Gulf oil spill: President Obama will not be visiting the Gulf Coast this weekend

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The White House says President Barack Obama won’t be heading to the Gulf Coast in the next few days. But press secretary Robert Gibbs left open the possibility of a later presidential visit to assess the spreading oil spill.

Obama is stepping up his personal involvement as the magnitude of the spill in the Gulf of Mexico grows by the day.

On Friday the president announced he’d ordered the interior secretary to see whether any new safety procedures are needed before new offshore drilling leases can go forward. He also sent top Cabinet officials and other advisers to the Gulf to help oversee the response.

-- Associated Press

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