PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

Have we not known this for months? Still, it is useful to have the details. From the NY Times:

WASHINGTON The Obama administration repeatedly underestimated how much oil was flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from the stricken BP well, contributing to public fear about the accident and a loss of faith in the government’s ability to handle it, according to a sharply critical report from the presidential commission appointed to study the disaster.

The key paragraph in the presidential commision report is this one:

“By initially underestimating the amount of oil flow and then, at the end of the summer, appearing to underestimate the amount of oil remaining in the gulf, the federal government created the impression that it was either not fully competent to handle the spill or not fully candid with the American people about the scope of the problem.”

The TerryReport would be pleased to add a couple of paragraphs to the presidential commission report. To wit:

The Obama administration failed to provide adequate information to the American public and to ensure that the information given was accurate. In so doing, they allowed BP to control the public’s impression of the disaster so that the news of its size came upon the public gradually, reducing the shock.

Instead of passing along low ball estimates of the disaster, the administration should have said the following: “Look, we don’t know how much oil is spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, but we know it is substantial and represents a major environmental disaster. We know that the first estimates were too low. When we get solid information that is worthy of publication, we will get back to you. In the meantime, we insist that all agencies and companies involved in this disaster refrain from giving any further estimates.”

The actions of the Obama administration piled disaster on top of the disaster in the Gulf. While not in the same category as Katrina and “You’re doing a heck of a job, Brownie”, the failure to manage the response to the problem was significant and shows that any administration can be blind sided by events it does not understand.

Perhaps part of the problem was the reluctance on the part of the Obama staff to call in outside experts to help deal with the problem. It is fair to ask if the staff has become too insular and protective of their own power. In the future, they and the president should realize that we are a huge nation with deep intellectual and engineering capabilities. They should not be afraid to reach out to others and, even, engage the public in problem solving.

Doug Terry, 10.6.10

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