Over one month after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, President Obama declared that he would take care of the problem.
Unlike many, I haven't faulted Obama for the terrible spill or the aftermath. However, I have faulted him for some of his actions. Allowing Janet Napolitano to say that the Administration was handling the situation 'from day one' was foolhardy. The President has also been foolish to make grandiose statements about what role government plays in this sort of crisis.
Now that the President has declared that the crisis is his, however, he must be held accountable. Here's what President Obama said:
"In case you were wondering who's responsible, I take responsibility. It is my job to make sure that everything is done to shut this down."
The fact of the matter is, the President has been declaring that he has the ability to stop or help stymie the crisis for some time now. Whether or not this is true is debatable, but to state it unequivocally is to take full responsibility, regardless of reality.
Therefore, regardless of his actual role in the situation, the blame for failure must be directed at the President. From this day forward, failure (or possible success) must be laid at the President's feet.
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