Obama finding scapegoat for oil spill
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As United States President Barack Obama presses BP harder, he has started shifting the burden of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the British government. On June 12, Obama told British Prime Minister David Cameron that the United Kingdom should pay for the cleanup costs and compensation claims.
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Of course compensation is what concerns Americans, but Obama pressed BP and the British government because he wants to divert attention. Under great public pressure, the Obama administration needs to find a way to divert all the anger toward BP so that the administration can achieve its goals.
As efforts to contain the leak have failed, the American public and press have started criticizing Obama and his administration. A number of problems have been cited, including poor supervision before the spill, insufficient evaluations and sluggish reactions to the event. Before all of that, Obama's reopening of off-shore oil drilling made many people feel that Obama's compromising style was narrow-sighted. Many allege that he compromised on national interests by passing the bill.
It seems that Obama will get similar treatment to what former-President George W. Bush received for "Katrina-gate." Now, Obama must do PR crisis management work. This will not only curb the damage but also make BP look culpable. Fortunately for Obama, unlike Bush, he can find the exact target to blame. Bush could not lash at the hurricane.
Obama said, "I know whose ass to kick." The Obama administration told BP to pay for all the damages resulting from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The fact that the oil spill is affecting the U.S. is bad news for BP. If it affected other countries, BP would have the chance to bargain. But facing the powerful U.S., things are different. It is difficult to soothe the American public and media.
Finding the oil spill's culprit doesn't mean that the Obama administration will not have to pay a price. The midterm election is looming, and the oil spill may cost the Democrats votes and, subsequently, seats in congress.
The US media have argued that the oil spill will become Obama's Katrina. Some say it will deal a devastating blow to his political career. Many now blame Obama for speaking too much and doing too little.
As the oil comes closer to the shore, the public is examining Obama's ability to handle crises. If the oil spill remains unsettled, the public will not forget about the crisis. After all, the oil slick has affected the environment, tourism and the economy – major interests of the American public.
Not long ago, election experts who sided with Democrats were optimistic about the midterm election and predicted that unless something bad happens, the Democrats would lose only a small number of seats. Unfortunately for the Democrats, oil in the Gulf started to gush. Like the Obama administration, these experts didn't realize the severity of the oil spill when it started.
