Obama's "Crude Awakening"

A cozy relationship between the government and the oil-and-gas industry, especially at the Minerals Management Service.  Obama tossing all kinds of carrots to the industry in his drilling proposal.  And, a governmental response to the oil spill that has been slow moving and submissive to industry, and BP.

It’s certainly not too late, but the wonky, pervasively tactical, and profoundly deliberate Obama is up against a tangible, highly-visible, publicly distressing, tenacious and unabating crisis that cannot be defeated or buried so much as it has to be shaped and managed.

There are all kinds of metaphors that apply to this cover.  The one that jumps out at me is: an eclipse.