Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig - Obama Meets the Families of the Dead Workers

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig didn't just drench birds and beaches with foul-smelling oil, it killed eleven men.  President Obama now is going to meet their families.  Dare I say it?  It's about time. 

Empathy is not President Obama's strong point.  People mocked former President Clinton for his ability to feel the pain of the electorate.  But at least he understood the importance of disaster recovery and made placing professionals in FEMA a priority.  Whenever there was a large disaster, he was on top of it and everyone could see that.  Former President George Bush gave a very good impression of someone who only cared if something affected him or someone on his golf course.  But then he cared a lot.  President Obama never gives that feeling off at all.  Actually, it's part of a President's job to be empathetic.  We all look to our leader to understand what we are going through as a way to endure the suffering.  We need to feel that the people making the decisions know what we need and how much we need it.

None of which we got from President Obama.

So finally President Obama is going to meet the families of the dead men from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig to make sympathetic noises at them.  I guess it will do some good.  However the true tale is told in how long it took him to get there to begin with.  Weeks.  That's because there is so much more to do that is more important.

This crisis wasn't a priority for President Obama until he started to be severely criticized for his handling of it. When the new head of Minerals Management refuses to say there are plumes of oil underneath the surface of the water in the Gulf of Mexico, we all know who it is that she doesn't want to anger.  President Obama.  And tells you where the Administration's true priorities lie.