What should President Obama do about the oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico?

You may be right, but I think at this point BP has a major credibility problem. They have seemingly downplayed the seriousness of the accident and failed to fix it so far. The damages seem likely to exceed anything they will be able to pay, however large and powerful they may be. I don't know how much insurance they have, but you may be sure that the insurance companies will be looking for an excuse not to pay off. If the situation continues too much longer, the pressure on President Obama to "do something" will surely become irresistible. Only he will be seen as having the ability to marshal sufficient resources to solve the problem. No, he's not in control of EVERYTHING, but in the real world of politics he is likely to take a beating in the polls if he isn't seen as having done absolutely everything he can.

"failing to fix it" and not trying to fix it are two different things. Obama's "sufficient resources" is our money and BP is pouring money into this. Money cannot fix everything. This is taking creativity and persistence. Because no one has an instant fix is no reason to lay it on the shoulders of Obama, who doesn't have an instant fix either. I know this is horrible and nature, people and the economy will suffer because of it, but there are no magic fixes, even from the president.

Thanks for your replies, peavey and tinym8! I'm only hoping that something can finally be done to contain this environmental nightmare. We'll have to live for decades with the effects. Maybe President Obama can offer resources to BP to help get the job done, and send them the bill. As sometimes happens, the cost of inaction is potentially so great that the problem must be fixed--if possible--no matter what it takes.

He better do something quick. The world might be in love with him, just because he's America's first black president, but people aren't going to forget how he handled this situation.

BP's reputation has already suffered from their understatements concerning the amount of oil pouring into the Gulf. Was it simple incompetence or were they deliberately lying? President Obama will be on the scene tomorrow. I don't think all options have been tried, as evidenced by his press conference today. Especially, the idea of bringing in a fleet of tankers to sip up the oil from underwater seems to have fallen on deaf ears. But keep tuned!

I agree! This is the ultimate test of his leadership so far, and I'm skeptical of how things have been going. Mrs. O'Leary and her cow might have been the "responsible parties" in the great Chicago fire, but only a fool would have expected them to put it out. Similarly, BP has set off something it cannot control. President Obama can rightfully expect them to get the leak plugged, but he cannot wait for them to control the damage--a great part of which is irreversible. I did hear that he has ordered the tripling of the workforce involved in coastal protection and cleanup. That sounds like a good start, but will even that be enough?

Thanks, nonersays! There really may NOT be anything President Obama can do, but he had better not leave any stone unturned or his presidency will end up in shambles, just like the Gulf Coast and perhaps, the Caribbean and places beyond. (By the way, I got the name of the sunken rig wrong, it was the DEEP WATER HORIZON.) Some people think a nuclear weapon could fix the problem, but I don't think so. Some oil might be burned off in the explosion, but what's left would presumably become radioactive, and the explosion might make the hole larger instead of sealing it. So, let's all THINK! Does ANYONE have an idea that might work? Might the Department of Defense, especially the Navy, be consulted? Is there any way that the outbreak might be FROZEN shut?