Obama Lays Out Three Actions in Oil Disaster

Last night, President Obama made his first televised address from the Oval Office. These are traditionally reserved for extremely important issues, e.g., LBJ's decision not to seek re-election, Nixon's resignation announcement. In talking to the nation about the oil leaking from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, he has elevated the situation to a level his critics and supporters may feel is adequate. The speech appeared to underwhelm most, but in fact, the president did as much as he could, laying out three specific actions the government will pursue. The trouble is that there is little anyone can do immediately.

First, he committed the nation to cleaning up the mess and sending BP the bill. Unfortunately, the hole in the ocean floor is not the same size and shape as Joran van der Sloot (or two problems could be solved at once), so the oil that was coming up when he began talking was still coming up when he finished. He warned "sadly, no matter how effective our response is, there will be more oil and more damage before this siege is done," and "a mobilization of this speed and magnitude will never be perfect, and new challenges will always arise." This probably didn't go down well with an American public that has engaged in instant gratification since at least 1992.

Second, clean up is not enough. Sure, the oil will be gone, but so will the wetlands, so will the birds, so will the shrimp and oysters. The president said he was appointing "Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, who is also a former governor of Mississippi and a son of the Gulf Coast, to develop a long-term Gulf Coast Restoration Plan as soon as possible. The plan will be designed by states, local communities, tribes, fishermen, businesses, conservationists and other Gulf residents. And BP will pay for the impact this spill has had on the region." Many whiners from the left and the right apparently wanted a complete plan ready for Congressional action. It took George Marshall 3 months to craft his plan for saving Europe, and the Gulf is trickier as the issue isn't so much rebuilding economic infrastructure as it is ecological restoration, a much harder thing to accomplish.

Third, the president committed the country to preventing a repeat of this mess. He will establish a "National Commission to understand the causes of this disaster and offer recommendations on what additional safety and environmental standards we need to put in place." Beyond that, he suggested that America put down the crude oil crack pipe:

For decades, we have known the days of cheap and easily accessible oil were numbered. For decades, we've talked and talked about the need to end America's century-long addiction to fossil fuels. And for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency that this challenge requires. Time and again, the path forward has been blocked -- not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor.

The consequences of our inaction are now in plain sight. Countries like China are investing in clean energy jobs and industries that should be right here in America. Each day, we send nearly $1 billion of our wealth to foreign countries for their oil. And today, as we look to the Gulf, we see an entire way of life being threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude. We cannot consign our children to this future.