Obama tells oil-threatened Pensacola, Fla., his administration is with it for the ‘long haul’

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Obama to Florida: ‘I’m with you for the long haul’

PENSACOLA, Fla. — President Barack Obama is telling residents of coastal Florida areas threatened by the spreading Gulf of Mexico oil spill that his administration will be with them for the long haul.

Obama says that includes making sure British oil company BP pays for the damage it has done, that Florida gets the help it needs to protect its coast and that such an environmental disaster never happens again.

Obama is wrapping up a two-day visit to coastal areas affected by the spill. It was his first visit to Florida to assess the response. He began the day with a stroll along the unsullied white sands of Pensacola Beach. Obama returns to Washington in the afternoon to prepare for his prime-time Oval Office address on the oil spill.