A new ABC News/Washington Post poll is kind of shocking. It says a whopping 69 percent of Americans believe the federal government — the Obama administration — is doing a bad job handling the oil mess.
By contrast, two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, 62 percent felt the Bush administration did a poor job in that disaster.
It is the drip, drip, drip of the oil spill that is hurting President Obama's image. Katrina came and went quickly. The spill continues to cause awful damage after seven weeks.
Realizing his entire administration is at risk, Mr. Obama is out making his case:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I was down there a month ago, before most of these talking heads were even paying attention to the Gulf. A month ago, I was meeting with fishermen down there, standing in the rain talking about what a potential crisis this could be. And I don't sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar. We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Tough guy rhetoric aside, the American public is frustrated because no solution to the spill has been found. Everybody knows how terrible the disaster is going to be. Even if the gusher were plugged today, billions of dollars in cleanup must be forthcoming. And even then, some of the wetlands and wildlife will never come back.
The British Petroleum corporation is, of course, responsible. But the president has not even spoken with BP CEO Tony Hayward:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I have not spoken to him directly, and here's the reason, because my experience is when you talk to a guy like BP's CEO, he's going to say all the right things to me. I'm not interested in words. I'm interested in action.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
With all due respect, the president should be speaking directly with Hayward, perhaps kicking his posterior verbally.
That same ABC News poll says that 64 percent of Americans want BP to be criminally investigated. Just 28 percent do not.
There is no question that scenes like the struggling birds, sea and wildlife have greatly angered the public. Americans want action, even if that action is symbolic.
President Obama now understands that graphic oil images are staining him, but there is little he can do about it.
So it's another "Barack and a hard place" situation for the president. His cool demeanor has brought heat directly on him. He is a man used to controlling situations, but this one remains out of control.
In any honest damage assessment of the oil debacle, the White House is up there.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
Two "you make the call" situations.
Apparently, President Obama's speech at Kalamazoo High School on Monday was a bit much for one student:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: This is a contest to highlight schools that promote academic excellence, personal responsibility. Many of you are the first in your family to go to college, and right about now you may be feeling all the weight of their hopes and expectations coming down on your shoulders.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
The speech began shortly before 8 p.m. That kid must have had a rough day. Whether he's a pinhead or patriot may depend on your ideology.
Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!
Also, a weatherman in Beaumont, Texas, is taking the city by storm:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a weatherman. I got my weather map. So if you have a weather question, go ahead and ask.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will it be sunny or will we see rain?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it looks like Mother Nature's going to be a pain. There's a slight chance for rain all over this map, from Lake Charles on over to Anahuac.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Pinhead? You make the call.
— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com.
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