43 outpaced 44's Gulf trips By KENDRA MARR | 06/04/10 12:16 PM President Obama's visit to the Gulf Coast Friday is his third since the start of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster 46 days ago – an opportunity, press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday, to get a full update on the response and "hear from non-elected individuals who are also suffering firsthand."
But when it comes to visiting the disaster-stricken area, Obama still lags behind his predecessor, former President George W. Bush, whose slow and stumbling reaction to Hurricane Katrina drew scathing reviews and left a permanent mark on his approval rating.
In the 46-day period in the fall of 2005, following the back-to-back Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Bush made eight trips to the distressed region, including a 35-minute flyover of the region on board Air Force One. That trip came two days after Katrina hit, and Bush returned to review response actions on the ground several days later. He proceeded to make trips to Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas to track the government's response.
Obama visited the Gulf Coast for the first time 12 days after the BP oil rig exploded. He surveyed the damage in Louisiana, and returned again last Friday and met with residents in the area.
