Obama's Oil Speech Strong on Rhetoric, Short on Answers

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"...wisdom of the earth..." Sheesh! Another neo-pantheist - Must be from Boulder (San Francisco East). Say Dan, what time is the human sacrifice to Gaia? Tell me, do you chant the Environmentalist Creed; "All forms of human endeavor are evil. The only acceptable interactions between humans and nature are; conservation, restoration, preservation and veneration."?

You guys don't burn non-believers at the stake do ya? Not eco-friendly at all - the carbon footprint has to be prohibitive. Maybe turn the apostates into mulch or humus for your organic garden - I'm sure that would be keeping with, "the wisdom of the earth".

Remember, Environmentalism has become the State Religion and "Going Green" has gone too far - way over the edge, too far. I'm talkin' green banners leading us back to the caves.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 10:47PM June 16, 2010

Obama has an agenda and won't waste a crisis to forward it, no matter what the cost to who..

We import oil from shale from Canada, while we have it sleeping here. Putting Canadians to work while laying our people off. Is it just me, or what ?

If anyone thinks we can power an economy of 320 million people any time soon with windmills, solar panels, wave machines or anything else ( corn ) is crazy and living in eurphoria.

This " green " crap is going to kill us and our economy. There's a time and a place for it, it just ain't now and not until it's cost effective

Hunter of WI 10:37PM June 16, 2010

Only Canada has more shale oil than us. America # 1 in natural gas in World. T. Bone Perkins said.

Until new discovers, alternate energy is a pipe dream.

Bill Hedges of MO 7:37PM June 16, 2010

That was the most un-Presidential speech I have ever seen and it came from the Oval Office?

There was no confidence, vision, or solution to the problem. All I got was someone trying to not let a crisis go to waste by using it to forward what he thinks is best for the country.

I don’t think that Mr. Obama has a firm grasp of the office he holds, and the power and influence it has on the nation and the world. Our enemies saw a weak, unsure leader of the United States. I wonder what that does for their motivation?

God willing, he will only serve one term and than we can start repairing the damage that he has done and will do.

Larry of CA 6:52PM June 16, 2010

Utilizing Sustainable Energy Sources, Creating Green Market Jobs, Weening our dependancy to limited resource fossil fuels is the only choice. It's too bad the corporotacracy destroyed Jimmy Carter after his Sustainable Energy Speech in '77. If special intrests contrary to the wisdom of the earth continue to corrupt reason... The United States of America will soon be without fuel for our cars, heat for our homes and food on our grocer's shelves. President Obama is a good man who is taking on the most difficult position in the world. It'd be better to spend energy encouraging his actions through positive thoughts and visualizations than to disenchant his efforts with negative words.

Dan Rose of CO 5:22PM June 16, 2010

As an American, I am proud of President Obama and I am very happy to see BP make a strong move in the direction of corporate responsibility. If BP and the Whitehouse are able to continue hammering out the details, and everyone is reasonably compensated, I think this will go a long way toward establishing a model for corporate responsibility and government facilitation.

-Those who wish to continue to take jabs at our president, who has clearly shown leadership and a willingness to negotiate hard with this business, are unrealistic and simply dislike the man.

-Those who wish to continue to rail against BP, in spite of the fact that it has made this great stride toward improving its commitment to the people of the Gulf states and the United States, are simply unreasonable.

This is progress. No one will escape harm in this mess. We all use the oil, we all share the resource and everyone will lose something: the Gulf stakeholders, BP corporation, its shareholders, and the US taxpayers. However, it is very clear that sincere and strong efforts are being made to ensure fairness and accountability.

I am proud of President Obama and I think BP deserves respect for stepping forward, taking a leadership role and making a significant commitment to corporate responsibility in this negotiation.

Wouldn't it be nice if all corporations would look at this situation as a model for their behavior, when faced with disastrous problems, in the future?

Edward of CA 4:51PM June 16, 2010

Whilst BP acts as the “whipping boy” of Nobel Laureate Barack Obama, why is it that the bankers have not been brought to book in the same manner? Although BP are being made to pay a $20 billion first instalment fund for the environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, why is that the bankers are let off scot-free? Indeed, according to the World Bank press release (21 April 2010) global bank losses have amounted to $2.26 Trillion and where the dire effects on personal wealth loss of the financial meltdown on people across the world is in excess of $6 trillion and counting, Why is it that the banks and bankers are not being treated likewise to that of BP? On the numbers crunching analysis the banks should be paying back to the people of the world trillions of dollars but where nothing is done or said about this huge catastrophe that is over 400-times larger than the BP disaster. Indeed with tens of millions of lives ruined and unemployment increases due to the banker’s actions counted in tens of millions across the world through the greed of the banks, why are the banks not taken though the international courts for crimes against humanity? For in this respect economic tragedies inflict far greater harm on people than any military conflict, as they continue to affect the lives of people for decades to come. Considering this truism therefore, the banks should be made to pay in their form of blood, literally trillions of US dollars for as many years as it takes. Please therefore Mr. Obama just don’t pick on the minnows of this world like BP when compared to the banks, but pick on the real sharks of human desolation, the global banking system that created the largest disaster in the history on humankind. Where is the true and real justice in this world one has to ask?

Dr David Hill

Executive Director

World Innovation Foundation Charity

Marktgasse 38, Postfach CH-3000 Bern 7, Switzerland

Dr David Hill 4:44PM June 16, 2010

The President has generally disappointed the nation since his taking office. This is not a news flash!

Carl Mangine of TX 4:06PM June 16, 2010

Why didn't BHO turn his eviro attack dogs loose on the oil companies before the spill? He had 15 months to tighten up the regulations left over by the previous administration.

Acoustic shut-off valves should have been in place and the prez had 15 months to mandate compliance.

Funny how the spill is promoting Obama's green-socialist agenda. What a fortunate coincidence. Yup, seems there's a silver lining to every crisis.

Oh wait... Did I say something wrong?

R.L. Schaefer of CA 4:06PM June 16, 2010

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Peter Roff

Peter Roff

Peter Roff is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report. Formerly a senior political writer for United Press International, he’s now affiliated with several public policy organizations including Let Freedom Ring, and Frontiers of Freedom. His writing has appeared in National Review, Fox News’ opinion section, The Daily Caller, Politico and elsewhere. Follow him on Twitter @PeterRoff.

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