Is it time for Obama to tell the American people the whole truth about the oil spill?

[IndianaGreen]

Poll question: Is it time for Obama to tell the American people the whole truth about the oil spill?

Time to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!

Obama Knew the Spill Was Hopeless

by Richard Wolffe

As the president visits the Gulf anew, Richard Wolffe reports that he was first briefed in April on how bad the spill would be. Plus: the real reason the White House is so mad at Carville—and why Obama would rather talk about the economy.

Critics have bashed President Obama for being slow to seize the political initiative in combating the BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast, now widely believed to be the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. The White House has battled back, releasing a timeline of events showing that Obama was briefed—and deploying the Coast Guard—within 24 hours of the Deepwater Horizon blowout.

What has not been previously disclosed: The president was not only briefed on the real-time events of the spill, but also on just how bad it would be—and how hard it would be to plug the hole.

Carol Browner, director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, told Obama at one of the earliest briefings in late April that the blowout would likely lead to an unprecedented environmental disaster, senior White House aides told The Daily Beast. Browner warned that capping a well at such depths had never been done before, and that they ought to expect an oil spill that would continue until a relief well was drilled in August, the aide said.

That early briefing on the scope of the spill—and enormous technical challenges involved in fixing it—might help explain the sense of fatalism that has infused Obama's team from the start.

Little that has happened since has changed their mind-set. Now six weeks later, the president’s top advisers expect the oil spill—and the negative stories—to continue through August.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-04/obama-briefed-in-april-by-carol-browner-on-how-bad-bp-spill-was-/

The question for DUers:

Should Obama tell the American people the whole truth about this disaster and its impact on the planet?

[sagetea]

1. DUH!

It's waaaay past time, for us to learn the truth about everything!

Ho
sage

[ProSense]

2. "Obama Knew the Spill Was Hopeless"

President Obama knew the spill was hopeless?

How likely is that? He probably knew it was going to be a significant challenge, but hopeless?

This sounds like Wolfe's characterization.

Want to know what the President thinks? Here's his weekly address.

[IndianaGreen]

6. You just don't get it, do you?

No one listens to Presidential radio addresses.

[elocs]

13. You mean that people don't gather the family together and huddle around the radio

to listen to the President's weekly address??? :shrug:

[golfguru]

27. Yes they do....those with fireplaces and

enough wood logs.

[Clio the Leo]

17. a lot of people don't listen to what the president says, you're right about that.

[Jamastiene]

3. If he had done that from the get go, he would be a hero

to the left and middle in all this. The right is always unhappy no matter what a Democrat does. So, they don't matter.

He still has a chance to make things right, if he decides he wants to. He'll need help temporarily blindfolding, gagging, and tying up his advisors first though.

[ProSense]

8. The President: My fellow Americans it's hopeless, we're doomed.

Response: Bravo, tell 'em Mr. President. Now that's the guy I voted for.

Plausible?

[IndianaGreen]

11. as opposed to Hayley Barbour's 'don't worry, be happy?'

I'll take the one who tells it like it is.

[ProSense]

12. "I'll take the one who tells it like it is."

"Hopeless" and "doomed" is telling it like it is?

Haley Barbour is a moron who is trying to downplay the spill in the interest of the oil industry and to prove that government isn't really needed.

[truedelphi]

21. But let's all admit it - he'd get plenty of help with the blindfolding,

Gagging and tying up of his advisors first.

I for one would be happy to blindfold, gag, and toss into an unlit closet one Rahm Emmanuel. And I bet I'd get plenty of help and mucho offers of rope!

[Jamastiene]

24. I'm already in the Rahm Emmanuel line

If we share our turns, maybe they'll give us twice as long with him. :evilgrin:

[truedelphi]

35. !!!!!

LOL at that image...

[stray cat]

4. That we are waiting for aliens to come and save us or think Obama is divinity?

That DU truth?

[IndianaGreen]

7. Politicians often misjudge the intelligence of the American people

Tell people the hard truth, and they will follow you.

Lie to them, and they will turn on you.

[amborin]

43. Obama also needs to be honest about the jobless "recovery" instead of saying the economy is on track

[truedelphi]

37. See the entire video in my sig line.

"BP Fails Booming School"

According to the woman who is most familar and rather an authority on the booming operations, not a single boom in place is doing anything of value in terms of stopping the oil from hitting marshes and the coast lines.

And maybe, just maybe if some President has been all "Drill Baby Drill," as Obama had been eighteen days before the Catastrophe hit, he might have EXAMINED what "for ShiT" policies existed in terms of "clean up."

Such an examination would have offered an insight into getting the oil Companies to see that the available booming equipment and training existed.

There are housewives and house husbands out there who plan a weekend camping trip with more care and over sight than our Presidents have managed with regards to Oil Drilling, and Oil Spill Catastrophe clean up. (I include both Bush Presidencies, and the eight years of Clinton in my blame list as well.)

Obama and his people were VERY CAREFUL in regards to knowing how to run their winning Presidential campaign. If the same care and concern had gone into oversight of the Oil Companies and the environmental results of accidents - we might not be where we are now. It is now raining "rain" in New Mexico that smells like oil...

[jwirr]

5. He should go on the Maddow show while she is still at the Gulf and

lay out the history of this well, especially the way it was given permission to drill even though it does not have a good record of safe drilling and then go into the prognosis for the future. Truth is the only way we are going to deal with this from reality. The people down in the Gulf states need to know this most of all because they need to start rebuilding their lives instead of expecting things to go back to normal no matter what BP says.

[depakid]

9. +1

It's all coming out anyway. Best to "pull the teeth of the tiger," as lawyers say.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Only cable audiences watch Maddow

This disaster, and it is a disaster, requires a national audience, and demands the absolute truth, including saying what we don't know and what we can't fix.

[jaxx]

14. And no one listens to the radio addresses by the president,

but they all read Wolffe. That's interesting.

Any president who would come out shouting it's hopeless would be a damn fool.

[jwirr]

16. Telling the truth is different than saying something is hopeless. We

need to know where we are at before we can start to make future plans. FUTURE - HOPE.

[Clio the Leo]

18. he should do them with Lady Gaga.....

.... or just have Lady Gaga do them.

(see I have suggestions for the President from time to time.)

[jwirr]

15. Didn't think about that - I was just thinking that Rachel is so smart

and could help to present the whole picture for us.

[Forkboy]

19. Hmmm...who in this thread could have voted no?

That's a tough one to figure out....

[karynnj]

20. He should have months ago

People do value honesty and being treated as "grown ups".

It seems that early on, it was clear that the process that had the greatest chance of fixing this was the relief well - but that takes 3 months. The Obama administration did good requiring they drill two in parallel. This greatly reduced the chance of not having a solution to stopping it in three months. (They are independent - so if the failure rate was 5% with one, it would be .25% with two. ) They also were involved in brainstorming immediate ways to stop or reduce it and to try to clean it up.

Where they were bad, was in what had been Obama's strongest suit - speaking to the country.

It would not be a pleasant speech. He would be immediately telling us the worst case, but he would be speaking of what the plan is - the relief wells, ad hoc solutions, and clean up. It is always good practice to be the one defining the problem and calmly providing a competent plan - even if the situation is bad. Not doing this, the bad news still creeps up on you and people later feel you did not tell them the whole story.

[Jennicut]

22. And no one knew this how? It was posted by many here on DU that it

probably would not be stopped until the relief well was done. We needed Obama to tell us that? It is 5000 feet deep. Ixtoc was shallower and took longer. Go ask an engineer...it would be a miracle to have stopped it before the relief wells are done. Go ask MineralMan on the GD board. He was posting about this two weeks ago.

[ProSense]

23. "we're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster."

"we're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster."

He has repeated it often. He's been challenged on it too because of Ixtoc, but that occurred at 160 feet, not 5,000.

[Jennicut]

25. It boggles my mind that people wouldn't know this would be

near impossible to stop. We can drill 5000, even 8000 feet under water (Perdido) but we as a country and even the world lack the ability to control massive leaks that deep. Perhaps we all need to rethink even drilling in water that deep...and Obama put a moratorium on deeper drilling for that reason.

[golfguru]

28. I could'nt agree more with Obama's decision

to put a moratorium on all deep water drilling..
But how far does US authority for that goes?

How about other countries and other regions of the world?

As far as I know, the oceans are inter-connected.

[Jennicut]

29. Not something we can control except putting pressure on other countries.

Not that they listen to us...our track record was shoddy on everything the last few years before Obama came in.

[golfguru]

33. Not a chance China & Russia will stop drilling in deep water

I understand several countries are already drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

[boppers]

26. Other.

There is no hidden "truth" to be told, except by people who want to push a specific narrative.

[MadMaddie]

30. When he does all hell will break lose.

You know it and I know it.

Some Americans know it's bad but I think it's time for all Americans to understand how bad it is.

[agentS]

31. We all knew it was hopeless after it started

It's not like the President would have told us something we already didn't know. Most experts on broadcast and cable and Internet have been saying that the relief well is the only true solution to this disaster and that August is the target month. What people have NOT been saying enough is how BP is gonna build relief wells in the middle of an active hurricane season.

So I can't really get mad at the president for being a little optimistic here.

As far as Planetary impact goes, the jury is still out on that. I think it's time to worry when tar balls start appearing in NYC and Southhampton.

[killbotfactory]

32. I knew it was hopeless

The only thing we can do is punish BP into oblivion (which won't stop the leak) and make other rigs conform to better regulations until we wean ourselves from the oil tit.

There is no good solution to this. It is severely depressing. Obama will take the blame for the failures and corruption of the past decade.

[NoPasaran]

34. There should be a "Truth? You can't handle the truth!" option

[AtomicKitten]

36. It was obvious the oilcano was a hopeless situation.

I understand your desire to paint Obama as a big fat liar but, really, it doesn't take a genius to understand the gravity of this scenario.

[truedelphi]

39. I think a whole lot of people want to know why it was so "hopeless"

Listen to the video in my "sig line." That woman recounts how it is possible to get any amount of oil cleaned up just by using the booming equipment. That if BP was laying out the booming equipment properly, it could all be taken care of.

But although BP is putting out millions of feet of booming - none of it is being done correctly. Why? Rachel Madodw is now understanding how the booming efforts are half assed and don't work.

Olmos (He played the teacher in "Stand and Deliver") he is saying on talk shows that the fishermen who normally would be out on the water fishing want to be out there cleaning things up. Many have gone and taken the "booming' classes and have other knowledge and equipment that could be used.

But just like with Katrina, all these people are not being allowed to help. They call BP and ask to help and are told "no!." Why?

It makes a person believe that the Elite are really into Kissinger's suggestion that the whole point is to eliminate as much of humanity as possible.

[AtomicKitten]

45. Rachel's coverage of this disaster has been spectacular.

The "hopeless" part has to do with realizing this thing will not be stopped until relief wells are drilled. The question is why aren't oil companies required to drill a relief well concomitantly. What has become apparent to those that didn't suspect it from the onset is that BP has no clue how to clean up after themselves.

Rachel has been http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/04/rachel-maddow-nominated-f_n_600523.html">nominated for a TV Critics Award for excellence. I hope the powers that be are listening to her now. The defense on shore is woefully inadequate.

Locals are also pressing Obama to open offshore drilling (in "shallow" waters) because they http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703303904575292210472764880.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth">need jobs, and he is being pressed by environmentalists to maintain the moratorium. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.

[truedelphi]

47. I am loving how Rachel is handling her coverage of this disaster.

I do hope she cleans up in the award department for her oil-spill "non-clean-up" coverage. It is most excellent.

As far as Obama, his first priority should be to get this leak stopped. And that means that the booming material should be being set up correctly. The relief wells take months to complete - we have tos top the oil before then.

BP and Fat Thad Allen (Coast Guard official) should be made to step aside.

He also should be able to multi-task it. When you look at how Bill Clinton took charge in terms of hurricane response and then look at the lame-assed response we have had ever since he left office, by Bush with Brownie, and now Obama with Fat Thad Allen, one has to wonder. Was Clinton just that much better/smarter at delegating?

And several of his emergency responses occurred when he was being impeached. Talk about multi-tasking...

Also, and here is a big difference - Bill Clinton did not simply appoint committees. He appointed task forces. They were ACTIVE, not passive in terms of whatever field of endeavor in which they had oversight going on. Some of this oversight was handled by Al Gore as well.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

38. Should Obama tell the American people the truth about chemtrails?

[treestar]

40. Why isn't this demanded of any BP officials?

In fact, why don't you tell us, since you seems to "know" there is something Obama is allegedly hiding?

[TheKentuckian]

42. It is but no one believes or cares what they say after all their lies and ineptitude

Also, by letting BP have it the Administration allowed it's self to get tied to them and appear to endorse BP's handling of the effort.

[jeanpalmer]

41. What I would like to have seen him discuss

was the cleanup effort. It could have been an ongoing daily briefing of the people regarding how far the oil had spread, what efforts were being made to capture the oil, what kind of techniques were available, what resources were being used, what was capable of being done and what was not. There should have been a massive effort to collect the oil, but hardly anything was done. IMO Obama should have made the Gulf his primary residence until this disaster was over. It's the greatest challenge facing the country currently, and he has the responsibility for supervising the overall effort. He could have tripped back to Washington or elsewhere as needed. If he had done that, people would generally agree that he was doing everything possible to solve the problem.

[amborin]

44. +1000 all that, plus ensusring that BP cooperates with scientists, allows measurement, etc...

[jeanpalmer]

46. Yep, as it he

he jets down there for a day for photo op, meets a few local people, and leaves. That doesn't impress people. If he spent some real time there, it would show some real concern, even if there wasn't much he could do. People would say "He's interested and doing everything he can." There are many things he could do there, but mainly showing that the government at the highest level is very concerned.

He's getting bad advice again, treating this as a political issue that has to be managed politically as opposed to a human tragedy like a hurricane where the leader shows up, rolls up his sleeves, and gets to work. As a result, he comes off as too aloof and not caring. The whole "kick some ass" thing was juvenile.

[amborin]

48. agree! this is not a political issue, it's a highest priority humanitarian & environmental catastro

that warrents brave and bold leadership; Americans' hearts would brim with pride at a president who had the courage to deal with this properly; it's another historic juncture in our nation's trajectory, an opportunity to put Americans and our compromised culture on a new and humane track; it's a chance to convince us to realign our values and priorities, and hand in hand with that it's an opportunity to launch a massive green jobs program, hinging on alternative energy technologies, etc.


does Obama have this historic courage?????

[IndianaGreen]

49. K&R because of Obama's upcoming speech on Gulf Disaster

The poll question is still valid:

The question for DUers:

Should Obama tell the American people the whole truth about this disaster and its impact on the planet?

[SarahB]

50. He's done and is doing the same thing on the economy. nt