Obama Visits Oil Spill In Person

After touching down in Venice, Louisiana, to assess damage caused by the oil spill, President Obama vowed his support in recovering from the crisis. “We’re dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster,” he said. “It could jeopardize the livelihood of thousands of Americans who call this place home…and that’s why the federal government has coordinated an all-hands-on-deck, relentless response effort since day one.” Earlier in the day, several of the key players involved in the cleanup fielded questions on Sunday talk shows. Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Thad Allen told CNN’s State of the Union that bad weather has played a role in hampering the clean-up and that the process toward success is complex and may take several months. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar called it “a very grave scenario” on NBC’s Meet the Press and said, “You’re looking at potentially 90 days before you ultimately get to what is the ultimate solution here, and that’s a relief well that’s going to have to be built down three and a half miles below the ocean floor.” It’s clear that the oil lapping against the Gulf Coast shoreline will have dire consequences for wildlife, ecosystems and the seafood industry alike, said Democratic Rep. Charlie Melancon of Louisiana on CBS’ Face the Nation.