The AP's timeline is reprinted in red. Story links therein are to AP search headlines page. The AP did not provide links to presidential comments/transcripts. That excavation follows in blueish:
Thursday, May 27 — At a news conferences, Obama says his daughter Malia asked him that morning: "Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?" He tells his TV audience he accepts responsibility for mending the situation and talks of a "scandalously close relationship" between Big Oil and government regulators.
27 May 2010 Press Conference Transcript:
And so my job right now is just to make sure that everybody in the Gulf understands this is what I wake up to in the morning and this is what I go to bed at night thinking about — the spill. The — and it’s not just me, by the way. You know, when I woke up this morning, and I’m shaving, and Malia knocks on my bathroom door and she peeks in her head and she says, “Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?” — (soft laughter) — because I think everybody understands that, you know, when we are fouling the Earth like this, it has concrete implications not just for this generation but for future generations.
I grew up in Hawaii, where the ocean is sacred. And when you see birds flying around with — with oil all over their feathers and turtles dying and — you know, that’s — that doesn’t just speak to the immediate economic quences (sic) — consequences of this; this speaks to, you know, how are we caring for this incredible bounty that we have?
But this oil spill has made clear that more reforms are needed. For years there’s been a scandalously close relationship between oil companies and the agency that regulates them. That’s why we’ve decided to separate the people who permit the drilling from those who regulate and ensure the safety of the drilling.
To do list:
First, we will suspend the planned exploration of two locations off the coast of Alaska.
Second, we will cancel the pending lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico and the proposed lease sale off the coast of Virginia.
Third, we will continue the existing moratorium and suspend the issuance of new permits to drill new deepwater wells for six months.
And four, we will suspend action on 33 deepwater exploratory wells currently being drilled in the Gulf of Mexico.
Saturday, May 29 — Obama says it is "as enraging as it is heartbreaking" that BP's latest attempt to stop the oil, known as "top kill," has failed.
29 May 2010. As I said yesterday, every day that this leak continues is an assault on the people of the Gulf Coast region, their livelihoods, and the natural bounty that belongs to all of us. It is as enraging as it is heartbreaking, and we will not relent until this leak is contained, until the waters and shores are cleaned up, and until the people unjustly victimized by this manmade disaster are made whole.
And on the next days, he rested.
Tuesday, June 1 — Obama introduces a national commission to examine the causes of the spill. He implores them "to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor." Attorney General Eric Holder visits Louisiana and announces he is exploring charges against BP and the other firms involved in the spill.
Let's assume the general is mentioned only to prove that the ass kicker does generals too. He'll be left out of the discussion. In tracking down the rest of 44's partial quote, it is that 44 was quoting himself from the meeting with Bob 'n Bill:
01 June 2010. I just said in our meeting: In doing this work, they have my full support to follow the facts wherever they may lead -- without fear or favor. And I’m directing them to report back in six months with options for how we can prevent and mitigate the impact of any future spills that result from offshore drilling.
Sub category alert; another macho moment which will be ignored as was the general:
Tuesday, June 1 — Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs tells reporters he's seen the president express "rage" over the spill. Pressed for examples, Gibbs describes his boss' "clenched jaw" and his order to "plug the damn hole."
In Pittsburgh a/k/a at Carnegie Mellon U:
Wednesday, June 2 — In a speech in Pittsburgh, Obama taps into public outrage over the spill to press Congress to scrap billions in oil company tax breaks and pass legislation to help the nation kick a dangerous "fossil fuel addiction."
02 June 2010. But the only way the transition to clean energy will ultimately succeed is if the private sector is fully invested in this future -- if capital comes off the sidelines and the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs is unleashed. And the only way to do that is by finally putting a price on carbon pollution.
No, many businesses have already embraced this idea because it provides a level of certainty about the future. And for those that face transition costs, we can help them adjust. But if we refuse to take into account the full costs of our fossil fuel addiction -- if we don’t factor in the environmental costs and the national security costs and the true economic costs -- we will have missed our best chance to seize a clean energy future.
The House of Representatives has already passed a comprehensive energy and climate bill, and there is currently a plan in the Senate -- a plan that was developed with ideas from Democrats and Republicans -- that would achieve the same goal. And, Pittsburgh, I want you to know, the votes may not be there right now, but I intend to find them in the coming months. (Applause.) I will continue to make the case for a clean energy future wherever and whenever I can. (Applause.) I will work with anyone to get this done -- and we will get it done.
Thursday, June 3 — Obama says he is "furious" about the situation in the Gulf and that BP hasn't moved fast enough to respond to the oil spill. The president says in an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live" that BP has felt his anger — although he says "venting and yelling at people" won't solve the problem.
03 June 2010. KING: Some -- I know you -- you appear so calm.
Are you angry at BP?
OBAMA: You know, I am furious at this entire situation, because this is an example of where somebody didn't think through the consequences of their actions. And it is imperiling not just a handful of people, this is -- this is imperiling an entire way of life and an entire region for, potentially, years. So...
KING: Has the company felt your anger?
OBAMA: Well, they have felt the anger. But what I haven't seen as much as I'd like is the kind of rapid response.
Now, they want to solve the problem, too, because this is cost -- costing them a lot of money. And the one thing that I think is important to underscore is that I would love to just spend a lot of my time venting and yelling at people. But that's not the job I was hired to do. My job is to solve this problem. And, ultimately, this isn't about me and how angry I am. Ultimately, this is about the people down in the Gulf who are being impacted and what am I doing to make sure that they're able to salvage their way of life?
And that's going to be the main focus that I've got in the weeks and months ahead.
The photo op:
Friday, June 4 — On his third trip to the Gulf Coast since the April 20 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion, Obama rips into BP, asserting, "I don't want them nickel-and-diming people down here."
Wow. A whole sentence quote. That is indeed impressive and shall stand on its own merit.
And on the next days, he rested.
Monday, June 7 — Obama declares his administration will "make sure" that BP fully compensates Gulf Coast individuals and businesses harmed by the spill.
The phrase "make sure" was used eleven (11) times in his nine (9)-minute comments, but the correct one has been identified:
07 June 2010. Let me just make one final point, and I think this was something that was emphasized by everybody here, and it's something that I want to say to the American people. This will be contained. It may take some time, and it's going to take a whole lot of effort. There is going to be damage done to the Gulf Coast and there is going to be economic damages that we've got to make sure BP is responsible for and compensates people for.
To ensure that people are immediately compensated, a bill was tendered three days earlier:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Obama administration has sent a $69 million bill to BP for the U.S. government's efforts to help deal with the energy company's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The current $69 million bill accounts for 75% of what BP owes to date, and the company has until July 1 to pay the full amount, an administration official said Thursday.
Tuesday, June 8 — Obama says in an interview on NBC's "Today" show that his talks with Gulf fishermen and oil spill experts are not an academic exercise. They're "so I know whose ass to kick." He also lashes at Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP, for saying earlier that "I want my life back," that the Gulf is "a big ocean" and that "the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest."
"He wouldn't be working for me after any of those statements," Obama says.
Yeh, yeh, yeh. . . big shot talks big after a private conference with handpicked representatives of the crisis.
So who works for our mister big? Who are our asses assets? We turn again to cnnmoney.com:
Included in the bill sent to BP was a $29 million charge for Federal agencies to operate ships, aircraft and boats to monitor environmental damage and another $29 million charge for the activation and deployment of the National Guard, an administration official said.
BP owes $7 million for removal operations and other environmental assessment efforts and $4 million for the Department of Defense's removal efforts and operation of ships and aircraft.
The millions paid by BP will be applied to important assets thusly:
The man is makin' sure.
