Oil spill, a sever blow to both parties

As tens of thousands of barrels of oil cause irreversible damage to shores of the Gulf of Mexico, this messy spill can't come close to matching the massive political slop that will cover the Obama presidency as a result of this catastrophe. Attacks are coming from the right, left and center, as each additional day of oil coverage in the media lends yet another piece of indisputable evidence that this administration has been "punked" by the oil and gas industry.




Even President Obama's usual allies, Chris Matthews and James Carville, have been highly critical of the president's reaction to the BP disaster. Matthews recently asked of Obama, "When is he actually going to do something?" Carville pounded on his own criticism, stating that Obama is being naïve in assuming that BP is going to handle this crisis in an appropriate fashion. Perhaps Carville and Matthews are being too harsh, but their challenges to the president reflect the nation's confusion about exactly who is wearing the political pants in the Obama administration.



Of course the attacks are going to come from the right as well. The most interesting critiques have come from political newcomer Rand Paul, who called Obama "un-American" for the way he has attacked BP. Apparently, Paul needs to be invited to more of the Republican talking point meetings, since his critique contradicts that of his buddy Sarah Palin, who says that Obama can't handle the crisis effectively because his cozy relationship with BP impedes his ability to be effective. While it might be confusing to hear one Republican say that Obama is being too nice and another saying that he's being too harsh, this cross-eyed attack on the president reminds us that Obama simply can't win in this situation. This is going to be his Hurricane Katrina, with the only difference being that "Katrina 2010" is going to last for the entire summer.