Commerce Secretary Exaggerates Obama Administration’s Aid for Gulf Oil Spill
Rob Bluey /
Earlier this week Commerce Secretary Gary Locke descended on Louisiana to announce a $30.7 million grant for a coastal restoration project near Port Fourchon. He called the funding a sign of the “administration’s commitment to help the Gulf Coast’s economy and environment recover in the wake of the BP oil spill.”
There was just one problem — funding for the project was approved months before the oil spill. And according to the state agency in charge of coastal restoration, there was no action even necessary by the Department of Commerce for the project to progress.
That didn’t dissuade Locke from using his Louisiana trip to boast about the administration’s role in the Gulf — even if it was exaggerated. The public-relations strategy appears to be working. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey this month showed Obama’s approval rating on the Gulf oil spill improve from 42 percent in June to 50 percent in August.