The Oil Spill, the President and Public Perception
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Five weeks after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, President Obama interrupted his Chicago homecoming today for his second trip to Louisiana. He picked up tar balls on beaches, drove past sign-waving residents and met with a who’s who of local and regional officials. We hear what he had to say.
Banner image: Behind a protective orange boom, an ibis stands in the water on an oil-covered marsh May 27, 2010 near Grand Isle, Louisiana. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Obama walked the beaches of Louisiana's coastline today, picking up occasional tar balls as spectators held up signs saying "Help us Obama." The visit followed yesterday's promise to make sure "everybody in the Gulf understands" that the oil spill is his number one priority. As BP struggles to plug the Deepwater well, can he fight off the accusation that the growing disaster is "Obama's Katrina?" Was BP deceptive about the magnitude of the spill? Did Obama inherit a culture of lax regulation? What more can he do to illustrate that he's firmly in charge? We hear from supporters and critics in the US and Britain and update progress on "Top Kill."
Guests:
- Mark Schleifstein: Environmental Reporter, Times-Picayune, @mschleifsteintp
- Thomas Langston: Professor of Political Science, Tulane University
- Harry Shearer: Host, Le Show
- Eric Dezenhall: Founder and CEO, Dezenhall Resources
- John Dickerson: Chief Political Correspondent, Slate.com
- Guy Chazan: Reporter, Wall Street Journal
Links:
- Times-Picayune editorial on Obama's response to spill
- Schleifstein on berm to protect Barataria Bay wetlands gettng federal OK
- Dickerson's article, 'Bystander in Chief'
- Chazan on 'Top Kill,' BP's attempt to plug well
- Obama in Louisiana on America's frustration with the BP oil leak
- Minerals Management Service on the Deepwater Horizon explosion/spill
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