American Morning
Heat is on Obama ahead of Oval Office speech tonight
(CNN) – It's day 57 of the Gulf oil spill and maybe the most pivotal day for President Obama. Tonight, for the first time, he'll address the nation from the Oval Office – the most symbolically powerful setting at his disposal – to try and convince the American people that he's doing everything he can to stop the worst oil spill in American history.
New poll numbers show he has a lot of convincing to do. A USA Today/Gallup poll taken over the weekend shows 71% of those surveyed said the president hasn't been tough enough on BP. Half of respondents think some of the beaches affected will never recover.
And today, there's new evidence that BP put money ahead of safety, allegedly taking cheaper, riskier shortcuts on the well that has been spewing oil from the ocean floor for eight weeks. Our Ed Henry reports on some of the themes we can expect the president to touch on in his speech tonight.
Women win big in Tuesday primaries
(CNN) – Voters across the nation had their say yesterday and the battle lines are now being drawn for midterm elections this fall. From GOP races in California and Nevada to a Democrat narrowly hanging on in Arkansas, it was a big night for women. CNN contributor and independent analyst John Avlon joined us on Wednesdays American Morning to break it all down.
Read more: Women sweep high-profile races in Tuesday primaries
Sesno: Thomas' legacy tarnished by Israel comments
(CNN) – She's covered every president since JFK, and given all of them a hard time. But now Helen Thomas is vacating her front-row seat in the White House press room. Her recent remarks about Israel sparked a storm of controversy that forced the venerable reporter to resign.
Former CNN White House correspondent Frank Sesno, now director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, says Thoma's legacy will be tarnished by her comments about Israel. He joined us on Tuesday's American Morning.
Read more: White House correspondent Thomas retires amid controversial comments
Who will get slimed in oil spill politics?
(CNN) – The growing oil spill in the Gulf has raised the political stakes for President Obama and others looking to make a splash in the mid-terms elections. Our Jim Acosta reports on that part of the story for us.
Senator asks for bigger federal response to oil spill
(CNN) – Oil from BP's blown-out well is staining beaches all along the Gulf Coast. With the slick closing in on his state, Florida Sen. Bill Nelson wants a stronger military response to fight the spill. He joined us on Thursday's American Morning to talk about why the U.S. needs more help to prevent oil from hitting the shores.
Gulf oil spill likened to Iran hostage crisis
(CNN) – BP's handling of the Gulf oil spill has been sharply criticized by members of Congress, officials in the Gulf states and the Obama administration, which announced Tuesday that a criminal investigation of the spill was under way. In addition, federal officials will no longer hold joint news briefings with the company, the administration said.
The criminal investigation is just one example of how tensions between the White House and BP have reached a breaking point. Aides say President Obama is enraged by the failure to stop the oil spill. 44 days into this disaster, critics say this crisis is less like the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and more like the Iran hostage crisis. Our Jim Acosta has the report.
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