White House pressuring military to eat Gulf seafood

In the wake of the BP oil disaster, the White House has put on its best salesman's suit to encourage Americans to purchase and consume Gulf seafood.

According to a report by Jonathon Tilove in the Times-Picayune, the Obama administration is now going a step further by "pressing America's armed services to consume as much Gulf seafood as possible."

According to the report, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who also serves as the White House's point man for Gulf Coast restoration efforts, has spoken to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in addition to the secretaries of the Air Force and Army, and has insisted that they "should be buying Gulf Coast seafood."

Ewell Smith -- the executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board -- also told the paper that Mabus has assured him that he's doing everything he can to promote "the federal government buying seafood from the Gulf, whether it's the military or prison systems or school systems."

(Photo of Mabus with Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal: AP/Chuck Cook)