ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style3 { height: 68px; } .MsoNormal {} h1 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style4 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style6 { height: 69px; } h2 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style7 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> &nbsp;<table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr> <td width="133" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140" class="style6"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" class="style6"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td width="133" height="2"></td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style4">Obama&#39;s British Petroleum Challenge</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curtis</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b><a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright June 15, 2010<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style7">S</span>peaking from the Oval Office tonight in a nationally televised address on the Gulf Oil disaster, President Barack Obama hopes to answer his critics, painting him in the same light as former President George W. Bush s handling of 2005 Hurricane Katrina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>With British Petroleum officials on the hot-seat in Congress, Obama, too, must show he s doing his utmost to resolve the worst environmental crisis in U.S. history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> We re going to fight back with everything we ve got, referring to the government response to stopping the massive oil leak that began April 20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Given the 5,000-foot depth of BP s well, the fix has been elusive to engineers frantically working to plug the leak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Estimated now at four-to-10 times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, where some 11 million gallons polluted Alaska s Prince William Sound,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>the president s approval ratings have headed south.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Measured by a June 15 Associated Press-Gfk Poll, 52% of Americans disapprove of Obama s handling to the Gulf oil mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) grilled BP executives about reckless safety precautions before the disaster hit April 20, Obama faced angry Gulf residents asking to stop the leak and provide compensation to businesses and residents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Obama wants BP to deposit billions in an escrow account to handle disaster claims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> We have to get an independent claims process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I think everyone aggress that we have to get BP out of the claims processes and, as I said, make sure fisherman, hotel owners have a fast efficient and transparent claims process so that they re getting their livelihood replaced, said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, hinting at Obama s speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>White House officials expect to meet with BP this week.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Obama s speech hopes to reassure Gulf residents and the national that the government is doing everything possible to resolve the crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Unlike Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf oil spill is a manmade calamity, breeding public expectations about a swift human solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Few imagined that drilling a single hold in the earth s crust could cause so much chaos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Government resources and expertise for fixing the problem are limited, if, for not other reason, the government isn t in the oil business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Had the government nationalized the oil industry as in Mexico or Canada then it would have far more practical resources to resolve the issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Obama wants to sound confiden, while, at the same time, not raise expectations too high and create a backlash against White House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Obama at least wins concessions from BP on a swift claims process, it will win support from Gulf residents.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Without the ability to stop the leak, Obama must get BP to establish a victims compensation fund, paying what appears unending damages to Gulf coast residents and businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> This disaster has taken their ability to make a living away from them, said Gibbs, urging BP to swiftly set up the victims compensation fund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Tomorrow s meeting with BP officials will have to take concrete steps toward setting up a compensation mechanism for Gulf residents and businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Obama walked the pristine beaches of Pensacola, Florida, not yet polluted by the up to 100 million gallons of runaway petroleum ominously heading to the panhandle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Obviously, the news has been dominated lately by the oil spill but our nation is at war, said addressing sailors in Pensacola.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Whatever happens in Iraq and Afghanistan currently pales in comparison to disaster in the Gulf.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Barack s fourth visit to the Gulf gives him the authority to speak about the plight of residents and businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Since Hurricane Katrina hurt Bush s approval ratings, the president knows his response Gulf oil spill could make-or-break his chances of second term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Today s stubborn recession has upped the ante for his Gulf speech, leaving future voters skeptical of White House promises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I am confident that we re going to be able to leave the Gulf Coast in better shape than it was before, Barack said Monday, raising the same specter as Bush when he made similar promises that didn t pan out after Hurricane Katrina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Obama s Oval Office speech raises high stakes in the months before the midterm elections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If he raises too many hopes or makes too many promises, he could face a backlash in the polls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Focusing on BP s compensation fund raises the best hopes for his approval ratings.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Obama walks a tightrope tonight attempting to set worried Americans at ease during this time of crisis and high anxiety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Giving too much reassurance could boomerang, appearing insincere and without tangible results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Gulf residents and other Americans look to the president for a realistic fix to the oil disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>With Iraq and Afghanistan on the backburner, it would be a mistake to divert attention away from the Gulf oil disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Because the government has limited options, Barack will be far better talking about how he intends to press BP for an urgent compensation fund. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</span>Since Barack can t plug the leak, he s more in control of pressuring the British oil giant into offering immediate concessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Obama uses the speech to sell alternative energy, he ll most certainly see a backlash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Tonight s speech should be spent on White House efforts to get BP to pony up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><b>John M. Curtis </b>writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He&#x2019;s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a> and <a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a>.</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td width="133" height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="133" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Homecobolos> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>