President Obama Visits Louisiana for a 3rd Time Since the BP Oil Spill
EmailGRAND ISLE, LA. — President Obama will touch down in New Orleans later today, where he’ll meet with some Gulf state governors and be briefed by the National Incident Commander for Deepwater BP oil spill response, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, on the latest attempts to “plug the damn hole,” as Mr. Obama once put it, and to mitigate the environmental damage.
This visit to Grand Isle will differ from last week’s considerably. Unlike last week’s trip down here, President Obama is making a point today of meeting with local residents – not just their public officials. The mayor of Grand Isle, David Carmadelle, is putting together a group of locals with whom the president will meet.
Also on tap: the president will visit a staging area where boom is prepared for deployment. He will also meet with a Department of Homeland Security official who is helping people get their claims paid by BP.
This crisis is shaking up his schedule and impacting his agenda. Today’s trip was hastily arranged, and President Obama spoke last night with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia, and with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to express his deep regret that he’s postponing – for a second time — his trip to their countries that was scheduled for later this month so as to focus on this crisis, among other items on his crowded day planner.
The damage is getting worse. Dr. Doug Inkley, senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, says the 29 stranded dolphins are 2 to 6 times the normal rate of dolphin strandings; and the 244 endangered & threatened sea turtle strandings in the spill area is 6 to 9 times the average rate.
As you may have seen on Good Morning America, the Grand Isle beach now has a thick orange water-filled dam to block oil and tar balls from proceeding further up the beach.
Watch our report here:
– Jake Tapper
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Well what can you say..he has done nothing so far , leadership none. But the j ass is quick top blame the other guy 8 years ago. Has anyone experienced the “change” yet. Positive isn’t it ?? LAMO
Posted by: Frank | June 4, 2010, 9:20 am 9:20 am
Well thank goodness Obama can fake emotion. He’s an oily slick politician so he should fit in nicely there.
Posted by: Mario | June 4, 2010, 9:34 am 9:34 am
He goes ONLY after the nation voices its opinion on him and him making toime for hlloywood over this. Why does not Obama ask for the oil sweeper that Norway has offered? Why is he letting the oil hit the coast when this tanker could help stop it? Does he need a crisis to help his poll numbers
Posted by: Jim Rod | June 4, 2010, 9:35 am 9:35 am
His trip down their has to be done – enough of the people he works for are demanding it. But as an American, I’m frankly embarrassed by this demand for him to go down there and look angry. Grow up folks. The guy he put in charge over a month ago is not Heckuva Job Brownie – he’s the very competent guy who ended up replacing him. The reality is there is nothing more the Feds can do – a stunning success of the Republican “starve the beast” efforts of the last three decades.
Posted by: jhw539 | June 4, 2010, 10:18 am 10:18 am
He should just stay away as its a fake for him.The last time which the news did not report. He came The Feds send people there in whites to clean uo,1hour before he came then dismissed them after he left. LOL.What a joker.Then he pretended to be angry LOL.He was probably planning another white house party.This man us entirly USLESS>
Posted by: Joeray | June 4, 2010, 10:25 am 10:25 am
If it wasn’t for Jindle voicing his anger at the government Obama wouls still be sitting on their hands waiting for polls and for the people to say uncle. I bet the audience is screened, questions fed, and smiling Obama supporters everwhere. BP screwed up, but if the government didn’t force oil companies to drill in a mile of water, this would not have happened.
Posted by: vetman | June 4, 2010, 10:30 am 10:30 am
“but if the government didn’t force oil companies to drill in a mile of water, this would not have happened”
Yeah right, environmentalists are ultimately responsible for the oil spill in Righty-World, just like affordable housing caused the financial crisis….more and more people are seeing through this baloney all the time. It’s going to be funny to watch you try and convince people who live in Gulf coast states that things will be so much better if we only let oil companies drill closer to shore.
Posted by: Skip | June 4, 2010, 10:59 am 10:59 am
who the hell are you rooting for and what specifically are any of you complainers doing to help except parroting falin palin
Posted by: getoffuras | June 4, 2010, 11:08 am 11:08 am
things will be so much better if we only let oil companies drill closer to shore.
Posted by: Skip
—
A good portion of those folks in the Gulf Coast states work in the oilfield, on & offshore, and the many connected services. They’re just “thrilled” with the drilling regs as they are. They just can’t wait to see what’s coming. Are happier than hell with the drilling moratorium.
They have no love for oil companies.
And they and their families vote!
(Those shrimp boat crews? Half of them are roughnecks in the off season!)
Posted by: smartlillena | June 4, 2010, 11:21 am 11:21 am
but if the government didn’t force oil companies to drill in a mile of water, this would not have happened.
vetman | Jun 4, 2010 10:30:21 AM
An old joke recounts how a woman notices a man on his hands and knees searching for something under a streetlamp. “Excuse me?” she asks. “Do you need some help?”
“Oh, yes, I’m looking for my car keys,” he replies, and gestures towards his idle car in the darkness half a block away.
As she kneels down to assist, she inquires, “Where exactly did you lose the keys?”
As he carefully scans the pavement around him, he points off down the block and replies, “Over there by the car.”
She pauses and shoots him a quizzical look. “Then why are you looking over here?” she queries.
“The light’s better.”
…
I’m sure the only reason BP was drilling there was because “the government” forced them.
Posted by: jhw539 | June 4, 2010, 11:37 am 11:37 am
who the hell are you rooting for and what specifically are any of you complainers doing to help except parroting falin palin
Posted by: getoffuras | Jun 4, 2010 11:08:32 AM
=======================================
Palin RISING – Obama FALLING
Very GOOD for AMERICA!
Posted by: Juan | June 4, 2010, 11:49 am 11:49 am
I’m sure the only reason BP was drilling there was because “the government” forced them.
Posted by: jhw539
—
As a matter of fact it did. Or not drill in the Gulf at all.
Posted by: smartlillena | June 4, 2010, 11:50 am 11:50 am
More photo ops……that are absolutely meaningless.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | June 4, 2010, 12:10 pm 12:10 pm
The oil leak… how could it have happened… didn’t anyone realize… weren’t there any failsafe mechanisms… ???
The same questions will be asked soon when the gusher of public debt washes over our economy… Instead of being confined to the Gulf States, the desaster will spread across the entire nation… and far more devastaing…
Posted by: Quo Warranto? | June 4, 2010, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
The same questions will be asked soon when the gusher of public debt washes over our economy…
_________________________________
Public debt? What about private debt? The entire economy of the country was built on debt during the Bush administration. Crash!
Posted by: tierra | June 4, 2010, 1:37 pm 1:37 pm
Waiting to hear the President speak. It’s time to stop BP from going from plan to plan to plan, I’ve lost count is it Plan D or Plan E! They can’t fix this catastrophe, obviously. While BP is trying and trying, our animals, wetlands and communities are DYING! Why not fire them and bring in another BIG OIL COMPANY? Treat it like a baseball game! They’re already past STRIKE THREE! WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO CAN DO WHAT THE “BEST MINDS BP CAN FIND IN THE COUNTRY” CAN’T SEEM TO DO!
Posted by: Cheryl | June 4, 2010, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
It is absolutley horrible that there isnt a plan in place to fix this problem. Imagine if more of these wells explode like this… Our government obviously isnt equipped to handle such a catastrophe. And remember the republican rally cry is LESS government. … Our president SHOULD be seeking out the best and brightest minds to fix this problem,but obviously there needs to be stronger fail safe mechanisms in place after this gets contained.
Posted by: TV | June 4, 2010, 4:30 pm 4:30 pm
The change is that this president isnt acting like everything is ok like the previous president….. This one actually tells the truth…. I think so many of Obama’s haters are folk that like to be lied to and led astray…. He knows this is a difficult problem to fix, and even though I want him to fix it NOW,this is OBVIOUSLY a job for great scientific minds and stellar equipment…. If you have an idea and the suggestive equipment for the president to fix the problem send that instead of useless critical statements people.
Posted by: TV | June 4, 2010, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
“The entire economy of the country was built on debt during the Bush administration. Crash!”
Tiresome….predictable..
Posted by: Sigmonde | June 5, 2010, 7:13 am 7:13 am