What does President Obama need to do to emerge politically alive after the worst environmental crisis in American history? According to this editorial from Germany’s Financial Times Deutschland, ‘it’s either Obama or BP’ – and if the president fails to get the job done, ‘a reputation for being an indecisive dreamer will stick to Obama permanently.’
The Financial Times Deutschland editorial says in part:
The more we know about BP’s negligent disregard for safety regulations, the way it minimized the disaster from the outset, and how helpless it is in the face of the gushing oil well, the more crucial it is that Obama do his utmost to pressure the company into making amends for its failings. Not only to contain the disaster, but also for the sake of his political future.
The U.S. government had already failed to remedy the obvious conflict of interest within the agency charged with overseeing deepwater drilling. This led to the lax monitoring that enabled BP to glide through with serious safety violations in the first place. If the government now also fails to propel BP toward maximum effort at sealing the underwater leak, a reputation for being an indecisive dreamer will stick to Obama permanently.
Obama is nonetheless left with two means of exerting pressure: image and money. He should use both more effectively than he thus far. The U.S. government should mercilessly make public BP’s acts of negligence – and not allow additional attempts at playing for time. In the coming week, there will be plenty of opportunities to do so: On Tuesday because of the oil spill, Obama will deliver a speech to the nation; on Wednesday, BP’s top executives have been summoned to the White House; and on Thursday, BP CEO Tony Hayward will be questioned by a congressional committee.
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