The BP oil spill environmental and economic disaster is morphing into a political crisis that is tainting the Obama administration like oil-soaked pelicans.
A USA Today/Gallup poll found Americans want Obama to kick BP’s ass:
Americans have a message for President Obama on handling the oil spill: Get tougher.
[…]
Americans see the spill as an environmental and economic catastrophe. Half predict that some beaches will never recover from the oil spill. Six in 10 say some species of wildlife, including fish and birds, will never return to normal levels even after the clean-up is completed.
Americans also want Obama to take BP to the cleaners. A Gallup poll found:
The majority of Americans (59%) say British Petroleum should pay for all financial losses resulting from the Gulf Coast oil spill, including wages of workers put out of work, even if those payments ultimately drive the company out of business. Seven out of 10 Americans (71%) say Obama has not been tough enough in his dealings with BP.
Obama will try to contain the political damage with a prime time address to the nation from the Oval Office tonight. The New York Times reports:
It is Mr. Obama’s goal, advisers say, to acknowledge the uncertainties and what one called “the new reality,” allay people’s fears and give reason to hope.
The address will air at 8:00 p.m. EDT. You can view it at White House Live.
