Tackling an environmental crisis quickly becoming one of the most serious political threats to his presidency, President Barack Obama insisted Thursday that critics of the federal government’s response to the oil spill in the gulf “don’t know the facts.”
“Those who think that we were either slow in our responses or lacked urgency don’t know the facts. This has been our highest priority since this crisis occurred,” Obama said during a rare news conference in the White House East Room. “We understood from day one the potential enormity of this crisis and acted accordingly.”
Amid escalating complaints of buck-passing between the well’s owner, BP, and federal officials, Obama also said that he understands that, when it comes to ending the spill, the buck stops with him.
“In case you were wondering who’s responsible? I take responsibility. It is my job to make sure everything is done to shut this down,” Obama said, directly addressing criticism that he hasn’t been more personally involved.
“There shouldn’t be any confusion here: the federal government is fully engaged and I’m fully engaged,” he said.
Obama also tried to address critics of the government’s role by making an unequivocal declaration: the federal government is heading up the relief and cleanup response.
“The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began the federal government has been in charge of the response effort,” he said. “Make no mistake: BP is operating at our direction.” - Politico Story
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