How comforting to learn (be told) this: U.S. Debated Probe Announcement

From The Wall Street Journal:

Attorney General Eric Holder disclosed the Justice Department's civil and criminal probes of the Gulf oil spill Tuesday after weeks of internal debate.

The initial reluctance included some Justice officials who were sensitive about making the investigations public even as the government pressed BP PLC to plug the well.

Still, Mr. Holder's decision to confirm the probes Tuesday, in a staged appearance on the Gulf Coast, appears to be in line with the department's guidelines in high-profile cases. Mr. Holder stressed that 11 people died in the April 20 rig accident that precipitated the spill and said there is "a wide range of possible violations."

Facing growing criticism over its response as the leak drags on, the Obama administration has been pushing aggressively on several fronts to show it is in command of the situation and to keep pressure on BP.

But it faces a tricky balance keeping up that pressure and showing the public it is taking action even as it depends heavily on the company, and its technical expertise, to stop the flow from the crippled well.

Inside the department, some officials feared that the threat of agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation looking over the shoulder of BP and others could hinder the work to plug the well, people familiar with the debate said.

Mr. Holder sought to at least tacitly address those concerns Tuesday when he said the government's first priority was to stop the spill.

The department usually doesn't discuss investigations until charges are filed.