Today in the West Wing

A poker term comes to mind: all in. President Obama is now putting all his chips - and perhaps his presidency - on the line now with his response to the catastrophic oil spil.

He's off to the Gulf zone today for a two-day trip, his fourth since the crisis began, and when he gets back he'll make a dramatic primetime address to the nation from the Oval Office. Then, on Wednesday, a White House showdown with the chairman of BP; Obama will demand as much as $20 billion from the oil company to pay claims from people and businesses who have been hurt by the disaster.

All this is designed to show an angry and frustrated American public what's being done - and that Obama is fully in command of the crisis, as it nears its two month anniversary.

The money from BP would go into an escrow account and administered independently. Of Wednesday's White House meeting, a BP spokesman says "We want to explain what we're doing, but we'll also be very much in listening mode."

Meantime, the President is now comparing the oil catastrophe to the September 11 terrorist attacks. He thinks the psychological impact is sweeping, and will change the way Americans think about energy and the environment.

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The Schedule

EDT

11:35AM THE PRESIDENT arrives in Biloxi, Mississippi
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport
Open Press

12:00PM THE PRESIDENT receives a briefing with Admiral Allen and local officials on efforts to fight the BP oil spill
Coast Guard Station Gulfport
Travel Pool Coverage

1:25PM THE PRESIDENT hosts a roundtable and meets with local residents
Gulfport, Mississippi
Travel Pool Coverage

2:50PM THE PRESIDENT departs Biloxi, Mississippi en route Theodore, Alabama
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport
Travel Pool Coverage

2:50PM THE PRESIDENT arrives Theodore, Alabama
Travel Pool Coverage

3:45PM THE PRESIDENT tours the Theodore Staging Facility
Theodore, Alabama
Travel Pool Coverage

4:40PM THE PRESIDENT delivers a statement to the press
Theodore Staging Facility, Theodore, Alabama
Open Press

5:35PM THE PRESIDENT travels from Dauphin Island, Alabama to Fort Morgan, Alabama
Dauphin Island Ferry Loading Zone, Dauphin Island, Alabama
Travel Pool Coverage

6:05PM THE PRESIDENT arrives in Fort Morgan, Alabama
Fort Morgan, Alabama
Travel Pool Coverage

8:25PM THE PRESIDENT arrives in Pensacola, Florida
Travel Pool Coverage


Briefing Schedule

Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton will gaggle aboard Air Force One

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On This Day

1922: Warren G. Harding, became the first President to have his voice transmitted by radio. It began a revolutionary shift in the way Presidents communicated w/the American public.

The first President to really understand the power of radio was Roosevelt. It remains an effective tool today, reaching 93% of consumers weekly – far more than the internet.

Presidential Quote

“About the time we can make the ends meet, somebody moves the ends.” - Herbert Hoover