(BARATARIA BAY, LA.) There's failure and frustration on the Gulf Coast.Oil companies seek solutions to stop the massive underwater oil gusher, but the contamination is spreading. White, sandy beaches are coated with thick, gooey oil, and the White House is taking more and more of the heat. Could the oil spill in the Gulf become for President Barack Obama what Hurricane Katrina became for President George W. Bush? Some in the area think so: “Just like Bush was remembered for Katrina, he's going to be remembered for this, for the oil spill,” said resident Julia Rosado. “It's been over a month. By now somebody should have stepped in to clean it up so that all these fish and wildlife don't die from it,” said resident Raquel Manning. “It's like Bush's Katrina, sure. I think it's going to have a real big lasting effect on us all,” said Merrick resident Steve Vargas. Oil now stains at least 53 miles of coastal Louisiana and more wildlife is dying, so President Obama knows he has a political crisis in the making. On Monday, he sent Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to the area – her fourth visit – to highlight all the administration is doing. Officials made it clear Monday that British Petroleum (BP) is the responsible party and will be held accountable. But increasingly, members of the President's own party want him to do more than rely on BP. “If the defense department or NASA or CIA have technology that can help, the should use them,” said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.). The response to the oil spill and the damage has environmentalists worried about BP's response and worried about the government's response. “I think the problem this administration has had is that it was taken completely by surprise by this tragedy,” said Elgie Holstein of the Environmental Defense Fund. “Every day we seem to have a new solution and every day we seem to have more disappointment.” Some blame the cozy relationship between government regulators and the oil industry they are supposed to police, saying new controls on the oil industry are needed. http://wcbstv.com/politics/gulf.oil.spill.2.1712536.html added by: JohnA
