Advertisement

Gulf oil spill: Props, poetry mark congressional presentations

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Televised congressional hearings on BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill have featured several props and a bit of poetic license.

Rep. John L. Mica (R-Fla.) brought the permit for the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) held up a jar of oil from the gulf.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) displayed a jar of oil rocks from the Exxon Valdez spill.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) showed a video of the gulf leak still gushing oil.

But Rep. Nick J. Rahall II (D-W.Va.) brought Greek mythology to Wednesday’s House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing.

Advertisement

‘Like the Greek mythological character Icarus, who made himself wings so he might fly higher and higher, oblivious to his own impending doom, we have dug further and further into the Earth, convinced that nothing possibly could go wrong,’’ Rahall said.

‘In both cases, Icarus and the Deepwater Horizon, the tragic reminder of our own imperfections ended up littering the ocean,’ he said.

-- Richard Simon in Washington

Advertisement