Has President Obama Lost His Mind?

Yesterday, June 15, 2010, from the oval office President Obama delivered his first national address to the American people. The topic? The nearly 60 day old environmental crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. We all hoped the president would finally take charge of this diaster and call all Americans to step up to the proverbial plate and assist the gulf states in any and every way, both in clean up and in financial support for those hardest hit by the crisis. But instead, the president cynically used a third of his speech to push his so-called clean energy agenda.

Mr. President, we don't need your constant hyperpartisan politics. We need LEADERSHIP! Perhaps British Petroleum (BP) is best able to plug the leak, but the U.S. and state governments are in the best position to help with coastal protection and with the spill clean up. You say that your administration has been on top of this oil spill since "day one," but on Capitol Hill yesterday every single oil company testified that neither you nor anyone in your administration contacted any of them to ask for their help in this mess. Instead, you relied on politically motivated academics and environmentalists who have little to no direct expertise in how the oil industry actually works.

It is time you set aside your partisan extremist politics and start acting like a president. There will be time enough for politics in the future. For now, let BP plug the oil leak, and you focus all your efforts on protecting the gulf coast line and on cleaning up this spill!!!

-- David A. Adcock