FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Pres. Obama wants Americans to know that he's finally very angry about the Gulf oil spill.
He is so worked up that he told NBC that he's met with experts about the spill to learn quote "whose ass to kick."
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/08/art.obama.oil.jpg caption=" Pres. Obama, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen (R), and White House energy adviser Carol Browner discuss the Obama administration's response to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. "]
But here's the problem: Seven weeks into this crisis, the public isn't too pleased with Mr. Obama's response to America's worst environmental disaster ever... and it seems like this oil spill could swallow the president up along with thousands of miles of coastline.
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows 69 percent of those surveyed rate the federal response to the oil spill negatively. That's worse than the rating for the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
Not good.
And a new Gallup Poll shows that more Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the oil spill. And the president's 40 percent approval rating on the oil spill trails his overall job rating by seven points.
These poll results come despite the fact that the White House has been working aggressively to address criticism of how they've responded.
The president has returned several times to the Gulf... and it seems each time we hear him speak, he's trying to show more emotion and passion.
Trouble is at this point, some of it comes across as contrived. "Whose ass to kick," is not Obama's style.
The fact is this "accident" in the Gulf may prove to be a serious stumbling block in Mr. Obama's young presidency... and could jeopardize his ability to push through his agenda. Even some liberals are beginning to desert him.
Here’s my question to you: How does President Obama get out from under the oil spill?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Mark writes:
The president should be hiring thousands of unemployed Americans to clean up this oil. Pay them 20 bucks an hour and get busy doing what BP keeps promising to do. In fact, Obama should be out on that tanker looking down into it to see how much oil is actually being captured by BP. Why does a common citizen like me have to come up with common sense ideas that this president is obviously afraid to try?
N. writes:
It's been two months, no end in sight. 8 days to acknowledge a problem. 40 days before he even started acting like it was an issue. Campaign parties and Beatle dinners seemed a priority. Short answer: he can't... he's drowning in it, as he should be.
Sandy writes:
Pres. Obama brushes the oil off himself by doing what he does best, going out and communicating with the people. He currently has a perception problem. The president is brilliant, analytical, pragmatic, but has been low-key in his efforts in dealing with the Gulf disaster. He is taking a beating in the polls primarily because he does not tout his work publicly. In the current real time news cycle, he must be in constant election mode, out there, up-front, outlining the actions he is taking.
Otis in West Hartford, Connecticut writes:
Jack, As a bonafide "Cleaner" of several recent crises, I have no doubt that Pres. Obama and his mature leadership style, which we lauded a few months ago, will get him out from under this spill. Going "McCain" against BP and declaring war on England may make for interesting theater and fuel a fickle electorate's obsession with political minutia but it does nothing to mitigate this disaster.
Manuel writes:
Pres. Obama needs to call in the Navy and all of our other military and scientific resources right now, and go to Louisiana in person and kick the oil leak's ass and not look for a bureaucrat to kick. We know bureaucrats don't get anything done so don't waste any more time. The American people are looking for a hands-on, all-hands-on-deck U.S. government response. We want action not words! After we solve the problem, hand BP the bill for Pete's sake. Do we really need to debate this?