President Conducts Successful Press Conference

President Obama conducted an effective press conference (at this writing) in that he was well studied on BP and federal government responsibilities and responses.  He was articulate and patiently answered probing questions.  He took on the role of, "the adult in the room".  He set forth a series of lease sale and exploration delays and access withdrawals to OCS areas that could later be viewed as a tragic and unjustified overreaction to the GOM events.  In particular, suspending Shell's Alaska program is illogical, infair and damaging to the state and the country.  Suspending activity for even a short time could well derail this entire summer's exploration program and put Shell's investment at ultimate risk.  Since the U.S. has no intention of curtailing its use of oil and gas, it is to the benefit of American consumers that all effort be applied to stop the damage, clean up the damage, compensate the appropriate people and institutions for their damages, understand what caused the damage, determine how to avoid such damage in the future, then, go forth and continue to--more responsibly than ever--develop our domestic resources as opposed to sending our wealth, jobs and technology to other exporting nations.  Whether the result of the President's action over the next few months is to cost our country hundreds of thousands of jobs, trillions of dollars in economic impact and a diminishing of the economic recovery efforts is yet to be seen, but likely.   (Written in some haste but with sincerest prayers, at the Lexington Airport, 1:35 EDT.  -DH)