For three weeks, as the giant slick crept closer to shore, officials from the White House, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Environmental Protection Agency debated the best approach.
I think that has become the norm for government. Debate everything, even in an emergency, and if its not an emergency, then have public hearings by the relevant regulatory body and hearings in congress, require 50 tons of paperwork be submitted, and every step to be approved by 10 layers of management...
Its gotten to the point where very forceful leadership is needed by the president to get past such delays in an emergency (and where even such leadership probably can't get past them quickly in a non-emergency).
I agree Obama didn't provide that leadership, but I suspect this will be more and more common going forward. You need "exceptional" to get things done quickly, not just "mediocre", a mediocre response by the president will have horrible results. Few presidents are going to be really exceptional (and IMO Obama isn't exceptional, at least not in a positive direction) |
