Oil Spill Endangers Obama's Drilling Plans

Growing slick expected to reach land tomorrow
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 29, 2010 1:58 PM CDT
Oil Spill Endangers Obama's Drilling Plans
Workers load oil booms onto a crew boat to assist in the containment.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The feds are ramping up efforts to contain the widening oil spill near Louisiana, with Janet Napolitano designating it an event of "national significance." For President Obama, it's also an event of political significance. With oil pouring into the Gulf, the environmental mess is already causing trouble for his plan to expand offshore drilling, reports the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

White House energy czar Carol Browner says the spill will be a "point of debate" when the issue comes up in climate change legislation. Adds Robert Gibbs: "We don't know what caused this. Could that possibility change the president's viewpoint on drilling? Of course." The spill, meanwhile, is on track to reach fragile shorelands as early as tonight.
(More Deepwater Horizon stories.)

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