More On The Failure Of Obama...With Caveats

I was watching the Hannity show and he, predictably, ranted on and on about how Obama is nothing but incompetent regarding the oil disaster in the gulf. Okay, let me say up front that while I agree with Hannity's politics and most of his positions, one thing that annoys me is that he sounds like a broken record. I can usually predict which phrases he's going to gravitate toward when criticizing any given Democrat.

Now, Hannity and others keep complaining that the President was way too slow to act, that there were all these opportunities to step in and he didn't. To a large extent, that is certainly true. Obama has largely hidden behind technicalities in law that he, as President, can waive via Executive Order, and there are a number of other things he could have done up front. But what I disagree with Hannity about is exactly what Obama should have been responsible to do. I absolutely think that the Obama administration, which granted BP prior to this incident recognition for they way they were operating, and even previous administrations are guilty for not more closely examining the operations of all offshore drilling platforms. However, ultimately, this is BP's fault. But what Obama is doing is finding every way he can to punish BP -- and through various bits of proposed legislation -- every other oil company for this screw up. Obama pretends to be angry, insults us by using language unbecoming a President, and gets everyone hopped up to go after BP and other oil companies. Lies and deception, that's all he seems to be capable of. He hasn't behaved like the President since the day he took office. What he has done is spent all his time jet-setting, golfing and CAMPAIGNING for his causes. His response to this entire oil disaster has been dismal. Various companies and countries offered all sorts of assistance--like miles upon miles of containment booms. But he declined. People like Hannity believe Obama should have used any and all available/offered means to control this disaster. I don't entirely agree. Here's what should have happened:

The moment the Administration recognized that this oil spill was getting out of control Obama should have immediately met with the top guy at BP. He should have told him -- publicly -- This is your mess and it's getting out of control. We will waive any restrictions preventing you from obtaining whatever resources you need to contain and fix this and you will either engage them ASAP, at your cost, or WE will do it. If WE do it, you will pay dearly because the American people are not going to bear the burden of your mistake. GET TO WORK.

This means that the U.S. wouldn't have been out the cost of any of the cleanup/repair effort, but would have cleared the way--and provided incentive via negative reinforcement--for BP to try everything to keep the spill from escaping into the open gulf. There's no way I would have even hinted that the American people might have to foot the bill on this. But, you see, Obama will not let a good crisis go to waste. I'm convinced he's been calculating his response to this in order to push forward more of his agenda. Toward that end, he's obviously very adept. But when it comes to being Presidential and understanding how to execute policy and influence industry without actually taking it over, the man IS inept.

This is yet another example of how I could have done a much better job than Barrack Obama....as could a great many other conservatives.