Obama Has Not Been Tough Enough on BP, 7 of 10 Americans Say

As President Obama prepares to make a nationwide address Tuesday night on the Gulf oil spill, 71 percent of Americans say he has not been tough enough on BP and a majority rate the job he is done in response to the spill as poor or very poor, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted June 11-13.

The poll result comes despite vigorous efforts of the Obama administration to counter perceptions it has not been responded adequately, whether it is has been Obama's four trips to the Gulf since the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig or something as small as Obama saying in a TV interview that he made the trips to gather information so "I know whose ass to kick."

But the administration has faced contest questions about how well it has coordinated the many agencies and efforts aimed at controlling the spill, with the latest being raised by a New York Times article Tuesday morning headlined, "Efforts to Repel Gulf Oil Spill Are Described as Chaotic."

Only 20 percent of those surveyed said Obama's stance towards BP had been "about right."

The feeling that Obama has not been tough enough cut across party lines, with 68 percent of independents holding that view and 73 percent each for Republicans and Democrats.

Fifty-three percent graded Obama's response to the spill as poor or very poor while 44 percent said they were good or very good. That's about the same results as Gallup got in late May.

See Walter Shapiro's preview of Tuesday night's speech by President Obama.

Eight-one percent said BP's response was poor or very poor.

Fifty-nine percent say BP should pay for all financial losses stemming from the spill even if it goes out of business, including the wages of oil workers and others that have been lost due to the disaster. Thirty-eight percent said it should pay as much as it can afford while staying in business.

Meanwhile, a Pew Research/National Journal poll conducted June 10-13 says that 35 percent of Americans believe the government should continue to allow offshore oil drilling that is already going on now and another 31 percent still say it should be expanded. Twenty-two percent would ban all offshore drilling. Twelve percent are undecided.



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