A presidential comparison / contrast in pictures. Bush's Katrina versus Obama's Oil Spill...

[jefferson_dem]

+


versus


President Barack Obama talks with U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, who is serving as the National Incident Commander, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, aboard Marine One as they fly along the coastline from Venice to New Orleans, La., May 2, 2010. John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, is in the background. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

[av8rdave]

1. You forgot the air guitar picture...and the birthday cake.

[lizziegrace]

2. +1 n/t

[O is 44]

3. O always seems very engaged, the difference is stark!

[HughMoran]

5. Jindal appears to be listening intently

I don't know why, but it surprises me to see a Republican acting even remotely respectful.

[Clio the Leo]

4. While I haven't read Laura's book...

.... the passage that was reported was very troubling.

She seems to think the problem that Bush didn't land his plane. She says that it would have been too disruptive and that argument has some merits.

But the problem wasn't that Bush wouldn't land his plane. THIS (as we all know) was the problem....



And if you'll allow me to add a few more photos to your excellent thread...

[RufusTFirefly]

6. Wow. Our photo ops are better than their photo ops.

The San Diego Chicken whupped the Phillie Phanatic.

But what is the relationship between this Kabuki Theater and reality?

Oh, sorry.

Never mind.

Mr. Obama said several times during his presidential campaign that he supported expanded offshore drilling. He noted in his State of the Union address in January that weaning the country from imported oil would require “tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development.”
New York Times

Did he or did he not say this? Please don't give me the Straw Man argument that he is better than Bush. Of course he is. But he could've condemned offshore drilling, but instead he embraced it.

[O is 44]

7. Everywhere the President goes there is a photo

opportunity, that does not mean he is not doing something worthwhile.

[RufusTFirefly]

9. What? Like condemning offshore drilling?

The whole "drill, baby, drill!" notion was utterly absurd. The fact that our President supported it is distressing.

1. The amount of oil that could be acquired off the East coast is miniscule.
2. What's more, it would have almost no effect on current oil shortages or prices.
3. Even if the amount of oil predicted in that area is made available, it would vanish in days.
4. And besides, it's being drilled by private companies. Who says they have any obligation to supply it to American motorists? Certainly not President Obama. The fact is that the private oil companies will sell their oil to the highest bidder. And that probably won't be us.

In sum, our President, Mr. Hope and Change, bought into a completely bankrupt policy championed by someone who probably has one-half his intellectual capabilities at best. And why?

Now, he is out front and in tastefully composed photos looking concerned about the disaster that resulted from offshore oil drilling -- a policy he endorsed. Gee, who would've thunk it? Are we supposed to forget his statements and positions from just a few weeks ago? The United States of Amnesia, indeed.

[O is 44]

11. I can admit the drill idea was a bad one even

if he was trying to garner Republican support for his energy bill. This disaster would have still happened without the President's statements on limited drilling. The point of the OP was how he is handling the disaster now not about policy.

[emilyg]

14. +1

[jefferson_dem]

18. -1

Nonsense. And I think you know it.

Speaking of "drill baby drill"...

Your "Mr. Hope and Change..." sounds like "America's had enough of 'hopey changey stuff'" http://www.freep.com/article/20100502/NEWS01/5020457/Palin-rips-into-Obama-Democrats

[RufusTFirefly]

22. Guilt by association and ad hominem

You really traffic in logical fallacies, don't you?

Are you suggesting that by opposing environmentally damaging policies of our president that I am somehow a Palin supporter or a Freeper?

Gee. It must be comforting to live in a binary world.

[jefferson_dem]

23. Defensive much?

I just find it ironic ... that you used the same simpleton, dismissive language about Obama that Palin just served up. That's all. But I can see how that *association* might make you uncomfortable. Deal with it.

Debate energy policy all you want. I'll do the same. But at least try to find a relevant home for your rants.

[RufusTFirefly]

24. Project much?

Try reading my post wherein I cite coherent objections to the completely wrong-headed policy of offshore drilling.

I assume you did and simply disregarded the first part of the post because it was too uncomfortable and inconvenient to confront.

Have a nice day.

[jefferson_dem]

25. You are missing the point entirely.

I understand that some may take issue with Obama coming out with implicit support for more drilling. I've said so in this thread and others. But the OP is not about energy policy, no matter how much you desperately try to steer it in that direction.

In any case, when one disparages the President as "Mr. Hope and Change" they are basically inviting others to dismiss their policy arguments as unsubstantial.

Yes, you have a nice day as well.

[jefferson_dem]

8. Wow. You're right.

That one-line, context-free quote surely encapsulates all the "reality" there is about this President, his character and leadership skills, and his administration's energy and environmental policy.

Who needs images...

:eyes:

[RufusTFirefly]

10. Go ahead. Supply the context. You know the rules.

I couldn't quote the entire article. You know that as well as I do.
What context?

I'm anxious for you to supply the "Yeah, but.." for Pres. Obama's support of offshore oil drilling.

[jefferson_dem]

17. If Obama hadn't said that - if he had never suggested he was open to offshore drilling -

how would that have changed whether this incident happened or not, and how he has responded to the crisis? After all, that's the point of the OP.

Hey, I understand you're keen on ridiculing this President at every opportunity, even when you have to invent shit to do it. But sometimes you just end up looking silly.

[boston bean]

19. The incident would have happened no matter what, but would be different

is we wouldn't have had Democrats defending Off shore drilling! And have Democrats telling other Democrats that they are blaming the President for the spill, when in fact they are discussing the political fall out of his decision and how he tied democrats hands in finally winning the issue of off shore drilling.

Because of his flip on off shore drilling, Sarah Palin and republicans have wiggle room.

That is much different than saying Obama is responsible for this particular oil spill. Rush and other idiots claim that.


But any future explored area that becomes a rig that may ruin the environment, obama will have had a hand in.

[jefferson_dem]

20. I agree with your characterization.

Wiggle room...indeed. As I posted here yesterday, I'm hoping Obama reconsiders his support for drilling as a result of this disaster.

[AuntPatsy]

13. This is NOT President Obama's fault...people drive me crazy sometimes....

if you must blame someone, than do the research to find the real culprit or culprits as the case may be, doesn't anyone know how to do simple research that can help one present factual evidence when attempting to write a little story?

And for those people that thrive on conspiracy theories instead of realizing it is what it is, it was an accident, a horrific unforeseen accident by the crew on that rig..

Now for the people who write the checks, I would say they were more than aware that an accident could occur when you have a device that only can assimilate 15,000 pounds of pressure when it was a possibility that that pressure could and obviously did exceed the 15,000


Yes, someone is to blame for this "accident" but it is NOT president Obama and you and those like you waste time and resources needed to get to the heart of the matter by focusing on that obvious little red dot blinking in front of your eyes, distracted is all that will become if you continue to focus on it...

[Born_A_Truman]

15. Everything is Obama's fault ...

don't you know that?






:sarcasm:

[BlooInBloo]

16. Yup. This is DU.

[RufusTFirefly]

21. Straw man argument

Nobody on DU to my knowledge is suggesting that this particular oil spill is the President's fault. What is true, unfortunately, is that in capitulating to the "drill, baby, drill" set, he completely lost any moral high ground on this issue. He can't pretend that he didn't support offshore drilling. Because he did. There's no denying it.

Now, on to Clean Coal (sic).

[awoke_in_2003]

26. Because of Obama

I did not win the lottery saturday night :)

[Cha]

12. Yeah, bush & cheney didn't give a shit..

and President Obama is down there to help.

Now we have a President who is dealing in reality.