Talk Is Cheap

When the President gave his first address from the Oval Office Tuesday night, I was surprised the networks weren't running a live feed of the Gulf oil spill in the corner of the screen. Not only because they are almost always running that live feed, but because it was be a perfect image of what has been happening for almost 60 days now. Oil has been flowing out of a hole at the bottom of the sea at an astronomical rate, and the President has been talking. Just talking. Even in his speech Tuesday night, he started by telling the American people what he had directed BP to do. But where is the action? He said that there are 3,000 oil cleanup workers in four states and 1,000 ships -- but he didn't say that he sent them. He said there are over 17,000 National Guard troops there, but those are the National Guard troops belonging to the Gulf states (of which there are over 50,000 troops) and acting under their governors' leadership. And nonetheless, where are the results of all this effort? Oil is spilling out at higher rates than ever before. The President used this Oval Office speech to create more theatrics, which has characterized his presidency, when it should be about sound policy and executive action...more