The Conversation: Is the Obama Administration in Trouble?

June 3, 2010— -- In any other month, having a meeting with the Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer about her state's controversial immigration law might seem like the biggest political land mine of the day. But not for President Obama, who not only has the worst oil spill in U.S. history to deal with but faces growing criticism of the White House's past dealings with potential Senate candidates.

The White House released a statement this morning defending its actions regarding former Colorado state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff and his bid for the Senate. It had recently come to light that deputy White House chief of staff Jim Messina had reached out to Romanoff before he announced his decision to run to test his potential interest in other job offers.

"Messina wanted to determine if it was possible to avoid a costly battle between two supporters," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, adding that "there was no offer of a job" after Romanoff made it clear he was determined to run.

Meanwhile, as oil continues to spew in the Gulf of Mexico, the White House announced that Obama will return there Friday. The White House has continued to encounter frustration about his handling of the oil spill.

So, in today's Conversation, ABC News' Bill Weir spoke with Politico reporter Alexander Burns about the many issues facing the Obama administration. Is the White House really dealing with the oil crisis in the best possible way? Should it be more transparent about Romanoff and its political backroom dealings? Or is the White House really doing the best it can in the face of a barrage of bad news stories?

All this and more in today's Conversation.