The American Spectator : A Leak in the Presidency

Text Size

A Leak in the Presidency

By Ross Kaminsky on 6.11.10 @ 6:09AM

His problems are more than a mile wide and at least a mile deep.

Leave it to my wife to come up with a jewelry metaphor for Barack Obama. Obama is, according to my bride, the political equivalent of cubic zirconia. Usually sold to people who love the look of diamonds but can’t afford a real one or are fooled into buying an imposter, cubic zirconia is superficially pretty and appealing. But when subjected to the scrutiny of an expert or when placed under great pressure, the falseness and weakness compared to the real thing become apparent.

The pressure analogy is particularly appropriate given that the source of Barack Obama’s troubles lie a mile under the ocean’s surface, where pressures are about one ton per square inch. The pressure of the situation is causing Obama’s vaunted reputation as “competent” to crack like the false promise it always was.

Unlike the ring that accidentally falls into the garbage disposal and gets crushed, the destruction of Barack Obama’s perceived competency is almost entirely self-inflicted. On May 28, he aggressively placed his own reputation under that literal ton of pressure down at the oil-spewing well-head by saying “I ultimately take responsibility for solving this crisis…I am the president and the buck stops with me.” He was reinforcing his words of a day earlier: “The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort… In case you’re wondering who’s responsible, I take responsibility.”

What kind of CEO would stake his reputation, his power, and perhaps more importantly the reputation of the organization he runs — in Obama’s case, the federal government of the United States — on something over which he has absolutely no control? Would the president of your company “take responsibility” for the Cubs not winning the World Series? (Assuming your company doesn’t own the Cubs, of course.)

As I’m writing this, I’m watching a television ad by BP CEO Tony Hayward who is taking “full responsibility for cleaning up the spill in the gulf.” That makes sense; BP has the technology and the know-how to at least attempt to clean up the mess they created. They’re the players on the team, even if it is a team as historically hapless or mismanaged as the Cubs or BP. They, not Obama, are the ones who can and should be on the field.

Meanwhile, as we know, Obama has decided that his own taking of responsibility means he needs to figure out “whose ass to kick.” Obama’s message changes daily, from anger to frustration to ass-kicking, as it must when someone takes existential risk with his political capital in a situation which a college freshman in a political science class would recognize as posing far more risk than reward, far more opportunity to look bad than to be the hero. It’s remarkable that Obama has so quickly forgotten the political peril demonstrated by the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. But having taken responsibility, Obama feels he must be seen as “doing something,” perhaps the most dangerous mode of operation for a politician — especially a wounded one.

So, back to the question: What kind of CEO would take responsibility for something entirely out of his control? The same kind who would say, as Barack Obama did two years ago, that “generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children” that his ascendency to power “was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow.” God-complex much, Barack?

Some discussion of Narcissistic Personality Disorder from Psychology Today seems à propos: “People with narcissistic personality disorder are frequently perfectionists and need to be the center of attention, receiving affection and admiration, and controlling the situation.”

And further: “Deep desire to be at the center of things is served by extreme self-confidence, a combination that makes narcissists attractive and even charming. Buoyed by a coterie of admiring friends and associates — protected by the armor of positive self-regard — someone with a mild-to-moderate case of narcissism can float through life feeling pretty good about himself. Since they feel entitled to special treatment, they are easily offended, and readily harbor grudges. Yet narcissists are often very popular — at least in the short term.”

A president who was not a narcissist might have taken a very different tack on the Deepwater Horizon spill: Rather than risking his political capital and popularity by taking responsibility for the clean-up, he would emphasize that government’s capacities in the situation were limited but that government was doing what it could. He would inform Gulf Coast residents whose lives and businesses have been disrupted what federal resources are available to help them rather than looking for people to fire or asses to kick. In short, a wise and non-narcissistic president would not have made the issue about himself.

The wise approach, however, has an additional problem for President Obama beyond his deeply self-absorbed personality: As a Progressive, Obama believes that government should be able to do almost anything…and should do everything it can. Obama is part of a presidential Progressive lineage going back through FDR, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson who believed that technocrats should be in charge of most aspects of American life, that private citizens are too stupid to manage their own lives so we need Progressives to do so for us. One might say that Progressivism is an inherently narcissistic philosophy.

For Obama to admit, much less aggressively argue, that government’s capability to plug an oil well is limited leads down a dangerous road for those who want government to appear omnipotent. After all, it’s hard for even a Progressive to argue explicitly that government should do things in which it has no competence. (The fact that they do precisely that on such a large scale is a topic for another day.) Progressive politicians must therefore aggrandize themselves and the abilities of government in order to maintain the public’s sadly resilient self-destructive belief in the power of politicians to fix things. Progressives’ governing philosophy and psychology thus prevent Obama from doing anything other than what he’s doing. Indeed, rather than saying “I can’t fix this,”, Obama has suggested that the federal government should acquire the technological capability to fix future deep-water oil well leaks. Again, his personality and Progressivism allow him no other path.

One Obama apologist suggests that people are “blaming Obama for not being a god.” She forgets that Obama is the one who took responsibility for stopping the oil (and explicitly claimed that his “stimulus” would keep unemployment below 8%.) The end of his façade of competency is entirely self-inflicted. With luck, Obama has weakened people’s blind faith in the competency of politicians generally and presidents specifically.

I can only hope that once discovered to be what it is, the recipient of that cubic zirconia — or its political equivalent who resides today at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — will never again look at the semi-precious gem (once thought to be precious) with the same approval, satisfaction, or gratitude.

About the Author

Ross Kaminsky is a self-employed trader and investor and is a senior fellow of the Heartland Institute. He is the host of The Ross Kaminsky Show on Denver’s NewsRadio 850 KOA at 11 AM on most Sundays. You can reach Ross by e-mail at rossputin(at)rossputin(dot)com.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (118) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

usb world | 6.11.10 @ 6:29AM

sofa.. first

tacho universal | 6.12.10 @ 9:33PM

sofa...next..hoho

Rebecca| 6.11.10 @ 7:01AM

What does that mean, taking responsibility? What punishment, retribution, sanctions can he possibly suffer for a poor outcome? Two more years at least of governing. Does that mean he thinks it possible he should be let go if things don't turn out so well? No more parties or AF1 trips until the mess is cleaned up?

I was always told you should never accept responsibility without being given authority to act. What he is responsible for is not using his authority to try to help mitigate damages. By neglect, he failed to respond to offers to help and in kind offer to help, and by overreaction based on a document doctored by his Sec of Interior, shut down all deep water drilling, damaging an already struggling economy.

The responsiblity he holds is not that concerning BP, but that concerning his role as President, for which there are no do overs, only the mitigation of damages at this point.

Jeff Lee| 6.11.10 @ 11:27AM

Impeachment seems fair to me.

Clinton nee Publius| 6.11.10 @ 8:23PM

And that says it all...

Alan Brooks| 6.12.10 @ 5:25PM

or impeach the Supreme Court-- that's what would suit most of you here. Those ten men mean far more than Obama.

Don't know what the above means? you THINK about it.

Alan Brooks| 6.12.10 @ 5:27PM

oops, there are women sitting on the Supreme Court, too. Cripes, one wouldn't want to be politically incorrect about it, now would one?

Megaera| 6.13.10 @ 1:28PM

Ehrm, that's nine Supremes, Alan.

Alan's Mom| 6.17.10 @ 8:58PM

Go to bed, Alan. The meds aren't working.

Patrick| 6.13.10 @ 9:07AM

While perhaps fair, it will not solve any problems. It simply aborts the education of the voting public, who then remember Republicans are "mean ogres", and forget how bad Democrats with messiah complexes really are.

That and, look who is next in line. Do you really think that loon Biden would be an improvement?

Richard| 6.14.10 @ 2:37PM

President Biden????

TomP| 6.14.10 @ 3:58PM

The more Obama talks the more I'm beginning to think Biden might not be so bad. One thing for sure, Biden does love his country, can't say the same about BO.

Timothy L. Pennell| 6.11.10 @ 7:12AM

Obamas' vaunted reputation of being Competent? WHO ever said he was Competent? What has he ever done, to back up this claim? He voted PRESENT, practically half the time, when he was in the State Senate. He reads words from his teleprompter. Other peoples' words. Words that other people wrote for him.
I wonder if he's as COMPETENT as he is SMART? Because Historian Michael Beschloss claims that Barack Obamas' I.Q. is the Highest, of anyone who's ever sat in the Oval Office. According to Michael Beschloss, Barack Obamas' I.Q. is "off the charts". Of course, when he was asked if he actually KNEW what Obamas' I.Q. was? He admitted that he had "NO IDEA".
It's not COMPETENCE, when you're voting PRESENT all the time. That's COWARDICE. It's not COMPETENCE, when you can't put a complete sentence together, without a teleprompter. Having a Silver Tongue does not make you COMPETENT. I've always found, that a person with the "GIFT" that Obama has, usually make the best LIARS. The best CON MEN.
Barack HUSSEIN Obama is a CON MAN. He's a B.S. Artist, of the 1st Degree. He's not a Cubic Zirconium. He's a Snake Oil Salesman. He's the Flim Flam Man. He's The Music Man. He's the Mono-Rail Salesman on the Simpsons' cartoon.
You want proof? Go ask all those DEMOCRATS who are about to be THROWN OUT. Ask Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, and Harry Reid. Ask Jon Corzine or that Broad that lost Ted Kennedys' Senate Seat.
Health Care was the way to go. He fed
'em a line, and they took it hook, line, and sinker.
Paul Newman and Robert Redford couldn't have done it any better.

Nick in Virginia| 6.11.10 @ 11:41AM

Tim,

Don't waste your time, you are preaching to the choir here. "American Spectator" readers feel the same way you do; the people who DON'T feel that way don't read Spectator, and will never see your post. THOSE are the people we need to "enlighten" about their beliefs in 0bama.

But I agree with virtually all that you say. My opinion is that he does not have the instincts to be a leader; virtually every initial move he makes is wrong, and has to be redone.

He MAY be intelligent (I'm not even sure of that, but to me it doesn't matter), but he is not a good leader. You are right, there was plenty of evidence of this BEFORE the election, but the MSM really did give him a free pass (maybe because they disliked Hillary so much, and he seemed to be the only viable alternative to her machine). Now we just have to be sure we get rid of the Congressional Democrats in November, and 0bama and the rest of his people in 2012.

Snarker| 6.11.10 @ 4:49PM

"WHO ever said he was Competent?"

Ooh! Ooh! I know this one!

Answer: the people of (at best) dubious intellect who voted for him, that's who.

Any time you see some idiot sounding off about how he hates BOTH parties, chances are it's a recently disillusioned 0bama voter who, much like his former Messiah, is suffering from delusions of adequacy.

Brian Mc| 6.12.10 @ 7:14AM

If he truly is the president with the highest I.Q. in history, then there really are 57 states in the Union. This 'highest I.Q.'d' president who allowed his words in print for all the world to see that he enjoyed seeing rich "white people" picking up their dog's poop.

What a demented alien...highest I.Q. my ass.

Cincinnatius| 6.12.10 @ 10:38AM

I for one do think that Obozo has the highest IQ in the history of the presidency...the highest IDIOTS QUOTIENT! Jimmy Carter had the highest until Obozo made the scene

Clinton nee Publius| 6.11.10 @ 8:27PM

In Texas we call people like Obama "all hat and no cattle".

Don't get me wrong, as someone who has a personality diagnosed with NPD, it pisses me off to have to listen to a two-bit pretender like Obama try to sound competent when everything he supposedly achieved in his life was due to Affirmative Action, race-baiting or agitation. He fails because he has no idea how the world really works; his idea is that you get up, attend a protest, throw some rocks, shake down some white liberal businessmen and then move on when they run out of money. That's really it. He thinks it's everyone else's responsibility to manage his image for him because he is privileged. This is extremely dangerous and the problems are only going to get worse. When Israel kicks off against Iran in July we'll see his true colors as he backs UN resolutions to put sanctions on Israel for attacking a religious ally of his. It's coming.

blarset | 6.12.10 @ 10:17AM

I agree. I thought though he would run out of steam and lame duck himself by now. Wow it is kinda strange to watch- him fall apart in front of us.We need the 20 10 midterms to protect us I guess from him and his handlers.

chets1girl| 6.13.10 @ 3:09PM

What he said!

Christopher Holland| 6.13.10 @ 5:36PM

OIbama is not smart - he needs an autocue to talk to school kids, doesn't know what he is talking about and he knows nothing about leadership. General Eisenhower said that the essence of leadership is taking the blame for failures and giving others the credit for the successes. By that standard, Obama knows nothing. Eisenhower also said that beating people around the head is not leadership, it is assault.

General George Patton was nearly sacked and had to make a public aplology when he slapped a shell shocked soldier during the invasion of Sicily, but Obama publically talks about finding the ass to kick. Obama is a loser who knows nothing at all. The man is not smart, he thinks he is smart and that is an entirely different kettle of fish

stmichrick| 6.13.10 @ 10:01PM

My guess is that we don't know Obama's college grades because his GPA was lower than George W Bush's.

potkas7| 6.11.10 @ 7:16AM

Four unspoken words would have made all the difference for Obama had he uttered them on the first day or the crisis: "How Can I Help?"

Early on, the Netherlands offered specialized equipment to help contain the spill while still at sea. All Obama had to do was say 'Yes.' Instead he hid behind some obscure rule about the flagging of commercial vessels carrying cargo in US waters. Ask yourself, 'What would Rudy Giuliani have done?' You know the answer is, 'You send the ships. We'll get the waiver.'

Lullaby's, Legends and Lies| 6.11.10 @ 7:55AM

When Giuliani took office, the murder rate in NYC was standing at 4,000 a year (yes 4,000 murders a year!!). So the Mayor attacked the problem, with weekly meeting with every precinct, holding each Commander's feet to the fire. He shifted the force's around, following the crime statistics, when or wherever that spiked up. By the time he left office, the murder rate fell to under 600 a year, leaving 2,400 New Yorkers per year-ALIVE (Hell, I may be one of them)!! Nobody liked Giuliani as a person, because he's not that nice of a guy. But who cares? But as Mayor? He got things done, he worked to make NYC better, everyday, every week, every year!! I was so pissed at him, for implementing that Florida strategy of his in 2008. I thought he would've been a great President, but he screwed up, like I had never seen him screw up before. But as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for, and we're paying for what we got now!!

Troy| 6.11.10 @ 9:18AM

Please check your arithmetic.

Lullaby's, Legends and Lies| 6.11.10 @ 11:50AM

Troy: Would that be 3,400 instead? I'm an example of the New York State Educational System!! And Math wasn't my strongest class, okay? Fahgettaboudit (neither was English)!!

Margie| 6.11.10 @ 12:31PM

I too was rooting for Rudy back then. Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

scotchieguy| 6.11.10 @ 11:29AM

You don't understand. He doesn't want this mess cleaned up. The longer it is on the front page, the more pissed off Americans get. Who do you think they are most angry with? BP. This is exactly what O wants. He needs to villify the oil cos. in order to pass cap and tax...not just BP, though--all oil cos...note how he is punishing all competitors of BP by shutting down further drilling in the Gulf. This will lead to some 40,ooo lost jobs. This is the perfect "crisis" to accomplish such a plan.

Nancy| 6.11.10 @ 5:22PM

I agree, and the media is helping all it can. I have seen the same oil soaked pelican at least 50 times. There is no doubt in my mind that he is doing all he can to destroy the economy, and to bring this country to its knees financially so he can implement his fundamental change of America. If things get bad enough most Americans will accept the "help" being offered, and all of us will be slaves to the system.

BackToBasics| 6.12.10 @ 9:23PM

I've seen the pictures of the pelican and a few other animals too but not as many as I saw when the Exxon-Valdez tanker broke apart in Alaska. The media have to show sufficient pics to keep people angry but not so many as to clue everyone into that fact that this is a bad spill and Obam and crew are not helping in the ways that they can. A bablancing act going on there. By the way, nobody ever seems to bring up the WORST oil spill in History. It's when Saddan Hussein ordered all the oild spigots into the Persian Gulf to be opened up at the end of the 1990 Gulf War. Oh, I forget, he was a Moslem so it must have been okay to do this, maybe even good for the Persian Gulf.

chets1girl| 6.13.10 @ 3:12PM

"Don't let a crisis go to waste" is a Progressive mantra. Darn right that this supposed beating of BP is meant to get us all on board for Cap & Trade. nfortunately, many Americans will fall for it - just like they fell for King O. Sad but true.

Melvin| 6.11.10 @ 7:34AM

But people, Barry wanted to show the world that, "I'm da man." Potkas7 your absolutely correct. But I would have stepped in and told the Netherlands, "This guy is the project manager for BP, you get with him to coordiante getting your ships here." "But what about the Law?" "I've suspended it through executive order until we get the well capped and mess cleaned up." "Also, Salazar give the governors of the effected states anything they request to be delivered within 24 hours."
But of course people, my decisions that were made in a span of 20 seconds had no political angle to it, just capping the well and cleaning up the mess.
This is the problem when you have politicians in charge instead of leaders and statesmen.

Ken (Old Texican)| 6.11.10 @ 9:48AM

Melvin,
I am afraid you misunderstood me yesterday on the "oil Thread".
Please go back to my very first sentence after your original comment when I told you you were .... ("prescient").

(In my vocabulary, that word means "brilliant and far-seeing").
All I was attempting to do was present an alternative future for our consideration.

Melvin, I don't know where you make your home, but here in Texas the oil workers are absolutely furious with the Obama "regime" kicking BP guys around.
Almost every one of us with any experience in the field have witnessed a "kick" while drilling.
A kick is what happened to BP, and for some reason, the blowout preventer did not close properly.
I have "heard" that that at the crucial moment when it should have closed...that there was an extremely hard "down hole tool" going through the preventer at that moment that actually broke the preventer jaws.

All that to say this: I was and am on the same page as you.
What I was attempting to do was highlight the human side of the consequences of Obama's actions.
See, unlike miners with their unions and conformity leanings, oil-field workers are NON union, and fiercely independent cusses (heh).

Not only that, they courageously face more danger every single day at the "office"...(on a drilling rig)...than most of us face in a lifetime career.

If these guys get it in their heads that Obama really really means to do them dirt...there is no telling what they might do.

At the very least, they might decide to get together and turn off the oil and gas spigot...totally.

.....and.....there are NO replacements for them. NONE!

Melvin| 6.11.10 @ 11:06AM

Hmm, it appears that I was the one who bumfuzzled.
My back went out last weekend, and the medication that the doc gave me, I lost 15 minutes somewhere. I was at my keyboard at work noted casually what time it was on the clock
on the screen and when I came back 15 minutes had passed, don't know where I went, body stayed at my desk, but the brain sure as hell wasn't any where close. And this was the medication that wasn't supposed to make one goofy.
Today I didn't take it, back hurts like hell, but at least I can think straight.
I broke one of my cardinal rules and didn't look up "prescient" If I had done so I would not have wandered aimlessly yesterday in the desert of foolishness.
There is one thing that people need to keep in perspective. It is phenomenal that the oil drilling industry has had an almost perfect record for 40 some odd years after the spill off California.
Oil is extracted from the earth with machines, and unfortunately machines do break from unforeseen consequences and certain issues coming into alight to create the perfect breakdown so to speak.
People should ask themselves who are wanting to pillory the oil drilling industry, does the family car ever breakdown when they want it to? It always breakdown at the most inopportune and inconvenient moment.
This is what happened to the Deep Water Horizon, just like the family car, but much more devastating. We as a Nation should just cap the well, cleanup the mess, and continue to march, because in your game there is no one perfect way to bring crude up out of the ground, and come to think of it, there isn't one perfect safe way to do anything. There are risks just getting out of bed in the morning and going to work.
Because all we as humans can do is minimize the risks and hope like hell nothing bad happens but nevertheless the specter of risk is always there.

Margie| 6.11.10 @ 11:25AM

Ken (Old Tex) and Melvin~ Great, great posts. Thanks, guys.

martin J smith| 6.11.10 @ 7:41AM

Are BHO's policies and actions a sign of incompetence or....Purposeful, intending to do harm ??
This is a question not enough people are considering
One has to ask oneself a few questions or issues to ponder: One is: what is BHO's ideological viewpoint that guides his behavior ? Two, why does he seem not to care at all ? ( and I am not talking about being "cool" ). Why does he appear ( key word ) to do things that are clearly DESTRUCTIVE. ? I sure there are other questions but these are good enough to start. I am not the "fly on the wall" but, questions need to be asked and more research needs to be done on BHO's current associations and his policies.

GreyLion| 6.11.10 @ 11:34AM

MJS,
Good post. Your questions are NOT being answered. There is a reason for the oil on the beaches and it is not incompetence.
My own guess is that oil on the beaches is in service to his desire for control of all sources of energy. I do not believe that there is no technology available to stop the leak. I do believe that the available technology is not being used. Who benefits? Only those who favor restriction of drilling, tighter controls on oil production, more revenue from energy consumption, carbon credits and notions of global warming.
We need to "follow the money" here and when we do I'd be willing to bet that "cap and tax" is at the end of the yellow brick road.

scotchieguy| 6.11.10 @ 11:38AM

He may appear to be clumsy at times, but nothing he does is accidental. Everything is done according to script. After this spill, note how he waited off to the side, like a dog who just got done messing the floor. Guilty as hell.

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 6.11.10 @ 8:18AM

In essence what you describe perfectly, including the diamond analogy, is the world's biggest hypocrite. Many politicians are hypocritical but Obama has taken hypocrisy to a whole new level.

Example: Obama claims he's tired of the Washington blame game, then plays the game on an hourly basis, 24/7.

An example of that is how he reflexively blames Bush, which makes Obama the victim of circumstance, hardly an inspiring leader. And don't forget that blame is another form of bullying.

Right before the ass kicking remark, he told a group of high schoolers in Kalamazoo, Mich., that, "Don't make excuses. Take responsibility not just for your successes. Take responsibility where you fall short as well."

Obama the effervescent hypocrite then goes to see Matt Lauer and claims he needs to find out whose ass to kick. Seriously Mr. President, tough guys know whose ass to kick.

During that same interview he avoided taking any responsibility, something that he had advised the high school kids to do. Pure hypocrisy.

While Obama continues his academic cadence in talking it's becoming more and more obvious that he doesn't know what he's doing. Even a cubic zirconia has a purpose.

Obama's main purpose appears to be one of spreading hypocrisy as his image, which leads the public to become ever more cynical. On that note he has become what he always desired, a community organizer.

Mattled| 6.11.10 @ 8:29AM

Zero is a social engineer. He is programmed to see the world in a certain way and wants to engineer it so.

A friend told me recently that he would have called me nuts to say that a year ago. Now he believes it.

We are a petri dish for all his Cloward-Piven Alinsky Marx ideals fed to him my ma, pa, granma, granpa, Frank the pedophile, and rev wright the black liberation idiot. And the entire Ivy League education system.

He won't make it until 2012. I never believed he was going to run again anyway. Too much cashola in post-Prez to put up with the day-day.

What for? He can have all the trappings of a prez---even be called Mr. Prez with SS detail for life, accolades and history re-written for him.

Besides, IF something really bad happens (I'm not suggesting the oil leak is not really bad, but not say nuclear bad), then he would get that albatross.

No, he's done. He never had it in him to do the job and he knew it. The real reason he is so angry is that people are starting to realize it (we of course knew all along).

As admirers are starting to peel off, he is directing his scorn at them---the" talking heads" he mentioned with Lauer aren't Rush, Sean and Fox News----it's Lauer himself, Carville, Stepphie, Dowd, and Rich.

He is PO'd at the same Legacy Media that propped him up as God. He believed them.

Too bad (not).

martine Z| 6.11.10 @ 8:32AM

Mr. Kaminsky writes of "the wise approach." Folks, we aren't going to see a wise approach to anything for the next couple of years....

And speaking of leadership, what leader needs a committee to tell him whose ass to kick?

The Woz| 6.11.10 @ 8:37AM

All of you are missing the point. The point is not how bad the oil spill and its aftermath is (according to AP, it may be around 2 millions gals./day), but how much worse it would have been without Obama's quick response and taking command of the situation. Pace: those who believe that Obama's stimulus bill didn't reduce unemployment; it did, and just as now, the effects of his action are subtle and relative.

carnot| 6.11.10 @ 8:58AM

ok...we'll take your word for it! bahahahhahahaha

Ross Kaminsky | 6.11.10 @ 9:08AM

Woz,

You're kidding, right?

The stimulus, to the extent that it did anything, did it by transferring demand and economic activity from the (relatively near) future to the present.

More importantly, the lack of certainty about what insane anti-business regulation will come from this government is keeping businesses from hiring, expanding, etc.

How like a liberal to call effects "relative". It's like a patient goes to an incompetent doctor instead of not going to any doctor, so he dies in 8 days instead of 9. I guess he was relatively better off, right?

The idea that Obama has had ANY positive impact in the Gulf is laughable.

BA Cyclone| 6.11.10 @ 10:55AM

If you don't believe BHO's response to the oil spill has been great, and that the stimulus bill is working perfectly - well you just need to ask Obama. He will tell you the TRUTH.

/sarcasm

Melinda| 6.11.10 @ 11:00AM

Woz,

Droll, very droll.

But if you're serious, please note that your argument relies on an alternative universe since the achievements you wish to extoll in this universe are immeasurable.

Stephanie| 6.11.10 @ 11:04AM

Well Woz, on MSMBC this week the Kenesyan economist said when pressed by Joe S. that the stimulus DID NOT WORK. He conceded that it was a failure.

David Williams| 6.11.10 @ 11:17AM

Woz, lay off Melvin's medicine.

chets1girl| 6.13.10 @ 3:15PM

Uh - what planet do you live on!?

E Vatttel| 6.11.10 @ 8:44AM

Cubic Zirconia, fake, illegitimate as in Native Born is not Natural Born.
Born British?
Not Eligible.
Checkmate.

Curly Smith| 6.11.10 @ 8:52AM

If Bush is responsible for every problem that Obama can't solve, then doesn't that mean Bush is messiah-like and Obama is merely a boil on Bush's left buttock?

Snarker| 6.11.10 @ 4:54PM

Now that you mention it...?

Why, yes. Yes it does.

Ret. Marine| 6.11.10 @ 9:23AM

Some leaders are born, some are learned and some come by it by a demand for it.. This is not a leader, but a follower. He follows the words that the teleprompter tells him to speak, he follows all the rules of alinsky, the demonrat party guidlines, and the feelings of his limited mind. Leadership requires courage, the ability to admit when and where one is wrong and then sets about to change for the better, of course using wise councel to establish guidlines for starters and then continues from there.
No, the diamond analogy is quite fitting. The problem as this Marine see's it is it's not a rough diamond wanting to be shaped but a fake one already established and proving to be fake.
Do not put any faith in this man or this gubmint, they have already proven themselves ideologically alligned to the extreme's of our society's norms and are willing to take the rest of this country down for the count for their political power and privledge. This is not leadership, it's just following these idiot's and their hencemen/ladies straight to hell in short order. Me, I have always known their route to be a lie, and as such, I am not the least suprised just amazed at the speed in which they are trying my patience and willingness to go along to get along.
Many of know of the Oath to God, family and Country, we might want to start to think seriously about how to disrupt their plans for us. I don't believe elections are going to do it when they are talking openly about how they intend upon taking this Nation down from within. This fraud they call their president is just at the top of their mess, not mine or your's but, theirs by their own making.

Bill A | 6.11.10 @ 12:52PM

You are correct Ret. Marine but I suspect very few who post here voted for this President. Until 2008 few circumstances could have induced me to vote for John McCain. Some good comes out of all situations however. Many who voted for and believed Obama are now seriously questioning their choice.Assuming half the people who voted for him still love the guy, that would swing 26.5% of the vote in a different direction.Unfortunately, it will prove a costly education.
I find the oil spill a somewhat fitting memorial to this administration. While it is not Obama's fault, it is his problem. Both this administration and the oil rig spew forth their mess. We will somehow clean up the mess but it will take time.
In November we shall see if the educational process has begun.

martin j smith| 6.11.10 @ 9:40AM

Here is another line of research: What are Obama's foreign connections and funding ? Frankly what is needed are snitches in his administration and the various organs of government that can help to expose this guy ( Obama ) goals and connection curently. Did I say snitches-I mean spies. sorry about that.

Louis Jenkins| 6.11.10 @ 9:59AM

The Pretender n Chief is a bright shinning bauble. Nothing more. Only problem it is a shinning thing, not of the real thing. He shines for some folks, but the people in the trenches each and every day see him for what he really is. Worthless. How much longer will these people take it? Nov. is comin' to make the return to common sense.

The Woz| 6.11.10 @ 10:06AM

Hi Ross,

Of course I'm kidding. Pure sarcasm.

Ross Kaminsky | 6.11.10 @ 10:29AM

Hi Woz,

Whew...You had me worried for a minute there!

claire w solt phd| 6.11.10 @ 10:08AM

I agree with ret marine. As a historian, I have studied revolutions and will share some counterintuitive characterstics. First, as one re4ads of the run up, one always finds it almost unbelievable that the society lets it happen. Second, and most important, revolutions are coups that involve a very smallgroup of fanatics. It is amazing how they take over without any regard for the wilol of the people.

We are behaving just like Germans did when the Nazi's took over. In spite of the most virulent wave of antisemitism in a long time, we are allowing self serving pols to lull us to sleep with cum by ya while they loot the world.

Woz is in Oz| 6.11.10 @ 10:11AM

Ross,

It sounds like the Woz lives in the land of Oz. There was a Dorothy/Kansas analogy (on another site last week).

Russel| 6.11.10 @ 10:20AM

Along with this disorder comes a craving for attention , right ? . So when that ceases , we're hoping he'll blow like a volcano , on stage and on film .

BA Cyclone| 6.11.10 @ 10:57AM

"If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind?"
— Frédéric Bastiat (The Law) 1850

Margie| 6.11.10 @ 3:22PM

Read it too, Stephanie. It's by Robin of Berkley. And I agree with her conclusion with what we need to do regards Obama:

"If my assessment is accurate, what does this mean?

It means that liberals need to wake up and spit out the Kool-Aid...and that conservatives should put aside differences, band together, and elect as many Republicans as possible.

Because Obama will not change. He will not learn from his mistakes. He will not grow and mature from on-the-job experience. In fact, over time, Obama will likely become a more ferocious version of who he is today."

Bill Hoog| 6.11.10 @ 3:56PM

"Robin of Berkeley" is a VERY smart person having Epiphany after Epiphany

Margie| 6.11.10 @ 5:52PM

Well, she IS a recovering Liberal you know. I say welcome to the Right side, Robin.

Patrick| 6.13.10 @ 9:31AM

I agree until the last sentence. As his political capital is bankrupted and his party is marginalized by November, he will instead become more petulant and obnoxious.

Ferocity is not a quality that Obama can acquire, as the best I can see in him is petty malice or whining spite.

...Is Obama French!?

dareisay| 6.11.10 @ 11:16AM

Stephanie

Yes, I read that this morning...there is something wrong with Obama, mentally!

If you look at some of his pictures, there is also what looks like a scar in his scalp.

What we need to know, is why when someone wants to be the leader of our country, aren't they given a mental health exam, drug tests.....if we have to go through certain exams to get a job...so should our politicians......

Then drug test them every month!

Stephanie| 6.11.10 @ 11:53AM

And show a damn birth certificate

neo-libertarian| 6.11.10 @ 12:28PM

All the chants of “full responsibility” emanating from the White House and BP headquarters simply represent the swinging pendulum of “containment success.” “Full responsibility” will be realized on your 10W40 or the cost per gallon at the gas pump.

Benny| 6.11.10 @ 12:36PM

He is and idiot!!A dangerous one!!
Guatanamo still open
more Soldiers in war as under Bush
no new policy against climate change
want to lift the banning of whale hunting for Norway Iceland and Japan
more new debts in one year as Bush did in 8years
no repeal of DADT
no health care reoform for the people-only a crappycare
he signed the patrioct act for four more years
no immigration reform
enter in new atomic plants
offshore drilling at Alaska and Florida
death penalaty for two people of general prisons
no reprieve of Mumia Abu Jamal

Bydand76| 6.11.10 @ 12:39PM

Further proof that the education system in America is working.

Pro Libertate!

Benny| 6.11.10 @ 12:37PM

HILLARY 2012

Ken (Old Texican)| 6.11.10 @ 1:11PM

Benny,
Why get stuck on stupid.....stupid!

Sir, you are either stuck on stupid...or literally insane.

Benny| 6.11.10 @ 1:18PM

Sir Ken
why do you think and write this?
I am a democratabroad
probably you`re a republican, right??

chets1girl| 6.13.10 @ 3:18PM

Yeah - that will fix everything. NOT!

Anthony| 6.11.10 @ 12:51PM

The talking heads and the MSM continue to fail to make the distinction between the cause of the accident, and the responsibility for the containment/ clean up.
Despite the failure(s) of the regulatory process, and all the finger pointing, BP is responsible for what transpired on that platform, and should be held accountable.
Under the "Clean Water Act', and other laws instituted by our government since Exxon Valdez, the government has taken upon itself responsibility for containment of the oil spill. This makes sense, as the government is the only entity with a Navy and Coast Guard, with sufficient ships to accomplish this task.
This is not to imply that BP and the government don't have overlapping roles here, they do, but now for ther rub.
In my opinion, it is Obama and his administration that are deliberately not taking the necessary and proper actions to protect the Gulf states.
The reason(s) is political. Obama and his gang have repeatedly told us that a "crisis cannot be wasted". The political agenda in allowing the oil to reach the shores of the Gulf states suits the Alinsky crowd at the W.H. Obama and the leftists have bigger fish to fry, and this spill works into their desires to destroy Capitalism and reduce America to size.
While it is also true that Obama is incompetent and over his head, if he really wanted to contain the spill, there are enough folks in this country that could advise him on how to do this, but that's not what he is into. As Nero talks tough, the oil rolls towards the shores.
Obama and the leftist gang at the Capitol have an agenda to complete before the November sunami hits.
Time is not on Obama's side. Come to think of it, time is not on America's side either, with these leftists in charge.

Benny| 6.11.10 @ 1:18PM

Sir Ken
why do you think and write this?
I am a democratabroad
probably you`re a republican, right??

Ray| 6.11.10 @ 1:33PM

"This makes sense, as the government is the only entity with a Navy and Coast Guard, with sufficient ships to accomplish this task."

Actually, it doesn't make any sense as there are far more civilian ships available at any given time than government owned and operated ships, especially in local settings where time is the biggest mitigating factor. In the Gulf, there are THOUSANDS of trawlers, fishing boats, tugs, and the like that could have been mobilized to do what was necessary to contain the oil before it spread over such a wide area.

Thing about it for a moment. If the US Government, along with state and local government, would have coordinated quickly and effectively (an admittedly difficult proposition due to the nature of government bureaucratic) the booms, floats, , barriers, and other containment equipment could have been gathered nationwide , loaded onto cargo planes, flown to the gulf, and the civilian shipping could have deployed them in a matter of days.

In contrast, Coast Guard and Military ships, and their support infrastructure, would take WEEKS to assemble in the necessary numbers to have any real effect. Week in which the problem grows geometrically.

By relying solely upon the federal government to implement and/or authorize pans and mobilize the equipment needed to contain the leaking oil, we wasted several weeks of valuable time, time in which the oil has spread over such a vast area that containment is now nearly impossible.

Instead of relying upon government plans, authorization of clean up policies, ships, equipment, and manpower to contain this, the Obama administration should have been coordinating with civilian shipping, airlines, and the like to mobilize the containment equipment as quickly as possible.

What a waste of valuable time, a waste of natural resources, this reliance upon government to provide all the solutions for us this situation has created.

Let's hope that future administrations learn from this failure of reliance upon ordinary citizens to help in disaster mitigation and actually implement programs that will utilize the VAST civilian resources that are available every minute of every day. Resources that vastly outnumber any resources the government can provide.

That was the lesson Katrina taught us, one that, for most people it seems, we have yet to learn. Civilians are just as important, just as vital, as the government, especially when we face, or are suffering, a disaster.

Anthony| 6.11.10 @ 4:56PM

With all due respect, while I don't disagree with your overall point, your idea is impractical at best. First, as the legislation assumed and presumed, ( a big presumption, I know) that the military and other government organizations are trained and coordinated to carry out this type of task. No insult to our great military, but it appears the training never was given.
While I agree that civilian/ private endeavors should be employed, what flotilla of private ships would the state governments have been able to co-ordinate and control ?
The lessons of Katrina were to be aware of how the left would spin the disaster. FEMA is not a first responder. The states were asked to coordinate with the Feds on what help they think they needed, but the moron pols in LA chose not to. Katrina was a disaster, in that Bush did not think that he would be blamed immediately, if he had, he would have taken charge prior to Katrina hitting, despite FEMA's secondary role.

Melvin| 6.11.10 @ 1:45PM

Benny, name one thing that Hillary Clinton has accomplished as Secretary of State of any significance, handing out washing machines in Africa and Chinese toys to Chinese kids in China doesn't count?
Oh, I almost forgot. Stealing antique White House furniture isn't worthy either.

Benny| 6.11.10 @ 1:55PM

WOMAN RIGHTS!!
IRAN

Melvin| 6.11.10 @ 2:49PM

Come on Benny be serious, "Womens Rights." For starters Susan B. Anthony been there done that. Besides Hillary sold outthe mantle of femminst extrodinaire when she married Bill to forward her political career. And we all know what he did.
Iran. They are at the threshold of nuclear weapons, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brutally muredered Iranian students when they looked towards the US for support after the elections and Obama and Hillary spit their faces and left them to die at the hands of the Iranian religous police.
So no, Hillary hasn't done jack for the entire Mideast. If anything they mock her in private.

Melvin| 6.11.10 @ 2:53PM

B. Anthony been there done that. Besides Hillary sold out the mantle of feminist extraordinaire when she married Bill to forward her political career. And we all know what he did.
Iran. They are at the threshold of nuclear weapons, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brutally murdered Iranian students when they looked towards the US for support after the elections and Obama and Hillary spit their faces and left them to die at the hands of the Iranian religious police.
So no, Hillary hasn't done jack for the entire Mideast. If anything they mock her in private.

Melvin| 6.11.10 @ 2:54PM

The second version is the correct version I apologize for not spell checking before posting.

Ken (Old Texican)| 6.11.10 @ 6:21PM

Benny,
You are STILL stuck on stupid. Please...screw your head on.
In these days "Democrat" means "communist".

If you like that...you are a welfare queen. Nothing more, or just stupid.

GeeOhPeaSuhX| 6.11.10 @ 2:05PM

This is all so true!!

The environment is over rated....we don't really need it at all...
The jobs and use we get from oil is much more important to our lives....

Obama is dumb...let BP and the rest of the good guys alone...they have our best interests at heart and they would never hurt us...

We need a POTUS that will drill everywhere and anywhere and take over any raghead regime that has large oil reserves....

Ken (Old Texican)| 6.11.10 @ 6:26PM

Gee,
Congratulations!
You outdid Benny for the "stupid of the day" award.

I thought Soros was smart. He hired you?
heh.

Benny| 6.11.10 @ 2:13PM

The oil spill is Obamas Kathrina

Bydand76| 6.11.10 @ 2:25PM

Good Lord!

It must be a " the Trolls are eating the mushrooms off the front lawn" day!

You cannot write comedy like this!

" YOU'RE KILLING ME SMALLS"!!!

Pro Libertate!

big mouth-no brain| 6.11.10 @ 2:44PM

OK, Obama , cut the presidential crap. You, too, BP guy. Step aside. I take full responsibility for the oil spill.

We are capping ALL the wells EVERYWHERE and will sit back and wait for the whole world to explode in a way that will make Spindletop look like a leaky bathroom faucet. There won't be enough Dawn detergent for the next millenium to clean it up.

And I will take responsibility for that, too,

Benny| 6.11.10 @ 3:41PM

The Obumbler will be a one termer!!

flip video converter | 6.11.10 @ 8:43PM

Impeachment seems fair to me.

Dixie Pixie| 6.11.10 @ 8:44PM

The key to Obama personality is very simple.
Obama simply does not care about the people he governs.

Obama reminds me of the Roman Emperor Honorius in his disdain of his people.
Like Honorius, Obama would rather see the world burn down than be deprived of the pleasures of ruler-ship. Obama has put far more time and effort into the pleasures of US government than the work of government.

This is what happens when a Party does not vet a candidate and than tries to govern with only a Liberal NorthEastern / Pacific Coast political coalition.

The message to the South and West is to SHUT UP and SUFFER as their conditions does not matter to Obama.

DaveS| 6.11.10 @ 10:00PM

Why put down cubic zirconia by comparing its usefulness to BHO?

Cow Rie| 6.11.10 @ 10:48PM

It's time to crush the Obamic Zirconia. He has no jewels.

Yosemeti Sam| 6.12.10 @ 2:19AM

A reminder, folks - BHO has amply demonstrated his ability to kick ass.

Tiny baby asses who'd had zero opportunity to do any wrong - to warrant being kick-assed into a closet.

A Chicago way - personality acquired trait.

IOW - never ending leaks of the soul!

Yo, BHO - u da humpty-dumpty man a shattering.

martin j smith| 6.12.10 @ 8:25AM

Two things to watch for: continued pattern of destructive policies ( tothe US ) by Obama and two what will Obama do to circumvent the 2010 elections ?

Aside from that is the issue of war in the middle east especially between Israe and Iran.

martin j smith| 6.12.10 @ 8:25AM

Or North and South Korea, or....

Ken Roberts| 6.12.10 @ 9:20PM

I know who's a-- to kick he needs to go to a drilling rig and pick any guy there and say "I am going to kick your a--" I am sure he will get his upbringing and a great experience as we all need to get whooped at least once in our lives if nothing else to know that it can be whooped. That would be the worst a-- kicking he ever received. Just maybe a lady on the rig could oblige him , if they have ladies working there .

Edgard| 6.13.10 @ 9:00AM

There is another solution to the problem.
As 44 (SHI-SHI) claims to be in charge, why not teach him how to steer a motballed or about to be retired SUBMARINE, set the proper coordinates and GDP and let him dive down there at full speed, ram the sub in the hole and solve an host of problems, and his posterity is guaranteed for ever in the history books. ED

Answers1| 6.13.10 @ 8:42PM

A fake president.

SheldonHall| 6.15.10 @ 3:27PM

This is a good article, and analysis.

If the BP oil gush weren't such a horrible tragedy, that is growing worse by the day, Obama's role in mitigating the disastrous effects would be laughable.

dk| 7.1.10 @ 4:51AM

shanghai massage