"Thad Allen to begin solo daily briefing on Gulf response"

[Clio the Leo]

To underscore the White House message that the U.S. government is calling the shots in the Gulf, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the national incident commander for the BP disaster, tomorrow will begin giving a solo press daily briefing wherever he is in the world. The idea is to give the government’s response a reassuring, authoritative face (like “Stormin’” Norman Schwarzkopf during the first Gulf war). The new plan is designed to send a clearer signal of control than was possible when various Cabinet secretaries were serving as the spokesperson du jour, or when rotating government officials were appearing next to BP executives.

The Obama administration has become increasingly frustrated with BP over certain matters of transparency, including BP comments on Sunday shows downplaying the possibility that the flow rate could increase by as much as 20 percent when the riser pipe is cut, the new technique being tried after the top-kill failure. “Instead of being straight with the American people as Carol Browner has done on behalf of the administration, BP minimized its significance,” a senior administration official told Playbook.

<snip>

Howard Wright, Unified Area Command spokesman gives details about the new briefing plan: “In order to further ensure delivery of the timeliest and most accurate information to the public about the BP oil spill and this administration’s continuing efforts to do everything possible to contain the leak and protect our vital coastlines and communities, National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen will begin holding a daily press briefing at a time and location to be determined each day by the latest developments and Admiral Allen's schedule. The daily Allen briefing will cover operational updates about the federal government’s response, as well as our oversight and direction of BP’s response efforts. Admiral Allen's daily briefing will supersede the current schedule of daily joint briefings with BP from the Joint Information Center in Robert, La.

“Additionally, as planned, starting Tuesday, June 1st, the first day of hurricane season, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry will rotate back to her role as Coast Guard Eighth District Commander in order to focus solely on coordinated federal hurricane response planning and preparation efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. She will clearly bring an expert consideration of the effects the BP oil spill could have on all Gulf Coast hurricane response capabilities and recovery scenarios. Rear Admiral James Watson will assume duties as Federal On-Scene Coordinator, working in consultation with Admiral Allen to coordinate the ground- and sea-level federal response and direct and authorize BP’s actions.”

http://www.politico.com/playbook/

President Barack Obama is briefed by National Incident Commander U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen and EPA administrator Lisa Jackson in Venice, La. , as he visits the Gulf Coast region affected by the BP (British Petroleum) oil well spill, Sunday, May 2, 2010.

[Webster Green]

1. Can't wait.

Actually, I feel sorry for the guy. He's a victim of the 'Peter Principle'.

For the younger crowd, who weren't around when the book was all the rage:

The Peter Principle is the principle that "in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence."

[scheming daemons]

3. Unfair description of him. He far more competent than you, I'm sure.

Thad Allen is a good man for the post.

[Webster Green]

6. It's a clusterfuck.

How can you be so sure he's more competent than I am? You don't know what I've done.

Actually, I think I could do better. I've managed some wild ass shit. This is just a larger scale operation, but the principles are the same. You need someone capable of coordinating all the various resources available. What I'm seeing is a haphazard approach. Lot's of PR, unorganized cleanup efforts, workers not allowed to wear protective gear, BP still in charge of everything, including keeping the media away from areas that show just how horrible the damage really is.

Anyone can see it's a clusterfuck. It's painfully obvious.

[depakid]

5. How someone who's prone to premature pronouncements without the CYA acheived the rank

of admiral is beyond me. Must have some specialized expertise, exceptional brownnose abilities or mighty powerful connections.

[Cha]

2. Good..thanks, Clio. nt

[Jennicut]

4. Thad Allen did a very good job during Katrina, actually.

He was in charge of search and rescue and then in charge of some operations on the ground right after Brownie resigned. He has been credited by both Dems and Rethugs for this. He has also just retired as Commander of the Coast Guard but is staying on as the Incident Commander for the oil spill. What a way to spend retirement.