Five Things Obama Should Say In Tonight's Critical Oil Spill Speech

A week that could make or break the Obama presidency peaks tonight. President Obama will give his first Oval Office speech at 8 PM EDT. He will use the most symbolic and historic venue at his disposal to seize control of the Gulf oil spill narrative.

For better or worse, President Bush employed this same pulpit to great effect on the evening the dust from the World Trade Center settled. It was the beginning of his patriotic push that would define the decade and spur his second term.

For tonight to be Obama's historic moment, he needs to do more than crack the whip on BP or reassure Gulf residents, though these things are important to say. He also needs to make this moment a battle cry for true energy reform.

Obama has acknowledged as much himself. And he said on Friday, this oil spill catastrophe "echoes 9/11" for the way it will shape the nation's psyche for years to come.

Here's to hoping that's true. And here are five things we think the President should tell Americans tonight.

1) "I'm sorry. I was wrong." Before the Gulf oil spill, Obama was poised to expand offshore drilling near our nation's coast. As the BP disaster illustrates, this is too big a risk and one that we cannot trust corporations (or their government regulators) to manage responsibly. Obama should permanently nix his plans to open more of the nation's coastal waters to new drill rigs.

2) BP will pay. Yes, it's obvious BP should pay for all the consequences of the spill, and Obama is set to demand a $20 billion escrow account to make sure that happens. But as every good lawyer knows, there are actual damages and punitive damages -- the type that set an example and discourage reckless future behavior. Obama has the power to hit BP's bottom line by blocking its federal contracts.

3) More fossil fuels -- domestic or foreign -- will do little to solve the energy challenges American faces today. We need cleaner energy sources, and we need them now. That means you, U.S. Senate.

4) Climate change matters. Congress may very well pass some sort of energy and oil spill bill, but we can't effectively address climate change by simply throwing energy standards and technology incentives at the problem. That means a hard cap on carbon emissions to truly steer the way. It also means a bill that raises money to support an international climate pact.

5) Looking for someone to blame? Look in the mirror. Obama is unlikely to do this, but he really needs to give us a reality check. Oil permeates our lives, from the cars we drive and the houses we heat to the plastic water bottles we sip from. We drive too much, and we plug in too many electronic appliances to count. No one wants him to pull a Jimmy Carter sweater debacle, but he can't give Americans a free pass either.

During the height of the oil crisis, President Carter gave his infamously impotent "malaise" speech which portrayed his inability to push real energy reform. President Obama we hope you can do better.

A note: Check out Change.org Environment's new Facebook page or Twitter feed, @changeEnviro. Become a fan!

Photo Credit: White House photo by Paul Morse