that he is in command, he is marshaling the tools at a president's disposal: a two-day visit via Air Force One, helicopter and boat in the region, a prime-time speech Tuesday night from the symbolically important stage of the Oval Office and a face-to-face White House showdown Wednesday with the executives of the oil company that leased the rig that exploded April 20 and led to the leak of millions of gallons of coast-devastating crude.
"I can't promise folks here in Theodore or across the Gulf Coast that the oil will be cleaned up overnight. It will not be," he said, after encouraging hard-hatted workers as they hosed off and repaired oil-blocking boom. "It's going to be painful for a lot of folks."
In Washington, meanwhile, documents released by a congressional committee indicated that BP took measures to cut costs in the weeks before the well blowout as it dealt with problems that led a company engineer to describe the doomed rig as a "nightmare well."
The comment by BP engineer Brian Morel came in an e-mail April 14, six days before the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that killed 11 people and began the nation's worst environmental disaster.
On the Gulf Coast on Monday, one focus of Obama's remarks was the region's seafood, which faces growing doubts around the country but which Obama pronounced safe. He noted he had some for lunch — including mini crab cakes, fried shrimp and shrimp salad sandwiches — and found it "delicious."
He declared Gulf seafood safe to eat and said his administration is redoubling inspections and monitoring to make sure it stays that way. And his White House said Monday it had wrested apparent agreement from BP PLC to set up an independent, multibillion-dollar compensation fund for people and businesses suffering from the spill's effects.
He declared, "I am confident that we're going to be able to leave the Gulf Coast in better shape than it was before."
That pledge was reminiscent of George W. Bush's promise to rebuild the region "even better and stronger" than before Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Bush could not make good on that promise, and Obama did not spell out how he would fulfill his.
With Obama hoping to convince a frightened Gulf Coast and a skeptical nation that he is in command, he is marshaling the tools at a president's disposal: a two-day visit via Air Force One, helicopter and boat in the region, a prime-time speech Tuesday night from the symbolically important stage of the Oval Office and a face-to-face White House showdown Wednesday with the executives of the oil company that leased the rig that exploded April 20 and led to the leak of millions of gallons of coast-devastating crude.
"I can't promise folks here in Theodore or across the Gulf Coast that the oil will be cleaned up overnight. It will not be," he said, after encouraging hard-hatted workers as they hosed off and repaired oil-blocking boom. "It's going to be painful for a lot of folks."
In Washington, meanwhile, documents released by a congressional committee indicated that BP took measures to cut costs in the weeks before the well blowout as it dealt with problems that led a company engineer to describe the doomed rig as a "nightmare well."
The comment by BP engineer Brian Morel came in an e-mail April 14, six days before the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that killed 11 people and began the nation's worst environmental disaster.
On the Gulf Coast on Monday, one focus of Obama's remarks was the region's seafood, which faces growing doubts around the country but which Obama pronounced safe. He noted he had some for lunch — including mini crab cakes, fried shrimp and shrimp salad sandwiches — and found it "delicious."
Are you effing kidding me?What the hell is going on with Obama ? Look, I am not some Rush Limbaugh loving, Elisabeth Hasselback. Once upon a time, I even advocated on behalf of our president. I've always said that President Obama is one of the greatest speakers of our time. Hell, I'm pretty sure he could talk most anyone into doing most anything. But just because you say it is, Mr. President, doesn't make it so. I know he's all about change and we needed change but the changes we've seen lately, we don't need. We certainly didn't need oil spilling into our Gulf coast for prolonged periods of time.Of course he didn't cause this mess but he's not doing enough to get it cleaned up. He's been able to use all his "powers" to get other things done that he's wanted expedited..now apply that leadership to the Gulf. I realize that he's trying to be affirmative and put a positive spin on an otherwise incredibly horrendous situation but to tell the American people that its OK to eat the seafood in the Gulf? Come on now, does that really sound safe? Would he feed the Gulf seafood to his 2 beautiful little girls? I am thinking not. I wouldn't feed it to my girls. I'm thinking Michelle would have to step in to stop the madness. Does he have a degree in marine ecology or marine biology that I am unaware of? You may be president, but you are after all just a man, a politician at that. Now, the article says President Obama "ate" some of the food inferred to be out of the Gulf and he found it to be "delicious"! I've been to Louisiana and the food out of the Gulf coast was fantastic ;downright tasty. That was before everything was marinating in OIL for the past 56 days! Can I get some confirmation that this seafood was actually from the Gulf coast? The date at which it was caught in the Gulf coast? Whether or not he, in fact, actaully ingested it? Or did his secret service man eat it, then they put that poor bastard under observation to see if he dies from ingesting OIL! Seriously, please just stop giving us lip service and fix it. Clean up the oil! The Gulf will never be better than it was. It's damaged. Oil is not safe to eat, no matter who says it is.The BP, corner cutters need to be strung up by their balls and spoon fed some of that Gulf coast "seafood", along with any other idiot who thinks this situation is tolerable!
