Reactions are coming in on President Barack Obamas speech on the oil spill in the Gulf and, not surprisingly, they are echoing party lines. Two congressmen from Florida provide an excellent example.

The American people, and especially those living along the Gulf Coast, are extremely frustrated with the lack of urgency by the Obama administration to respond to this disaster, said U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, a Republican. So am I.

President Barack Obama announced he is appointing Michael Bromwich, formerly of the U.S. Justice Department, as head of the Minerals Management Agency, which he criticized for favoring deregulation of oil-drilling operations. Americans need to work together to develop and advance renewable energy and seek a move away from fossil fuels, he said, and he has worked since his presidential campaign to promote clean energy.

It's a transition he acknowledges as costly.

"There are some who believe we can't afford this right now," he said. "I say we can't afford not to change."

President Barack Obama wants British Petroleum to set up a fund to repay the fishermen, shopkeepers, hotels and others impacted by the spill and put it in the hands of a third party to manage. He said he will go to the BP chairman to demand it tomorrow. His administration had been dropping hints about this earlier today, but this is his official confirmation, and a direct response to criticism of the federal response to the spill not being strong enough.

Fresh from a trip to northwest Florida and other Gulf Coast areas, President Barack Obama is starting his historic Oval Office speech by telling us what we already know: A way of life is in peril; his trip has given him an understanding of the Gulf Coast, trying to cap the spill has tested the limits of human technology. Then, a promise ...

"We will fight the spill with everthing we've got for as long as it takes. We will make BP pay."

He also said he has authorized 17,000 National Guardsmen and has 30,000 federal workers in the Gulf.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill may be worse than expected.

Tuesday, scientists raised their estimate of daily leakage from 1.47 million to 2.42 million gallons a day, the Associated Press reports. Previous estimates had it at 2.1 million gallons daily.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Busy day for Sen. John Thrasher, R-Jacksonville, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Besides kicking off his campaign for re-election in Jacksonville at a fund-raiser with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Thrasher was also named Most Valuable Legislator by the Florida Chamber of Commerce -- but he also drew a major Democratic opponent.

Rothenberg Political Report updated its predictions for the U.S. Senate battles coming up in November.

Republicans are seen making gains across the nation but not picking up enough seats to take control from the Democrats. The report has the U.S. Senate election in Florida as Toss-Up/Tilt Republican, giving GOP candidate Marco Rubio the slightest of edges over independent Gov. Charlie Crist.

President Barack Obamas idea to establish a fund to compensate people who are economically hurt by the oil spill in the Gulf is being supported by one of Floridas leading Democrats.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has become our nations worst environmental disaster and the economic impact brewing in our state deepens as the oil reaches our shores, said Sen. Dan Gelber, D-North Miami, who is locked in a tight battle with Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, for the Democratic attorney general nomination.

Big campaign donations may have the potential to influence political agendas andcorporate cooperation, but most voters feel the potential for corruption is worse with media bias.

A Rasmussen report released Tuesday showed 55 percent of voters think media bias is a bigger problem today than big campaign contributions.

As anyone who ever studied the Clinton/Gore operation in 1992 can tell you, a campaign needs to put together a rapid response team. Its even more important in 2010 with the continued expansion of cable television and internet based news organizations.

Jeff Greenes team gets this. They sent out a media release earlier this morning with their candidates response to President Obamas call for BP to set up an escrow account for problems resulting from the oil spill in the Gulf.