Liveblogging The Obamatrina Address Starting At 8 PM

7:46: Obama speaks to the nation in 14 minutes. Grab the popcorn, tune up your BS meters, and hold your wallets tight.

8:00: I am watching MSNBC for the liveblog so I can learn how this is what Lincoln would have said about a massive oil spill in the gulf.

8:01: Key words to remember as you watch this: “Never let a crisis go to waste.”

8:03: In the coming weeks and days, we should capture 90% of the oil.

8:03: This is like an epidemic we will be fighting for months and years. Guess the 9/11 trial balloon didn’t poll well.

8:04: The Federal Government has been in charge right from the beginning. That explains a lot.

8:06: We’ve approved barrier islands, laid boom, we’re bringing in the Guard. We’ll do anything and everything.

8:07: Earlier it was “Assault.” Now it’s “siege.” The must think the “language of war” will help them after all.

8:07: I will inform BP that they will give as much money up as like to an independent third party.

8:08: I have asked for a long term gulf restoration plan as soon as possible and BP will pay for it. He sure is making a lot of promises about how much a private company he doesn’t control is going to have to pay.

8:09: Oh boy, yet another commission. This one will come up with standards. I guess it’s necessary, but man, lot of plans and commissions for something that’s not working.

8:10: Oil companies showered regulators with gifts and got favorable deals — ehr, isn’t that under your watch?

8:11: Drilling for oil is risky. We’re running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water. Course, the government has banned a lot of that oil drilling actually.

8:13: Remember this? Key words to remember as you watch this: “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Here we go…

8:14: We’re making cars powered by love, factories powered by unicorn kisses, and scientists are working on powering our economy with hope!

8:14: The House passed our cap and trade bill. I say we can’t afford to change how we produce and change energy. Boo! How exploitive and lame.

8:16: I will not settle for inaction on this. We’ll see about that.

8:16: Each year at the beginning of shrimping season…does anyone, I mean anyone, think Barack Obama cares about shrimping season?

8:17: Here’s a heartwarming reference to God that I obviously care nothing about.

Summary: I think Obama started out doing what he needed to do. He talked about the disaster and what the government had been doing. He did show they were doing something, but should have focused a lot more on that. How did this go so wrong?:  That:  was what people wanted : to hear: How are:  we:  going to “plug the damn hole.”

Then he went on:  to:  the plans and commissions and things they’ll do one day….we were getting cloudier there. Why haven’t we planned more of this out already?

Towards the end, he pushed the exact same bill he’s been behind since he got into office. It seemed disingenuous and when he tried to move to uplifting rhetoric, it had the same problem he’s had all along: He knows the notes, but not the tune. He was saying passionate words with no passion.

C -: Obama may get a small temporary bump, but that’s it. Not a particularly good speech.

PS: Surprisingly, Olbermann, Matthews, and Fineman didn’t like this speech. If you can’t win that crowd over, it ain’t much of a speech.

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