Corporal Carville salute’s Obama eloquence

“New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- Before the president's address to the nation from the Oval Office, my pal Paul Begala, on "John King USA," reminded everyone of the words of William Shakespeare: "Action is eloquence." By that standard, President Obama has been powerfully eloquent.

He announced that a "son of the Gulf Coast," Navy Secretary and former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus, will develop a long-term plan to restore the Gulf. Mr. Secretary, retired Cpl. Carville, United States Marine Corps, salutes you.

The president has told Mabus to work with fishermen, small businesses, and environmentalists -- as well as state officials -- to design the plan. That's a long-term solution to a long-term problem. Our Gulf Coast supplies America with food and energy, not to mention great music and irreplaceable culture. It will take years to undo the damage.

So in addition to the helter-skelter of trying to cap the well, capture the oil, and clean up the mess, I like seeing a long-range strategy to renew, repair and revitalize the Gulf region. This project must be serious, sustained and substantial: An entire way of life is at stake.

So that's the long-run plan. But as John Maynard Keynes said, "In the long run, we're all dead." That's why today's announcement that BP will fund a $20 billion victims' recovery fund is so important. This ain't rhetoric. This is money. And if money talks, $20 billion screams.’