After a briefing by U.S.Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is in charge of the overall government response, the president said he wants people along the Gulf of Mexico to know that the government,as he put it, is in this for the long haul.

VOA: standard.2010.06.14

"One of the jobs of the president, whether you are named Bush or Obama, is to go out there and reassure people and to show you are in charge and to send a signal to potential enemies out there that this will not be tolerated by any American leader, and they did not project that power effectively,".

VOA: standard.2010.01.06