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Subscribe to RSSObama’s day: “Obama and the secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, plan to discuss Mabus' role in developing a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan. Mabus knows the region -- he is a native of Mississippi and served as that state's governor from 1988 to 1992. The president also will have meetings with the Veterans of Foreign War's new commander in chief, Tommy Tradewell, and Marine Corps commandant nominee Gen. James Amos. Obama will meet separately with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.”
The Washington Post: “The much-anticipated showdown Wednesday at the White House between President Obama and top BP executives turned into no-nonsense business meeting in which the oil giant agreed to pay $20 billion into an escrow account to cover claims associated with the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.”
More: “Both sides got what they wanted out of the encounter. The administration, under fire for how it has responded to the environmental calamity, can boast of creating a huge pot of money for easing the pain of Gulf Coast residents. BP, though poorer on paper in the short run, got some much-needed clarity on its long-term liability, plus an explicit statement from Obama that the administration doesn't want to see BP driven into bankruptcy.”
"… Mr. Obama was able to throw something of a lifeline to desperate coastal residents worried about meeting payrolls, mortgages and shrimp boat payments," the New York Times says of the agreement. "Under the famous portrait of a charging Theodore Roosevelt on horseback, administration and company officials haggled over last details in an extraordinary White House meeting that went more than four hours, double the time scheduled, and was punctuated by breaks as each side huddled separately. Finally, participants said, Mr. Obama sealed the deal in a private, 25-minute session with BP’s chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg."
The New York Daily News reports that Vice President Biden played the bad cop on establishing the escrow: “Sources told the Daily News that Biden leaned forward and bluntly informed the Blight Brigade they had no choice: If they didn't do the right thing and put the cash in escrow, it would be done to them.”
The New York Times writes that BP could have to fork over even more money, if the Justice Department files criminal charges against the company. “Based on the latest estimates, for example, the daily civil fine for the escaping oil alone could be $280 million. But criminal penalties, if imposed, could cause the costs to balloon still further, said David M. Uhlmann, a law professor at the University of Michigan, who headed the environmental crimes section of the Justice Department from 2000 to 2007.”
Thirty-two million people watched Obama’s Oval Office speech. That is a big number, but lower than the number that watched the State of the Union or his Afghanistan speech.
“A new Associated Press-Gfk poll finds public support for President Barack Obama's health care law has risen to its highest point to date. Yet the nation remains divided over the new law, with 45 percent in favor and 42 percent opposed. Still, that's a significant change from May, when supporters were outnumbered 39 percent to 46 percent.” (There was even an uptick among Republicans.)
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No Mercy for BP Oil! I'm glad that President Obama shook BP Oil down for that initial $20 billion escrow fund plus $100 million for laid off offshore oil workers. Now that ought to shut up the oil industry whiners who have been idled by Obama's smart and sane drilling moratorium. Barack has shaken down BP Oil for a lot more money than either Clueless George Bush or Crash Dummy McCain would have. I certainly hope that Obama will start calculating and collecting the penalty money which will be a boon to our federal treasury.
I'm divided about Ray Mabus is the right person to head up the Gulf restoration program, what the heck does he know about ecology as secretary of the Navy? I would have preferred someone from the Sierra Club who lives and breaths ecology and would know exactly how to restore the damaged ecosystem. Mabus had better bring in plenty of environmentalists to oversee the program and who will know which experts are needed to brainstorm the problem.
Obama is a man of many 'fingers'. One of which is pointed at BP. Yes, BP did admit to rushing past important details of drilling safety, but Obama is not telling, or being transparent, in his own administrations failures. Read below:
SALAZAR: "Minerals Management Service (MMS) to assemble all known information about offshore energy resources and identifying where there are gaps". (2/2009)
Then google Obama's speech at the (Boilermakers.org) 2008 campaign convention. It was typical Bush bashing and promises of better over-sight of the big bad oil companies.
It is now 2010. The progressive Obama, the re-distribution of wealth obama, chose his ideology over America's 'power'. Thus, the finger pointing. As president, would you not ask these questions? 1. How many oil rigs are drilling ? 2. Are the oil companies complying with our federal regulations? Here....BP would have stood out like a sore thumb.
From the moment he was sworn in, he began programs that will, in the end, be worthless if the Gulf of Mexico is ruined. BUT....we got health insurance, a new car corporation, and more union jobs.
GO JOE GO! HAHA! WELL PLAYED!
I am truly stunned. Congress is holding hearings with the CEO of BP (Blackburn) testifying. Almost immediately a Republican Congressman from Texas APOLOGIZES to BP because President Obama extracted a $20 Billion escrow account that is to go for cleaning up the mess, for the families of the 11 victims, and for the devastation of the livelihoods of people on the coast and the loss of marine life and plant life that threatens our environment. An APOLOGY?? Since that first Republican congressman, every single republican has used their time to attack the administration and the implied apology to BP. Aren't these hypocritical Republicans the same ones who attacked Obama for his statements to foreign governments and people who were on the wrong end of past administration's sins when dealing with other people? For instance, in 1953, our CIA, along with British intelligence overthrew the democratically elected government of Iran, just because oil companies didn't want Iran to nationalize their own oil fields. Big oil wouldn't have made as much money that way so they had our governments overthrow the Iranian government and put the brutal Shah of Iran in charge as dictator of the country. That is the single most important reason we now have the difficulties with Iran we do today. It 'caused' the Islamic Revolution to take place in Iran, and the overthrow of the Shah who was then replaced with Mullahs who have run the country ever since, and who have been uniformly against our country's interests by encouraging terrorism and financially supporting it, not to mention the current threat of nuclear proliferation. For these republicans to now say they are ashamed and apologize to BP because they are being held responsible for their own mess is mind boggling. Political grandstanding has no place in this issue. The country wants answers, not political posturing by a party of hypocrites.
The Republicans are most likely to be sorry that they are not going to be getting their fat dividend checks, OR contributions, from BP anytime soon....Like Boehner who has HOW much BP stock?? How much stock in BP (and other oil Co's) do the State Reps own? It is sounding very much like the Repugs have a lil bit of a major conflict of interest...not only is America addicted to oil, they are addicted to Oil Money. They also know that there is now NO realistic way for them to stop meaningful energy legislation...Oh, they will kick and scream and drag their feet fighting it, but it IS going to pass anyway. The Liars have been caught out and are scrambling for damage control, but it is too late, THEY took the Oil Money and gave a wink and a nod at the safety practices, or lack of them, in the oil industry in general, just so that oil money would keep flowing to their States....Yet did They have any meaningful response to the spill?? Why did Louisiana not have the ability to protect itself from the many many oil wells out there, on their coast, in case of the inevitable big spill...Oh, that is right, The Oil Co's told them it would Never Happen. Well, the Repugs can hardly go blaming themselves and their oil money buddies for any of that, now can they?? So they try the old Repug trick of blaming the opposition for all the stuff that THEY caused. We Are Not Buying It This Time. The Culprits have been caught out, the malefactors are properly paying for their spill and their bought and paid for politicians are in a near panic. Good For Them, about time!