That Obama had finally taken a stand on something, he steps back.

Ed Henry, Senior White House Correspondent Obama ‘not commenting on wisdom’ of controversial Islamic center

Panama City, Florida (CNN) — President Barack Obama told CNN Saturday that in defending the right of Muslims to build a community center and mosque near ground zero in a speech on Friday night, he was “not commenting on the wisdom” of the project.

Instead, Obama said he was trying to uphold the broader principle that the government should treat “everyone equal, regardless” of religion.

His comments were seen as step back from the support he appeared to give the controversial project during a White House dinner on Friday, though a spokesman for the administration quickly moved to clarify the president’s remarks.

“Just to be clear, the President is not backing off in any way from the comments he made last night,” White House spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement Saturday afternoon.

“It is not his role as President to pass judgment on every local project. But it is his responsibility to stand up for the Constitutional principle of religious freedom and equal treatment for all Americans,” Burton added.

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Dave Helms of Press-Register covers the latest attempt by an element of the British press to make the Gulf Coast hate Britain: British newspaper article describes ‘spillionaires’ in Bayou La Batre

Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper got it wrong when it quoted Alabama state Rep. Spencer Collier describing newly rich “spillionaires” in Bayou La Batre, the lawmaker said Friday.

“I’m not that witty,” Collier said dryly, adding that he had taken heat over the story, which explored the situation in the fishing community as BP opened its checkbook for the oil cleanup.

The article, published last weekend and gaining traction via the Internet, quoted Collier as saying: “There are people here who have done very well out of the spill. We call them Spillionaires and in a short space of time they have earned more money than they would in a very long time.”

It went on to say that fishing boats were earning 2,000 pounds per day — about $3,121 — on cleanup operations, while deckhands were making 60 pounds a day, about $93.

I’m sure that someone thought the “Forrest Gump town” reference was “cute” at the Daily Mail, but it just displayed their ignorance and bigotry. They don’t know anything about Bayou La Batre, fishing for shrimp, or much of anything else, they were just trying to pick a fight.

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This week there was waffling going on as to whether it was “necessary” to finish the relief well because BP “might” have already sealed the well with its “top kill” operation.

Jaquetta White of The Times-Picayune reports on the correct decision being made

“The relief well will be finished,” National Incident Commander Thad Allen said. “That is the end result.”

Just how the relief well will be completed is unclear. It may require, for instance, some additional steps to guard against increased pressure in the Macondo well and the possibility of oil escaping into the sea.

Allen’s comments came a day after he said drilling on the relief well might not be necessary.

The editorial page staff of The Times-Picayune echoes the feelings of many on the Gulf Coast:

This is one monster than needs a wooden stake through its heart, and it’s good that the federal government is insisting on it.

No one down here with more than three working brain cells [a requirement that excludes the elected officials of Mississippi] believes anything coming from the “Unified Command”. We won’t settle for guesses – we want concrete results – as in cement at the bottom of that well.