I'LL GO ALL IN AND FOLD:

Obama's uncertain 'battle plan' (GLENN THRUSH, 6/16/10, Politico)

[B]y raising the stakes so high — and framing the environmental crisis as a “battle” and a “siege” — he underscored the threat the spill poses not only to the Gulf but to his own credibility as president after nine weeks of failure, criticism and frustration.

“We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long it takes,” said Obama, delivering the first Oval Office energy speech since Jimmy Carter addressed the country during an OPEC boycott 31 years ago.

The problem for Obama – 58 days into the biggest test of leadership he’s yet faced as president – is that the oil is still gushing, Gulf leaders are still grousing and the Senate is still deadlocked over climate change legislation.

Even a great speech wouldn’t have changed all that – and this wasn’t one of Obama’s best speeches.