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White House In P.R. 'Panic' Over Spill
Politico ^ | May 4, 2010 | GLENN THRUSH & MIKE ALLEN

Posted on 05/04/2010 11:54:29 AM PDT by raptor22

The ferocious oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is threatening President Barack Obama’s reputation for competence, just as surely as it endangers the Gulf ecosystem.

So White House aides are escalating their efforts to reassure Congress and the public in the face of a slow-motion catastrophe, even though it’s not clear they can bring it under control anytime soon.

“There is no good answer to this,” one senior administration official said. “There is no readily apparent solution besides one that could take three months. ... If it doesn’t show the impotence of the government, it shows the limits of the government.”

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: cornyntraitor; obama; obamaskatrina
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To: raptor22

reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence
reputation for competence

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha....................................................


21 posted on 05/04/2010 12:12:51 PM PDT by vanilla swirl (To argue witha person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead)
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To: raptor22
"The ferocious oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is threatening President Barack Obama’s reputation for competence, "

Competence?

What Competence?

BHOpick


22 posted on 05/04/2010 12:19:07 PM PDT by FrankR (Standing up against tyranny must start somewhere, or the future will belong to the tyrants.)
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To: raptor22

The reason this is Obama’s problem more so than Katrina was Bush’s problem is this:

There is absolutely no question in whose jurisdiction this problem lies.
This is without question the feds fault because it lays in US territorial waters.
Plus, the feds sold the leases.
When the fed did this, it is the fed who should have questioned BP on what resources do you have & how would/could you handle a major blowout assuming the BOP valve failed to close the pipe off.
Having said that, it is FEMA ( fed emergency management) who should have had contingency plans to handle this already in place.

During the election, we heard the libs say how easily refineries & such were vulnerabe to terrorist acts.

We saw a first hand account here on FR about those guys fishing under the rig just before the catastropy.

Can I ask, how in God’s name can anyone be allowed to get so close to such a rig?


23 posted on 05/04/2010 12:20:32 PM PDT by She hits a grand slam tonight
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To: raptor22

Mac daddy was much to busy either, looking at himself in the mirror, recovering from to much nose candy, planing another party, planing another vacation or playing golf to get involved.


24 posted on 05/04/2010 12:23:05 PM PDT by chiefqc
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To: raptor22

The Media Leftards are like 4 migrant workers locked in a 1978 Corolla with the windows up after a burrito and beer lunch.

They continue to smell their own flatulence.

These people are delusional.


25 posted on 05/04/2010 12:23:32 PM PDT by wac3rd (Prepare for the November 2010 Tsunami)
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To: raptor22
Oilkatrina!
26 posted on 05/04/2010 12:25:51 PM PDT by Faith
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To: raptor22
This deep water geyser is spurting out 5,000 gallons a day of oil. I believe that's an Exxon Valdez every 10 days.

The last time a deep water blow out was repaired, it took 9 months.

This problem is going to be around for a long, long time.

27 posted on 05/04/2010 12:30:05 PM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: raptor22

Day 1 action includes deployment of oil burning equipment.

Notice how this isn’t getting much airplay as this plan ,on the books since 1994 as a disaster response , isn’t feasible due to lack of equipment.

Nobody, except a quick Rush quote today, wants to air this major shortcoming....


28 posted on 05/04/2010 12:30:06 PM PDT by patriotspride
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To: patriotspride

I recall it was de-emphasized by Congress after 9/11


29 posted on 05/04/2010 12:31:08 PM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: EagleUSA
Classic oxymorons:

accurate estimate, boneless ribs, educated guess, hard pillow, honest liar, larger half, loud whisper, never again, numb feeling, unknown identity, Obama’s reputation for competence...

30 posted on 05/04/2010 12:36:13 PM PDT by GalaxieFiveHundred
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To: raptor22

Meanwhile Gov. Jindal just tweeted this:

Local leaders know best. Coast Guard should approve and BP fund their plans. We’re not waiting - we’re acting now.

http://twurl.cc/2slp


31 posted on 05/04/2010 12:40:35 PM PDT by CajunConservative (Shut Up Mary!)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi
The Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million US gallons of crude oil in Alaska.

The Exxon Valdez doesn’t even make the top 25 of the largest oil spills, just the most media coverage.

32 posted on 05/04/2010 12:42:41 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: raptor22
obama Pictures, Images and Photos
33 posted on 05/04/2010 12:42:47 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: raptor22
“There is no good answer to this,” one senior administration official said.

The scene: a brightly-lit boardroom in the White House basement.

Rahm Emmanuel: "No good answer? Come on, people, where's that "Si, se puede" spirit? No good @##$#!% answer? What the %$*^&$#$ are we paying you @$%%$@s for?"

Wonk #1: "OK, boss, I got it! If Bush hadn't allowed offshore drilling the polar bears wouldn't be drowning with their beautiful white fur covered by filthy Big Oil!"

RE: "There ain't any $#@!&*% polar bears in the Gulf of May-Hee-Co, you %@@$%^ moron. But yeah, we pin it on Bush and his #$&%*@ Texas big-oil buddies. That's the ticket."

Wonk #2: "Wait a minute, boss. The thing is owned by BP. You know, British Petroleum?"

RE: "@$#$%$@! Those $#%^&@ Limeys haven't gotten over the speech DVDs and the Churchill bust thing yet. I told Bat-Ears it was a lousy $#@%^& idea. But the $#%^&^%*@ never listens to me. Awright, who's next?"

Wonk #3: "OK, boss, you're gonna love this. We get some retard to leave a SUV fulla Miracle Grow and an egg-timer in Times Square. Put a tea party bumper sticker on it. Blame it all on Limbaugh."

RE: "What the #$^^&&? What kind of a stupid #$%^^&%$ is going to believe that crock of @#$%#?"

Wonk #1: "Contessa Brewer on Line One, boss."

34 posted on 05/04/2010 1:19:32 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: thackney

Today’s estimates put the geyser at 2.5MM gallons to date.


35 posted on 05/04/2010 2:34:51 PM PDT by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

So a lot more than 10 days to equal...


36 posted on 05/04/2010 3:26:15 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: raptor22
...President Barack Obama’s reputation for competence...

WHAT!?

Like every other freeper who's commented, that was the first falsehood that caught my eye.

And that's where I quit reading.

37 posted on 05/04/2010 3:42:18 PM PDT by Zman516 (muslims, marxists, communists ---> satan's useful idiot corps)
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To: raptor22; Liz; AT7Saluki; writer33
...a slow-motion catastrophe...

Otherwise know as 'Hussein's rookie response'?

38 posted on 05/04/2010 4:38:18 PM PDT by Libloather (Tea totaler, PROUD birther, mobster, pro-lifer, anti-warmer, enemy of the state, extremist....)
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To: raptor22
Rush read an essay by a University of Illinois professor emeritus stating that the Obama administration acts more like an 'occupying force' from outside the US........their cultural and political values are foreign to most Americans.........
39 posted on 05/04/2010 4:41:40 PM PDT by Liz (If teens can procreate in a Volkswagen, why does a spotted owl need 2000 acres? JD Hayworth)
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To: All

LAUGH BREAK LAUGH BREAK LAUGH BREAK LAUGH BREAK LAUGH BREAK

The WH Response to the Oil Spill
Whitehouse.gov | May 1, 2010 |
By Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary

The response to the BP Oil Spill began as an emergency search and rescue mission by the U.S. Coast Guard and other partners on April 20. Concurrently, command center operations were stood up immediately in the Gulf Coast to begin also addressing the environmental impact of the incident.

The morning after the explosion, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar deployed Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes down to the gulf to assist with coordination and response to the incident.

The Administration immediately began holding regular calls with BP leadership and numerous senior-level meetings have been held between the administration and BP to discuss BP’s response effort and federal oversight and support.

The National Response Team (NRT), an organization of 16 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and response to oil and hazardous substance pollution incidents was quickly activated and a coordinated group of federal partners-including the United States Coast Guard, Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency-immediately began directing and overseeing BP’s response.

The President immediately began actively monitoring the incident and consulting on the response. The President has been in contact with all the governors of the states that may be affected and ordered that the administration use every single available resource at our disposal.

The Department of Defense is fully integrated into the DHS-led team and fully supportive of all response activities. Navy assets have been involved since day #1, and the Coast Guard and Department of Defense continue to work closely together, anticipating requirements, identifying response options, and rapidly providing response support.

The Secretary of Defense has approved a request for two C-130 aircraft with Modular Aerial Spray Systems (MASS), which are currently en route to the affected area. The Coast Guard has requested assistance from the Department of Defense for these aircraft. These aircraft dispense the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. Each system is capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight with three flights per aircraft per day.

Additionally, in direct support of the Coast Guard under an existing pollution clean-up and salvage operations agreement, the Navy is providing a variety of oil pollution control equipment.

The Navy has sent thousands of feet of inflatable oil boom with mooring equipment, several skimming systems, related support gear, and personnel to support oil spill response efforts. Naval Air Station Pensacola is serving as a staging facility for Coast Guard contractor-provided equipment.

To prepare for the possible spreading of the oil slick across the Gulf Coast and in support of the 2nd Unified command Center in Mobile, Ala., Department of Defense is airlifting additional boom materials to Mobile later today.

The booms are currently located on four tractor trailers to expedite transportation on the receiving end.
Early on, the President directed responding agencies to not only devote every resource to respond to this incident but to also determine its cause. Earlier this week, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar laid out the next steps for the investigation.

The President has also dispatched Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, EPA Administrator Jackson, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco to the Gulf Coast to ensure all is being done to respond to this oil spill.

Secretary Napolitano announced that this incident is a spill of national significance, the Department of Interior has announced that they will be sending SWAT teams to the Gulf to inspect all platforms and rigs, and the EPA is conducting air monitoring activities to gather information on the impact of the controlled burn on air quality.

As part of the designation of the BP Oil Spill as a Spill of National Significance, Secretary Napolitano has announced that U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will serve as the National Incident Commander for the administration’s continued, coordinated response—providing additional authority and oversight in leveraging every available resource to respond to the BP oil spill and minimize the associated environmental risks.

As National Incident Commander, Admiral Allen will continue to work closely with Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry, the federal on-scene coordinator, and the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Interior and Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal departments and agencies as appropriate—as well as BP, the responsible party in the spill—to ensure the efficient continued deployment and coordination of vital response assets, personnel and equipment that were activated immediately after the spill began.

To keep the public informed about the latest, validated environmental air and water sampling results, EPA has launched a dedicated website at www.epa.gov/bpspill, which will also provide information on the broader federal response.

In response to the BP oil spill, the Secretary of Defense is authorizing under title 32 the mobilization of the Louisiana National Guard to help in the ongoing efforts to assist local communities in the cleanup and removal of oil and to protect critical habitats from contamination. As the responsible party in this incident, the government will hold BP accountable for the costs of the deployment.

The Minerals Management Service remains in contact with all oil and gas operators in the sheen area. Two platforms have stopped production and one has been evacuated as a safety measure. Approximately 6.2 million cubic feet of natural gas is shut-in—less than one-tenth of a percent of daily gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.

As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the BP spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations.

NOAA spill specialists are advising the U.S. Coast Guard on cleanup options as well as advising all affected federal, state and local partners on sensitive marine resources at risk in this area of the Gulf of Mexico.

Rapid response teams are staged to deploy to shorelines affected by oil to evaluate and determine an appropriate clean-up effort to minimize the impact to the environment.

A volunteer program has been established and a toll-free number—(866)-448-5816—set up for people to call to learn about volunteer opportunities in all areas and what training is required. By the Numbers to Date:
•Personnel were quickly deployed and nearly 2,000 are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife—hundreds more than yesterday.

•Approximately 75 response vessels have been responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.

•More than 275,000 feet of boom (barrier) have been deployed to contain the spill—an increase of nearly 60,000 feet since yesterday. An additional 316,470 feet is available.

•More than 1 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered—an increase of approximately 150,000 gallons since yesterday.

•Nearly 143,000 gallons of dispersant have been deployed—an increase of more than 3,500 gallons since yesterday. An additional 68,300 gallons are available.

•Six staging areas (Biloxi, Miss., Pensacola, Fla., Venice, La., Pascagoula, Miss. and Theodore, Ala., and Port Sulphur, La.) were set up to protect sensitive shorelines.

LAUGH BREAK LAUGH BREAK LAUGH BREAK LAUGH BREAK LAUGH BREAK


40 posted on 05/04/2010 4:47:50 PM PDT by Liz (If teens can procreate in a Volkswagen, why does a spotted owl need 2000 acres? JD Hayworth)
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