THE OIL IS COMING, THE OIL IS COMING, THE OIL IS COMING....
Before Florida:
President Obama gave a great speech today in Pennsylvania. See it below.
It was based on the economy. This is a speech I was begging for last summer, during the health care battle. Now we have a speech, one many wanted last year and it is tossed in the waste basket because the American Public is riveted on the oil spill.
I am sure the DNC's plan is to run against the Republicans, and they should. But I am getting worried about President Obama's poll numbers, today from Gallup:
The mid-term elections are in November of this year, five months from now, but that oil spill may be capped in August. I write may, because there is a reason that President Obama told BP to drill two relief wells, usually the first well almost NEVER comes on line. And cut and cap? The procedure that BP is working on now? It may work, a relief well may work, but one thing is for sure the oil will continue to flow, period. And for us to believe that how the Obama Administration handled the oil spill won't matter in an election year, you are living in a fairy tale mindset.
And Florida? We are talking about a massive catastrophe, especially if this oil, which Senator Nelson states, will get into the loop current (for the record, not a Nelson fan, but common sense is needed here because this oil is spreading FAST and we can only pray it will not hit the loop current):
Right now, we should be in the swing of talking up the economy, putting shoe leather on the ground to talk to constituents, but our hands are tied because the public is seeing live video daily of a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, along with the hard reality that this thing is going to go strong all summer long.
Another thing, President Obama's hands are tied. We are dealing with a foreign company and relying on their technique. The funny part about all of this is that the oil companies have surely put money into getting oil out of deep water drilling, but have not put money into safety and catastrophic accidents. As we see BP a big company looking like a bunch of dummies daily.
Now to Florida:
Florida is like a second home to me. My father retired back to Pensacola, home. When I was a little girl, one month every August was spent driving down to Pensacola from Chicago. Every day we packed up our lunch, drinks, sun tan oil, swim suits to hit the beach. We stayed out there all day long, until it was time to go back to Grandma's house for dinner.
I write this because the Pensacola Beaches, Destin are some of the most beautiful beaches you could ever encounter. Unlike the Lake Michigan beaches when you walk on the sand it sticks to you and looks muddy, not the Pensacola Beaches. The sand is a sugary white color and is just beautiful. The water is that Caribbean blue for miles as you look. Now, that nasty oil is coming its way and there is not much anyone can do about it.
When this oil hits, it will not stop at Pensacola but run on up to Destin and beyond. The sad part is this, there is nothing we can do about it. Like the rest of the Gulf Coast, Florida is about to tumble into economic despair. It is like this, "Who wants to go to a brown, black crude oil beach?" And expect Floridians to GO OFF.
This catastrophe is not Barack Obama's fault, but the mindset of Washington towards not regulating this industry. Obama is at fault and all the other presidents behind him, because they did not do anything about it. Their mindset was business as usual. The other presidents got off, got away with it. Barack Obama will not. Fair or not fair, the public's anger is building. Hating BP and starting to contempt the government, yes, even if Barack Obama is President.
Until we change the mindset in Washington, D.C., the business as usual will continue. But maybe, just maybe, we need this catastrophe to make all of us make a choice. The environment and moving past oil, fossil fuels or business as usual and the occasional "I am sorry" from wealthy oil companies who continue to drill with very unsafe practices, while catastrophes continue to commence. If this oil gets in the loop current, this will be a hard decision we, as a nation must make. The choice to destroy our pristine beaches, landmarks or to give in to the greed of oil companies. Until it rolls up in your backyard, until you have to smell the stink of crude oil, then you will make a decision.
Barack Obama continues to produce mixed messages which continues to turn people off. He gives a speech, above video, in which he wants to cut oil tax breaks. YAY!! Then grants off shore drilling, with all this going on in the Gulf, and yes more drilling in the Gulf. NAY!! How dumb is this?
From Countdown with Keith Olbermann:
One thing that Howard Fineman stated is that even though the oil will hit Pensacola, the words "oil in Florida" will kill the tourism. The panhandle already has been receiving cancellations due to its being in the vicinity and in the Gulf. Now, Florida, the State of Florida will get cancellations from all over the world because "crude oil hit Florida Beaches...." Even though Miami and the rest is FAR AWAY, the word "Florida" and "BP oil" is enough to keep people AWAY. This is called, "perception" and being "tagged". For Florida a crucial state that is NEEDED, when this happens Floridians will certainly GO OFF.
Lastly, did you get the memo about many BP staffers in the Obama White House? Well, it is a conflict of interest and does explain why this administration was hands off in the beginning of this catastrophe. Yes, you can give me a timeline, etc., but the reality and perception is that Barack Obama was MIA, and those folks down in the Gulf has said this repeatedly, until he finally showed up last Friday amongst hard criticism. This is why we need hard, concrete campaign finance reform. No former or current BP staffers should be in the White House, period. And if someone thinks it is ok, explain it to me. This is why the perception that BP had the White House blessing and was running everything made those people in the Gulf mad. Washington did not catch a clue until the criticism was so strong, along with the live feed video that the White House had no choice but to change course. At this time, we don't know if it is too late, but Florida is about to come on line, and trust me, those folks down there will be fiercely angry once that oil hits their beaches.
And you think the media won't have a hay day with this:
James Carville walked into one of his favorite New Orleans eateries, Eleven 79, Tuesday night — and was stunned to find BP CEO Tony Hayward and Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the two men tasked with stopping the Gulf spill, eating dinner together.
Can't blame this one on Carville...perception matters....
Update [2010-6-3 3:23:31 by icebergslim]:
James Cameron, an expert in undersea filming and knows how to operate remote robots turned DOWN by BP. My take, anyone with knowledge and American will be TURNED DOWN. That is how messed up this is.
"Over the last few weeks I've watched, as we all have, with growing horror and heartache, watching what's happening in the Gulf and thinking those morons don't know what they're doing," Cameron said at the All Things Digital technology conference.
Cameron, the director of "Avatar" and "Titanic," has worked extensively with robot submarines and is considered an expert in undersea filming. He did not say explicitly who he meant when he referred to "those morons."
His comments came a day after he participated in a meeting at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington to "brainstorm" solutions to the oil spill.
Cameron said he has offered to help the government and BP in dealing with the spill. He said he was "graciously" turned away by the British energy giant.
I don't know what BP is looking for but this situation is SERIOUSLY, all hands on deck. It also is clear that BP has stalled because they have no solution to stop this oil. The only known quantity is a relief well and that is not a solution on a first try.