Did the White House bury worst-case BP spill estimates?
Obama's own commission suggests the White House blocked scientists from leveling with the public about how bad things could get. Is that view fair?
President Obama's commission on the BP oil spill didn't spare his administration in its first four draft reports evaluating the government response to the disaster. By publicly lowballing the size of the spill for the first month, the draft reports said, "the federal government created the impression that it was either not fully competent to handle the spill or not fully candid with the American people." One report said the White House quashed a request from government scientists at NOAA to release a worst-case scenario. Did the Obama team try to bury the truth? (Watch an AP report about the finding)
Science lost to politics: My take on the "rather incendiary revelation" that the White House buried NOAA's worst-case scenario, says John Hinderaker at PowerLine, is that "scientists and others at NOAA wanted to let it be known that they tried to level with the public, but were blocked by President Obama's political appointees." That sounds believable, given this administration's track record.
"What did the oil commission say?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Team Obama was slow, not dishonest: The spill was not "the administration's finest hour," says Jeffrey Kluger in Time. But it's not fair to blame it for the "random, wheel-of-fortune quality" of the initial spill estimates. When the administration stopped relying on BP and created its own flow-rate panel in May, they got it right. Perhaps it is a measure of "how comparatively well the crisis was handled" that we're already arguing over the "post-mortem."
"Oil spill report hits White House. Is it fair?"
We will see what the final report says: Government officials are certainly arguing that they "sufficiently and repeatedly warned the public about worst-case scenarios," says Josh Duboff in New York. But it's pretty damning to be criticized by your own commission. This is just a draft, but don't be shocked if "a whole bunch of White House officials will be calling in sick" on Jan. 11, when the final report is due.
"Report criticizes administration for response to oil spill"
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Do medical clowns really work?
Under the Radar Growing body of evidence suggests laughter and joy are key ingredients in a patient's recovery – even among adults
By The Week UK Published
-
How accurate are political polls?
The Explainer And how much should you read into figures ahead of the 2024 election?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
5 insightful podcasts you may have missed this summer
The Week Recommends A few podcast veterans and a number binge-worthy newcomers created an entertaining summer for podcast listeners
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published