Robert Reich on the Gulf spill & other recent scandals: Where's the outrage, Mr. Obama?

[Karmadillo]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/Robert-Reich-s-Blog/2010/0531/Gulf-spill-Where-s-the-outrage-Mr.-Obama

In the Gulf spill and other recent scandals, President Obama has shown corporate America too much deference.

By Robert Reich, Guest blogger / May 31, 2010

According to a new CBS News poll 70 percent of Americans disapprove of how BP has handled the oil gush, compared with 45 percent who disapprove of how Obama has handled it. This could change in the days or weeks ahead if the spill continues to worsen and the White House looks and acts powerless.

The poll also points out a danger for Obama: Only 35 percent approve of his words and deeds so far during the crisis. He seems too willing to defer to BP executives, even as Bad Petroleum Ltd. tries to shift blame to Transocean Ltd., the rig operator, which is trying to put blame on Halliburton, which made the cement casings.

But it’s not just the oil gush. Most Americans continue to be livid at Wall Street executives and traders — for which they blame an economic crisis that’s cost many their jobs, savings, and homes — a crisis that’s still costing taxpayers a bundle even as the bankers are back to collecting huge compensation packages.

Yet the President continues to consult and socialize with many of them. Inexplicably, the White House won’t go along with proposals by several Democratic senators to cap the size of the biggest banks (the only way to ensure they’ll never be too big to fail and their political power is contained), to resurrect the Glass-Steagall Act (except in its weaker “Volker rule” form), or to force the biggest banks to do their derivative trading without the artificial support of tax-payer insured commercial deposits.

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Yet the President is treating these corporate and financial executives the way he treats Senate Republicans. At most, he respectfully disagrees

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[Shadow Creature]

1. President Obama is

President Obama is a man of ideas and policy. He is in his element sitting at a table talking about issues. President Obama could do policy all day long.

When it comes to the oil spill he is, pardon the pun, a fish out of water. He is not an engineer. I am sure he is as flummoxed as we would be in his situation. Just hearing about this day after day must be draining. He can do little more than let the "experts" (if there are any in this situation) come up with a solution, if any exists.

Yes, he should express his outrage but he is also President of the US and cannot afford to make himself look and sound impotent.

There really is nothing more to do at this point than push harder for clean-up and have Holder prepare to bring BP to justice.

[Karmadillo]

2. Kick

nt

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

5. Gee, welcome to DU. Nobody here says he us a "scary black man".

[elocs]

4. I think Americans get it already: Obama is outraged, simply outraged at the whole mess.

If somebody sets my lands on fire I do not want those in charge to be simply outraged by the crime and say they will hold those responsible for the misdeed. I expect them to be doing something about putting out the fire, but at the very least I expect them to look like they are doing all they can to put out the fire.

Concerning Obama and the BP oil spew: perception is huge and the American people had better perceive that he is in charge and doing all he can do.

In a year from now how will Americans perceive how Obama handled this disaster? I don't know of any Republicans who can bring themselves to admit that Bushco mishandled Katrina, but in the future could Democrats admit that Obama dropped the ball with BP and that lead to Democratic losses? (Again, what matters the most even if Obama is doing all he can is if too many Americans perceive that he dropped the ball.)

[Bluebear]

6. Surprised. No "Robert Reich is a kaka poopoohead" yet

;)

[undeterred]

7. Obama doesn't show much feeling.

He doesn't raise his voice or change his tone much when saying something is outrageous. That's not calculated, its who he is. But it makes it kind of hard to believe he's outraged even when he tells us he is. His voice doesn't match the emotion he is describing.