Obama extends stop on deepwater wells

[lame54]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_oil_spill_washington;_ylt=AsTKerCz0VVQcdVk_niLu5as0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNzNXVobmM4BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNTI3L3VzX2d1bGZfb2lsX3NwaWxsX3dhc2hpbmd0b24EY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwMyBHBvcwM3BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNhcHNvdXJjZW9iYW0-

By ERICA WERNER and CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writers – 1 hr 16 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Escalating his administration's response to the disastrous Gulf oil spill, President Barack Obama plans to announce Thursday that a moratorium on new deepwater oil drilling permits will be continued for six months while a presidential commission investigates, a White House aide said.
Controversial lease sales off the coast of Alaska will be delayed pending the results of the commission's investigation, and lease sales planned in the Western Gulf and off the coast of Virginia will be canceled, the aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of a midday Obama news conference.
Those steps, along with new oversight and safety standards also to be announced, are the results of a 30-day safety review of offshore drilling conducted by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar at Obama's direction. Salazar briefed Obama on its conclusions Wednesday night in the Oval Office.
With the moves, Obama is exerting control over the response to the five-week-old spill amid growing criticism about leadership from the White House, even as BP's efforts to stanch the leak are finally showing some promise.
The new announcements also could be an early sign of a fundamental shift in the administration's policies on offshore drilling,...

[Captain Hilts]

1. Now, let's enforce it. nt

[dgibby]

2. I hope he puts it in writing this time. n/t

[lame54]

3. .