Obama's Oil Spill "Battle" Metaphor Runs Into Problems

AP

Last night from the Oval Office - a solemn setting often used by presidents to address issues of war and other national emergencies - President Obama described his "battle plan" against the oil spill in the Gulf. Earlier in the day, at Naval Air Station Pensacola before a raucous crowd of more than 3,000 cheering troops, he also evoked an image of war: "This is an assault on our shores and we're gonna fight back with everything that we've got."

There are, however, a few problems with the combat metaphor.

First - ask local officials in the Gulf region if the federal government really is fighting back with everything the government's got - 8 weeks after this "war" began - and most will tell you the answer is an emphatic "no."

They say there's not enough boom to keep the oil out of fragile marshlands, not enough skimmers to scoop it up before it reaches the beaches. And now states are starting to fight among themselves for resources, with Louisiana officials fretting that they'll be directed toward the famous and pristine beaches of Florida.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Another problem with the combat metaphor: if this is war, the enemy is that hole in bottom of the gulf - and it's unleashing a constant stream of fire and the president is helpless to stop it. War against an opponent that can't be subdued is not an image that inspires confidence. (watch the speech at left)

Finally, when you go to war, ideally you do so with allies you can count on. The president's ally in the war against the oil pouring into the gulf is BP. But - by political necessity -- the president has treated them more as an enemy than an ally. Ever since he finally became "fully engaged" in this crisis about 2 weeks ago, the president has delivered a steady stream of attacks on BP - including last night's accusation that they've acted "recklessly."

The president's meeting today at the White House with BP executives was arranged largely to show he's on the attack - against a foreign company that has become public enemy number 1.

For the president it's not an easy balancing act, going to war against BP - or kicking their ass, as he recently put it -- while simultaneously hoping that they'll save his.

More Coverage of Obama's Speech:

Obama: We Will Fight Oil Spill With Everything We Got
Watch the Speech
Full Text of Obama's Speech
Mark Knoller: Obama Offers Strong Words But No Magic Formula
Daniel Farber: Obama Treads Water and Oil in the Oval Office
Reaction: What Happened to Cap and Trade?
Sen. Vitter: Still No Urgency in Gulf Coast Response
Energy Reform Remains Stalled on Capitol Hill
Fact Check: Gaps in Obama's Oil Spill Speech
CBSNews.com Special Report: Disaster in the Gulf

12 Photos

Obama Visits the Gulf Coast

---

Chip Reid is CBS News' chief White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here.

[formerdem-2009]

"Ever since he finally became "fully engaged" in this crisis about 2 weeks ago, the president has delivered a steady stream of attacks on BP - including last night's accusation that they've acted "recklessly."

This sentence pretty much says it all!!! Our "Comedian-in-Chief" asleep at the wheel again until axleboob sees it affecting Barry's poll numbers and tells him it's time to fire up the telepromter boss. BP may have been reckless leading up to the accident and YES should have been better prepared to respond to it. Your "day one" responce is to monitor the situation and send swat teams put Holder on a plane? Please tell me is wasn't you that thought that one up.

[RobAla]

It is absolutely irresponsible to stop the drilling because of one poorly operated (and poorly inspected by the federal government) oil rig. Our immediate needs are to:
1) Stop the oil leak
2) Clean up the environmental disaster
This was not the focus of this President?s message. Punishing BP or slashing oil production does nothing to address this emergency.

FACT: The US is highly dependent on oil as a source of energy.
FACT: No alternative source of "green fuel" has been found to meet our energy needs.

To stop the drilling would result in the following:
1) The US would be even more dependent on middle-eastern countries for our fuel.
2) One out of ten people in this nation are without work. To force oil workers out of work would add to the horrible unemployment problem.
3) The lack of oil jobs in the gulf coast region would further economically cripple an area of the nation which is already suffering due to the oil on the coast.
4) The price of oil products would sky rocket. Americans are already hurting.
5) The US would be crippled regarding our production which is based on oil use. We are already in a recession.

This is the most ill conceived plan I have every heard from a President. He is simply using a national disaster to further his political agenda. He certainly isn?t helping anyone.

[jgg000101]

personally, I had a bigger problem with obama comparing the leak to 9/11.

[CubbieCohen]

As our British soldiers fight shoulder to shoulder with American troops in Afghanistan, I feel it's sad, and demoralizing, for the American president to be spouting anti-British rhetoric. BP is 40% American owned. We should be pulling together to resolve the consequences of this terrible accident.

No one believed the Union Carbide disaster was the fault of ordinary American people so why is the President pointing the finger at ordinary British people.

I thought President Obama was supposed to be a great orator. His recent crude comments were embarrassing, and certainly not befitting the holder of the highest office in the world.

[cattiej]

What happened to the CBS story about Obama's aunt, the women who has been here illegally for the past 8 years, living in public housing in New York? These stories seem to disappear very fast off the internet. Wonder why? I also wonder how many of Obama's other realatives came here illegally from other countries and are here to stay, courtsey of Obama.

[GrannyCares]

BIG QUESTION: Does President Obama have any idea of what he is doing? Perhaps a larger question is: Does he really care??

THE PRESIDENT MISSED, REPEAT MISSED A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHEN SPEAKING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FROM THE OVAL OFFICE!

He FAILED to address the following to the folks in the Gulf, and the rest of the Nation:

*What action is being take to 'FILL THE HOLE", and what is a time line for that to happen?

*What 'fast track' system has Team Obama established for the governors of the four states to get their 'spill requirements' through the federal bureaucracy?

*When he would announce a waiver of an old law (Jones Law) precluding foreign vessels to operate in US waters, to enable a vast increase of skimmers in the Gulf? Why did he turn down offers of assistance -- EARLY ON -- by European countries??

Why did he not develop and implement a fast track system to inspect off shore drill rigs, to have inspections completed by end July, where thousands of oil field and allied workers can GET BACK TO WORK? His failure to act immediately may result in the rigs (and jobs) falling into the arms of China, Africa, South America, and Europe. Is this what he really wants?

*Why did he fail to come clean on the Department of Interior?s culpability? If he continues to ?beat up on BP?, they could have a hey day with Team Obama in court.

*Why he has failed to include FEMA as part of the greater effort?

* And, if he were seriously upset with the spill, WHY DID HE NOT ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF OVER $900,000 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION HE RECEIVED FROM BP??

President Obama brought a new meaning to "A DAY LATE, AND A DOLLAR SHORT" on June 15.

Instead of using this opportunity to outline concrete actions to help the people of the Gulf, and the rest of the Nation, he elected to pursue his own agenda, and 'NOT LET A GOOD CRISIS GO TO WASTE!"

[kenhamlett]

So far it is clear that BP is an enemy. If they ever cap that well like they should have at the start of this they might become an ally.
Obama can only do so much unless and until the government has to take control of BP, manage the cleanup and finally to dissolve its right to do business in the USA ever again.

[NinthSt78]

The President is handling things in a very professional, intelligent way. If the waitress accidentally spills a cup of coffee in someone's lap, do we tell her to stop serving coffee all together, or do we recognize that one in a while it is bound to happen? Are too many of our friends fussing about the worm in the apple when perhaps we should be looking at things in the way Newton did when the apple fell out of the tree and woke him up? We know how much oil came out of ONE well there. How many wells in that area would it take to totally eliminate our dependence on imported oil from foreign sources?

[larry0304]

Well by "professional" I guess you mean partying at the white house with McCartney and friends, or hosting basketball teams while your director of MMS is being fired and then not knowing about it, or playing some golf, or attending fund raisers while a memorial for the dead is going on, then yes by all means-very professional.

It's just some of us are looking for a tad bit more than that.......

[maakahill]

He's intellectual ways shows no LEADERSHIP! There's a big difference in lecturing in a classroom and the real world. He's facing a real world issue and doesn't know how to LEAD, just appearing "very professional, intelligent way" doesn't hold water or oil for that matter. Obama is incapable of leading our great nation, since he's always in campaign mode...

[scootervanneuter]

My staff has obtained a copy of the White House "battle plan" - here's the story:

http://peacemoonbeam.typepad.com/scooters_report/2010/06/obama-address-bp-sucks-i-have-a-plan.html

[010sonny]

This is going to be a long process, going into decades into the future. Monetary payments for damages to be expected. Those funds will be assimilated to a variety of agencies and will dissipate without any long lasting benefits. We could increase the benefit factor to our communities for immediate and long term benefits. Installations of windmills to the various local communities that have been infected. Employment and materials to be garnished from the local communities. Energies derived to be distributed by those communities. Maintenance support, furnished from those communities and to any future endeavors for alternative energies that may result from this scenario, as any future hidden losses may come to arise to support additional expansions. The more errors in black the more green for us.