BP & the Mother of All Ass Chewings

[Glenn W]

I may not be very good in predicting most outcomes, but I think this one is a pretty safe bet: When BP's Tony Hayward completes his prepared testimony before Congress today I think it is safe to say he and his Company will receive an ass chewing from Congress that will make Marine drill sargents feel like mere amateures.
My only advice to Americans in general is to keep this certain banter in perspective--- Congress will be venting, plain and simple. What will be most interesting to me is how Mr. Hayward will take this and what his demeanor will be. Will he take it like a man and offer few excuses?, will he show arrogance?, will he defend his Company at all costs?, will he play the game of spreading the blame on the entire oil industry?
I by no means am defending BP as Hayward prepares to face a firing squad, but I have observed a few things thus far that are positive for BP: Perhaps most important is the lack of public arrogance that was shown by Exxon during the Valdez spill (too mu ch to get in to here). Next would be a clear and direct acceptance of responsibility ( legal counsel's nightmare). Third would be clear and direct appologies, and finally, yesterday's agreement to put $20billion on the table as "good faith" money, as well has supention of its dividends for the remainder of this year.
These actions certainly don't excuse BP, nor will they correct the mess that is growing every day, but they are a step in the right direction.
Obama has had an opportunity to shine as a leader in this mess and most would agree he has failed miserably thus far--- Today is Tony Hayward's turn and we'll see how he fares.

[scattered_grass]

Congress...now there's a bunch of winners. I'd have trouble keeping a straight face if put in front of those clowns.

[ncfish]

I'd like to see the BP lawyers pull out a sheet of paper with political donation amounts and every time one of the assclowns bitches about the terrible industrialists making money, Heyward looks at the list and says, "Yes Mr. $244,000 Senator X, you are correct. We accept responsibility and will clean up our mess to the extent our BILLIONS of dollars allow. Call somebody else next election year. Next question."

Not saying BP has no responsibility and by all accounts they seem to be cowboys in the whole safety arena, just that this dog and pony show is a ridiculous farce benefitting no one. Political grandstanding at it's finest.

Maybe he should say, "I be glad to devote the full might of this company to cleaning up the spill, but it's kind of hard to manage when I GET CALLED TO DC EVERY OTHER DAY TO TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU ASSHATS!"

[Persistence]

Based on what I've seen so far, he has already shown his arrogance (which I'm sure is the way he really is and wants to act) but now is backtracking. There is no way someone in his position is sincere...it is spin-control and damage control...that is all.

[canyongear]

It's an appeasement show of the highest order. "We are working for you public...see how we make them squirm" silly showboating since nothing of substance will come from the hearings.

If they had any balls, they would seize the US cash flow assets as a going concern RIGHT NOW before it goes tits up(via a legal agreement to fully fund the clean-up and backstop that in the event of insolvency or other legal roadblocks to fund the clean-up) BP's distribution profits here in the US from the stations pumping the fuel, until the Gulf was clean and restored across the spectrum, including economic damage to the business sector.

20 Billion - sounds big, in scope of things a pittance on the real number it will take to correct this mess in full. Nope you keep your 20 billion we want your US distribution network and the cash flow untill this is cleaned up. You can have it back if your still around when it's finished.

[hubris 1]

If teachers are responsible for what America's children learn in school and not their parents..........What responsibility does the union, American workers Im sure, have in this disaster? If conditions were so unsafe, and so many short cuts taken.........why didnt they speak up? After all, unions are the al sharpton of the labor industry come election time.

I must say, and it is some what cynical I can only look at some of this like a parent at a school board meeting yelling at the school board, teachers arent making my kid a genius despite the fact everything else going on around that child is disfunctional.

Alot of soap box speeches coming today.




ps, Also, arent there already govt inspections? regulations? oversight? Who are the American govt workers that are responsible for this aspect of oil drilling. What did they do to make sure it didnt happen? I get BP's responsibility in this, but the blame doesnt end there in my opinion.

We cant even tell you who is buried in Grants tomb anymore. Everytime this country has a disaster, it only shows how little this govt does to make things right, before its a disaster. I guess they just need more funding.

[Reel Fanatic]

Nothing like getting lectured by the elected mob on ethics and appropriate behavior...

Not excusing BP in any way but it's just insulting to us when you have such a thieving bunch of idiots like what's running the show in DC currently extorting money out of a company under the guise that it will do a more thorough and compassionate job of doling out the money. All the Obama administration is going to do with that money is piss it away and then go back for more. The people who are really hurting won't see much of that money at all. I guarantee it!

[Dave Sikorski]

..........

Alot of soap box speeches coming today.




ps, Also, arent there already govt inspections? regulations? oversight? Who are the American govt workers that are responsible for this aspect of oil drilling. What did they do to make sure it didnt happen? I get BP's responsibility in this, but the blame doesnt end there in my opinion.

We cant even tell you who is buried in Grants tomb anymore. Everytime this country has a disaster, it only shows how little this govt does to make things right, before its a disaster. I guess they just need more funding.

nail, meet hammer.

The idea of our elected buffoons questioning/lecturing anyone on responsibility or actually getting anything right is laughable at best.

-D

-D

[t bird]

mmmmm.......i wonder....sanity making a showing up there??
i just saw this!!

Rep. Barton apologizes to BP for Obama 'shakedown'.
Well, that was fast. Barely 10 minutes into Thursday's landmark congressional testimony — where BP CEO Tony Hayward and other leading company executives are revisiting the Gulf Coast oil spill before a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — the first controversial statement has entered the record.

And no, it didn't come from the gaffe-prone BP brass. Instead, GOP Rep. Joe Barton of Texas — the ranking member on the House Energy Committee — made a decisive splash in his opening remarks. A staunch conservative who has a long record of backing oil industry interests, Barton apologized to BP CEO Tony Hayward for the "shakedown" the Obama White House pulled on the company
"

[canyongear]

You think this may be the reason he is licking BP's nuts:

After BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward had expressed his contrition to members of Congress for the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a long-time friend of the oil industry, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), today issued an apology to Hayward for his harsh treatment at the hands of the White House.

Barton, speaking at a congressional hearing, called the $20 billion escrow account set up by BP to pay for claims related to the spill, a "shakedown" on the part of the Obama administration.

Individuals and political action committees associated with BP have donated $27,350 to Barton's political campaigns since the 1990 election cycle -- eighth among members of Congress. (Barton might find it ironic that the man he said so mistreated BP, President Barack Obama, received more than $77,000 from BP employees during his political career.) Contributions from PACs made up 94 percent of those donations.

Individuals or PACs associated with the oil and gas industry as a whole have been Barton's biggest patron since he entered Congress in 1999, donating more than $1,448,380. The figure puts him at No. 1 among all House members for donations from the industry, fifth among members of Congress and fourth among active members of Congress.

To coin a phrase "Speechless":