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Is this criticism on how Obama is handling the oil spill legitimate?

Is this criticism on how Obama is handling the oil spill legitimate?


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jamesrage

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Is this criticism on how Obama is handling the oil spill legitimate?

Yes
No
maybe/I do not know


I say no. It is nothing more than payback for all the stupid libs who bashed over Hurricane Katrina.
 
Are you referring to the criticism in general, or some specific criticism?
 
Is this criticism on how Obama is handling the oil spill legitimate?

Yes
No
maybe/I do not know


I say no. It is nothing more than payback for all the stupid libs who bashed over Hurricane Katrina.

It's not his job to "handle" the spill, that's what BP is supposed to do.

As long as the Coast Guard is monitoring the remediation efforts, as well as, the repair of the leaking line, they are doing their job.
 
What criticism? Criticism in general or a specific type?
 
Sure.

Ask James Carville. Chris Matthews. Howard Fineman. Keefo Olbermann.
Not your Garden Variety Democrats.

100% Valid.

He has been slooooooooooooooooooooooow.
Some say incompetent.

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The above is a parody; the facts are sadly true.

For further information please contact the Zimmer Legal Department, Mississippi Delta Offices.

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It's not his job to "handle" the spill, that's what BP is supposed to do.

As long as the Coast Guard is monitoring the remediation efforts, as well as, the repair of the leaking line, they are doing their job.

Apparently some people think a lawyer can take charge of a highly technical engineering problem.

Join me as I laugh at them.
 
Apparently some people think a lawyer can take charge of a highly technical engineering problem.

Join me as I laugh at them.

Well, since he used to be a lawyer and is now the President of the United States and claimed responsibility himself, then yeah....it's his job.
 
It's not his job to "handle" the spill, that's what BP is supposed to do.

As long as the Coast Guard is monitoring the remediation efforts, as well as, the repair of the leaking line, they are doing their job.

I know you're listed as a libertarian so I know this could be an interesting answer.

Do you think the Federal Government has a roll to play with regards to "handling" natural disaster recovery when it causes damage to multiple states?

This inicident is proving a threat to the economy and environment of a multitude of STATES, plural, and provides a security risk in general to the United States in regards to the potential damage it presents to the economy, the increased need in the importing of oil and less strategic internal reserves both with the loss of this one and potential loss of others through regulation, and blockage of water ways.

If the local power company has a generator that blows and sparks a wildfire that begins to encroach on homes do you think its the power companies job to organize, initiate, and perform the stoppage of the fire or are you expecting at the point that it becomes a community thread that the local governments fire department and possibly some state representitives move in to determine what to do and assure the safety of the population from a threat that has increased its scope beyond simply that businesses worry?

To me this is that on a larger scale. Do I think Obama should be in there directing traffic and making the engineering plans? Absolutely not. Do I think the Federal Government shouldn't be playing the pass the buck game while waiting weeks and weeks for "BP to do its job" all the while being derelict in their duty with regards to a potential threat spanning multiple states and occuring within United States water, absolutely.
 
Is this criticism on how Obama is handling the oil spill legitimate?

Yes
No
maybe/I do not know

I say no. It is nothing more than payback for all the stupid libs who bashed over Hurricane Katrina.

This is a weird one for me to answer honestly.

I think he's getting too much criticism from Republicans and Conservatives, primarily because of the reason you said. They're pissed at the horrendous and one sided coverage that was given to Bush during Katrina and are either consiously or subconsiously acting out in a "two wrongs make a right" type of way. While the Federal Government should be involved there is no reason for Obama directly and personally to be over seeing it like some seem to suggest. This does not mean he shouldn't be involved or is free from criticism, but I do think at times he's getting more than his due from the right.

At the same time I think he is only now getting the criticism he deserves from the media in general, and where Conservatives/Republicans have been over over criticizing up until this point the left and the media have been significantly under criticizing...attrociously so when you compare it to their coverage of Katrina.

So, in an over all sense up until the past week or so I would've said that he's getting a net wash leading to appropriate criticism as he was getting too much from the right and too little from the left (generally speaking). Currently I think the Right needs to tone its rhetoric back a bit and into a more reasonable level as the left seems to finally be speaking up and taking some notice, or portions of it at least, causing it to sway into the "too much" side of things.
 
If the local power company has a generator that blows and sparks a wildfire that begins to encroach on homes do you think its the power companies job to organize, initiate, and perform the stoppage of the fire or are you expecting at the point that it becomes a community thread that the local governments fire department and possibly some state representitives move in to determine what to do and assure the safety of the population from a threat that has increased its scope beyond simply that businesses worry?
The company should do what it can until assistance arrives from localities and if need be the state.
That's what taxes are meant for. To assist at times when problems escalate beyond the ability of private business.

To me this is that on a larger scale. Do I think Obama should be in there directing traffic and making the engineering plans? Absolutely not. Do I think the Federal Government shouldn't be playing the pass the buck game while waiting weeks and weeks for "BP to do its job" all the while being derelict in their duty with regards to a potential threat spanning multiple states and occuring within United States water, absolutely.
He should be making decisions to allow progress to be made.

I can actually understand his underestimating the problem initially. Who the hell knew it would be such a monster... (the president through briefings should have known after a couple days) but I have difficulty with his disingenuous, even incredible claim during his pre-vacation presser that he was on it from Day 1.

The problem is the source is in Federal waters, unlike Katrina, which was a state matter leading up to the hurricane's landing.

This is Obama's ball of wax, and he should have been moving heaven and earth to get assistance in every damn form possible. Some of it might not work, but this is also an optimal proving ground for technology that could help in the future.

Instead we have the government behemoth sliding along like a drunken slug. And they want to administer health care?

.
 
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Is this criticism on how Obama is handling the oil spill legitimate?

Yes
No
maybe/I do not know


I say no. It is nothing more than payback for all the stupid libs who bashed over Hurricane Katrina.

Where is Jamesrage, and what have you done with him? You're sounding scarily moderate these days.

For the record, I agree with you. I have lots of criticisms of BP, but not a lot of the feds.
 
What scares me is that BP was one of Obama's biggest campaign contributors. Its fair to criticize if he is soft on BP. As long as he doesn't apologize and bow to their feet like that one Republican (forget his name).

However it is the joint responsibility of both the govt and BP at this point. Why? It is the duty of the Fed govt to protect us and defend us. This oil spill is dangering lives ... so either Obama has to wake up or BP will go down, something's gotta give.
 
I know you're listed as a libertarian so I know this could be an interesting answer.

Do you think the Federal Government has a roll to play with regards to "handling" natural disaster recovery when it causes damage to multiple states?

This inicident is proving a threat to the economy and environment of a multitude of STATES, plural, and provides a security risk in general to the United States in regards to the potential damage it presents to the economy, the increased need in the importing of oil and less strategic internal reserves both with the loss of this one and potential loss of others through regulation, and blockage of water ways.

If the local power company has a generator that blows and sparks a wildfire that begins to encroach on homes do you think its the power companies job to organize, initiate, and perform the stoppage of the fire or are you expecting at the point that it becomes a community thread that the local governments fire department and possibly some state representitives move in to determine what to do and assure the safety of the population from a threat that has increased its scope beyond simply that businesses worry?

To me this is that on a larger scale. Do I think Obama should be in there directing traffic and making the engineering plans? Absolutely not. Do I think the Federal Government shouldn't be playing the pass the buck game while waiting weeks and weeks for "BP to do its job" all the while being derelict in their duty with regards to a potential threat spanning multiple states and occuring within United States water, absolutely.

The federal government's job is to monitor the remediation efforts, if BP is not doing what they are supposed to, they have the power to take control of the situation at the expense of BP.

BP has been doing the job they are required to, there is nothing the feds can really do at this point.

As for the fire scenario, the power company is required to cover all monetary damages that it causes.
Local fire departments are to put out the fire.
 
You do understand that taking responsibility "to make sure that everything is done to shut this down" and being to blame for the event are two different things, don't you? Or perhaps not.:slapme:

Sure. So how's that shut down working out? What are we on today... day 64 isn't it?
 
You do understand that taking responsibility "to make sure that everything is done to shut this down" and being to blame for the event are two different things, don't you? Or perhaps not.:slapme:

I don't think anyone blamed him for causeing it, I may be wrong. Who caused it is irrelevant to this argument, President Obama is responsible for fixing it. By his own wishes, I might add.
 
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You do understand that taking responsibility "to make sure that everything is done to shut this down" and being to blame for the event are two different things, don't you? Or perhaps not.:slapme:

The OP, the poll in the OP, and every subsequent post refer to the "criticism on how Obama is handling the oil spill." Are you reading some thread that is discussing how Obama is to blame for the leak, or are you just setting up a strawman?
 
What scares me is that BP was one of Obama's biggest campaign contributors. Its fair to criticize if he is soft on BP. As long as he doesn't apologize and bow to their feet like that one Republican (forget his name).

However it is the joint responsibility of both the govt and BP at this point. Why? It is the duty of the Fed govt to protect us and defend us. This oil spill is dangering lives ... so either Obama has to wake up or BP will go down, something's gotta give.

That one Republican's name is Joe Barton, who, without actually intending to, has introduced a valid Constitutional point into the Presidents actions with their BP meeting in the WH and subsequent actions by BP.
We shall, in the next few months hear more about this if and only if the GOP has the sense to investigate.
 
Apparently some people think a lawyer can take charge of a highly technical engineering problem.

Join me as I laugh at them.




are you familiar with the terms of the 1994 disaster plan? who's desk does the buck stop at for it not being outfitted as required by law?
 
are you familiar with the terms of the 1994 disaster plan? who's desk does the buck stop at for it not being outfitted as required by law?

Are you having the temerity to suggest that President Obama admit that the Buck stops at his desk?
 
are you familiar with the terms of the 1994 disaster plan? who's desk does the buck stop at for it not being outfitted as required by law?

And that somehow means Obama can somehow magically fix the problem that originated before his time in office?

Did I expect Bush to be able to fix a problem on the ISS? No. Do I expect Obama to be able to plug the well? No. But hell, why use logic?

Sure the buck stops on his desk. But that doesn't mean he actually do anything about it now any more then Hayward can.
 
And that somehow means Obama can somehow magically fix the problem that originated before his time in office?

Did I expect Bush to be able to fix a problem on the ISS? No. Do I expect Obama to be able to plug the well? No. But hell, why use logic?

Sure the buck stops on his desk. But that doesn't mean he actually do anything about it now any more then Hayward can.

So what you're saying is the President is incompetent.
 
So what you're saying is the President is incompetent.

And you got that from my post how?

What I'm saying is that to expect someone with no knowledge of an extremely difficult and technical problem at hand to be able to solve is is pretty insane. Did you expect Bush to be capable of fixing a problem on the International Space Station given his background and education?
 
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