by Mike Memoli
The final piece in a choreographed three-day series of events intended to showcase President Obama's handling of the Gulf oil crisis is now underway, as BP executives finally sit down with senior White House officials to discuss future steps to contain the spill and provide relief for all those effected.
Among those representing the White House in this morning's meeting are National Incident Commander Thad Allen, White House energy czar Carol Browner, economic adviser Larry Summers and Bob Bauer, the White House counsel. BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg and CEO Tony Hayward lead the team of six from the energy giant. The daily White House guidance indicated President Obama would only participate in today's meeting for 20 minutes; he'll later address the press in the Rose Garden.
In his speech to the nation last night, Obama used strong language as he announced that he would demand that BP "set aside whatever resources are required to compensate the workers and business owners who have been harmed as a result of his company's recklessness." An escrow fund would be run independently, tasked with dispensing at least $20 billion from BP.
"There'll be no upward cap there," White House senior adviser David Axelrod told the "Today" show this morning. "If they owe more money, they'll have to pay more money. This is not a get-out-of-the-situation-free card."
BP executives are in town for Congressional hearings on the matter. As Richard Simon reported today, the company was "subjected to a tongue-lashing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday during a five-hour hearing by a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee." The fact that it has taken nearly two full months for senior BP leadership to sit down with White House advisers has become something of a political problem for the administration, one this week's events aimed at overcoming.
Comments
Hayward should tell obama to shut up and get out of the way. Stop the empty threats and "showcasing" his inept efforts of handling the oil spill and trying to deceive the public that's he capable of anything but campaigning and spewing empty words.
the campaigner in chief is an embarassment.
Posted by: worsethanbefore | June 16, 2010 11:44 AM
A meeting only 2 months late. Way to go Barry
Posted by: Libtard | June 16, 2010 11:51 AM
You guys are obviously too smart for this country. You both know the "threats" are empty (as it turned out, it was an announcement), that more could have been done given how responsibility for security had been moved to the companies and they were the ones to have information, and that formal meetings with the CEO would have magically closed the well, and made the efforts&cooperation move smoothly.
I'm not that sure. Life is not a thriller where a few bright minds magically can repair in a few days what's been left to deteriorate for years. I have an inkling (I may be wrong), that NOAA and other agences with expertise about deep sea operations that study the seas and their environment and could have known what to do, had been left bleeding for years ...
One can't have it both ways - both cut taxes forever and then expect miracles when stuff happens. These institutions work (if at all) because they have a certain stability and routines, and change takes time - in a crisis situation 'hell' means trying to go outside the institutional orders. So is that an argument against trying to start going in the right direction? I don't think so.
Posted by: Soren | June 16, 2010 8:50 PM
What would that meeting have achieved, if were held on Day 1 or Day 20 or Day 50? Would it have stopped the polluting, caused by criminal negligence, that is occurring in the Gulf, at this exact moment? Just some more nonsense to throw at our President, but he seems to be taking it in stride. In his 17 months in Office, he sure has tackled some weighty issues and, if I do say so myself, he has succeeded on a great many of those issues, in spite of the Corporate Media and their mouthpieces' misleading protestations !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | June 17, 2010 9:15 AM
Fritz the plane has hit the mountain Barry has been exposed for the incompetent boob he is. even Liberal not jobs (Kweif O, Rachel M, John S, Crissy Mathews) that used to wet themselves every time he spoke are starting to realize he is no better than Bush and in some ways worse. I know youre embarrassed for falling for a quick talking snake oil salesman but youre gonna have to face reality sooner or later Barry is the Worst President Ever!!!!!
Posted by: Libtard | June 17, 2010 10:01 AM
Barry has assembled the greatest minds of our time Kevin Costner (Water World) and James Cameron (The Abyss) to battle the evil Corps deadly spill. (Apparently Aquaman and the cast of Sponge Bob were not available) Now that we know his handling of this disaster is nothing less than perfect you mean old white republican look pretty silly SUPPPORT OUR PRESIDENT EVERYTHING IS SOMEONE ELSES FAULT!!!!!
Posted by: Dum Fitzgerald | June 17, 2010 10:54 AM
Dream on, " Lipturd " and mouth the duds coming forth from that pie-hole of yours !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | June 17, 2010 10:58 AM
"Dream On"??? thats your retort? BWAAAAAAAAA HAAAA HAAAAAA Well I guess your done just like Barry. Thanks for playing better luck next time.
Posted by: Libtard | June 17, 2010 11:49 AM
What would that meeting have achieved, if were held on Day 1 or Day 20 or Day 50? Would it have stopped the polluting, caused by criminal negligence, that is occurring in the Gulf, at this exact moment? Just some more nonsense to throw at our President, but he seems to be taking it in stride. In his 17 months in Office, he sure has tackled some weighty issues and, if I do say so myself, he has succeeded on a great many of those issues, in spite of the Corporate Media and their mouthpieces' misleading protestations !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | June 17, 2010 12:24 PM
FITZ,
It would have given at least an impression that he cared. Public Realtions and communication is part of the job.
As to what he should have done, he should have waived the Jones Act to allow foriegn vessles to assist. Vessels that could have skimmed up to 20,000 gallons of oil again. Second, he could have called all the booms available instead of letting some sit in inventory.
As for the weighty issues BO has tackled, he has screwed them up also - health care - add to deficits, stimulus - unemployment near 10%, etc...
Posted by: Terry | June 17, 2010 7:28 PM
Spoken like the Bush&Cheney puppet that you are. Do you mean by "cared ", as you posted, above, the way the obstructionist in our Senate, the Republican-Libertarian-T.Baggers are showing they care, by blocking an extension of unemployment benefits, to the neediest of our citizens and families. Instead, the Obstructionists are singing the praises, even apologizing to British Petroleum, one the greediest of the Greedy, for their reckless and malfeasant practices down in the Gulf of Mexico. As I said, President Obama has dealt with, as well as he could, with the Bush&Cheney economic disaster, that was left in their wake. Including, the 100s of 1000s of jobs lost a month, in the months leading up to, and including the month of, President Obama's inauguration, who staunched that bleeding of the jobs disappearance, resulting from the incompetence and malfeasance during the Bush&Cheney disastrous years. In the same vein, why didn't the Bush&Cheney clean up the MMS, in their Interior Department, instead of allowing the Oil Corps to write their own tickets. That may have prevented any disaster, caused by the criminal neglect, on the part of British Petroleum and the Bush&Cheney Department of Interior. As much as you would like to forget Bush&Cheney, as well as the rest of us, we can't. The economic and morale damage they inflicted on our country, will not go away anytime, soon and they must be charged with their incompetent and malfeasant policies, if for no other reason than to let it be known; You can't mess up and think that you can walk away from the mess and not be charged with its disastrous consequences. So, whether you, or anyone else, doesn't like it, the Bush&Cheney administrations are responsible for most, if not, all, of the present economic quagmire, our nation is in, at the moment. To deny that fact is to deny the truth and most Americans know this, in spite of the Corporate Media onslaught to try and paint a completely different picture. America knows!! She is not stupid in any way, even though, you Republican-Libertarian-T.Baggers would like to play her that way !! It will not work.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | June 18, 2010 11:58 AM
FITZ,
Conservatives want to know how the unemployment benefits, along with doc fix are going to be paid for. Remember Doc Fix? The Medicaid reimbursement taht was cut by 21% in order to make ObamaCare balance.
As for unemployment benefits, I thought the Stimulus was supposed to have solved all of this? Conservatives want to slow down the dependency of the American people that is being created by the Obama Regime.
What was the Bush/Cheney policy that caused the recession?
When your little Democratic-Socialist-Buttpounder excuse for a brain gets an answer, let me know.
Posted by: Terry | June 18, 2010 7:52 PM