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Obama on Gulf Coast: 'BP Will Be Paying the Bill'

In Louisiana, president gets firsthand look at effects of ruptured oil well

By M. Morris, Newser Staff

Posted May 2, 2010 4:07 PM CDT

(Newser) – President Obama visited Louisiana this afternoon, seeing for himself the effects of the continuing oil spill and promising an "all-hands-on-deck" reaction, the Times-Picayune reports. "BP is responsible for this leak. BP will be paying the bill," he said. "But as president of the United States, I will spare no effort until this spill is cleaned up."

Gov. Bobby Jindal met Air Force One at Louis Armstrong airport near New Orleans, and they drove 2 hours to the coast. Poor weather prevented the president and his entourage from taking a helicopter tour of the region, where waves of oil are washing ashore, reports CNN. Federally regulated fishing grounds from Louisiana to Florida have been closed and will remain off-limits for at least 10 days, reports the Tallahassee Democrat.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal walks with President Obama on the tarmac at Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, La., Sunday, May 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal talks with President Obama at Louis Armstrong airport outside New Orleans. They visited the Gulf Coast region to observe the damage caused by the BP oil spill, May 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 40 comments

Perlandra

May 3, 2010 9:57 PM CDT

Corporate person British Petroleum will pay just like it's monopoly brother Exxon. Exxon has still not paid even the highly reduced punitive damages (by the activist Bush SCOTUS) for the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. 5 billion reduced to 2.5 billion then to 507.5 million unpaid while on appeal since the spill happened in 1989. Exxon claims the maximum it owes in punitive damages is 25 million. Why would anyone think BP will be treated any different than Exxon was by US regulators or our corporate friendly federal courts? That would be UNFAIR to another valued corporate person! If we believe it is because Obama said so...we will be surely disappointed. He may want it to be true, but it will never happen unless BP does it out of the goodness of it's corporate heart. That claim is not worth the carbon dioxide that was exhaled with the promise.

realtruth

May 3, 2010 1:31 PM CDT

I Know..(<:.. is all Grorge Bushes Fault..

brianjconway

May 3, 2010 12:51 PM CDT

I'm no fan of big oil, but it seems that BP has so far pretty well stepped up to the plate, accepting responsibility for the clean up of this mess. I, however was not aware that the investiigation into the actual cause of the spill, had been completed. Does President Obama know something we don't?

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Politics • Money • Science • US

Louisiana • ecology • Gulf of Mexico • Bobby Jindal • Gulf Coast • President Obama • British Petroleum • oil well • Deepwater Horizon • Gulf oil spill

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Obama on Gulf Coast: 'BP Will Be Paying the Bill'

In Louisiana, president gets firsthand look at effects of ruptured oil well

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Louisiana • ecology • Gulf of Mexico • Bobby Jindal • Gulf Coast • President Obama • British Petroleum • oil well • Deepwater Horizon • Gulf oil spill

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More Newser Stories

Tar Balls Hit Fla. Beaches as Obama Returns to Gulf

Residents plan 'last swim' before more oil arrives

Much of Spilled Oil Already Gone

Around 35% probably evaporated, model suggests

Gulf Workers Not Buying Good News

Many distrust reports oil has dissipated

Cajuns Wonder If Gulf Spill Is Last Straw

Many plan to stay till the bitter end, if need be

New Containment Cap Reaches Oil Well

Feds revise deepwater drilling ban

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