Gulf oil spill: Congressional hearings begin with attack on BP

Greeted by signs that proclaimed “BP kills,” the company's chief executive, Tony Hayward, came to Congress on Thursday to apologize for his and the company’s role in the nation’s worst environmental disaster.

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), the House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, immediately set a harsh tone that was expected to dominate the day. The panel will focus on what needs to be done to prevent future disasters, Waxman said, then explained how the committee’s reading of BP documents showed the company “repeatedly took shortcuts, endangered lives and increase risks of a catastrophic blowout.”

Waxman said that “there is not a single e-mail or document that shows you paid even the slightest attention to the dangers at this well,” adding later that the documents showed that BP “cut corner after corner to save a million dollars here and a few hours or days there. And now the whole Gulf Coast is paying the price.”

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), a subcommittee chairman, complained about what he said was BP's "cavalier attitude toward assessing risk."

Throughout the hostile comments, Hayward sat stoically at the witness table, appearing to take notes.

Waxman did praise BP for agreeing to $20-billion escrow fund to aid the victims of the disaster.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), the committee’s ranking GOP member, set the partisan tone for the day by using his opening statement to attack the fund, calling it a “shakedown” engineered by the White House.

-- Richard Simon in Washington

-- Michael Muskal in Los Angeles

RELATED:

BP CEO Tony Hayward in the hot seat

Comments

[trace morgan]

I have never seen such a childish display at that on Capitol Hill today. If legislators think they were impress - they need to watch themselves.

Childish, petulant and ridiculous - the only person with any dignity was Hayward..and that's sad.

I live on the Gulf Coast one block from the water and I know the suffering here of the people and the wildlife. However, the legislators are doing nothing but showing off and trying to act tough. Where were they when MMS was doing nothing.

What a pompous group of fools we elected.

[youheard itherefirst]

Greetings, there is a viable and economical way to plug the leak in the gulf. It is similar to balloon angioplasty, but on an industrial scale with a bit of tweeking but it will work IF THEY DO IT!!!! don't hold your breath though folks, I've been emailing news organizations, congress the senate and the white house along with bp telling them about this solution. It's like screaming into a hurricane though, no one can hear me and everyone is so busy with talking points and trying to gain some political ground, no one seemingly wants the leak plugged.
Anyway, to plug the leak, as I stated earlier it is similar to balloon angioplasty, if you are unfamiliar with what that is, search youtube, they have video.. The tweeking is the balloon will have to be inside the thread feeder, when in place deep inside the leak, deploy the balloon and fill with some proprietary concrete/cement mixture, let it setup and LEAK FIXED.
So simple even an elected official could comprehend it.. tell your friends, loved one's and anyone else that you know about this fix and lets get the leak plugged and move on with our lives. Have a nice day,... OH and for the people who will inevitably scoff that such an easy idea will work, could it really hurt to try? because to date, they've not done a whole lot with the leak so why not try balloon angioplasty on the leak.

[Marc]

These hearings are grandstanding forums in their true color. They are embarrassing to say the least. Other countries must be aghast at the approach, style and arrogance of our congress. It's embarrassing to be part of this country when the ego's of the interrogators, my "government" is really at the forefront here and not the issues. Respectful questioning might keep me from cringing. I can't continue, my stomach hurts

[rube ruiz]

Oh God please help us procure science that will save us!

[Dezso Sablack]

What about all of us fisherman, beach lovers, sight seers, snorklers , scuba, an on and on that is getting our life dearranged over not being able to go and enjoys the Gulf. The tech for green energy has been here for years, In the past two years tech a has advanced 20 times. Just like cures for cancer has been here. The Medical Journal stated that doctors would cure 35% of cancer, just by taking a simple test. None of this is going to happen anywhere, because of profit from extortionists that hold our value system within us hostage from our leaders. This includes the 537 persons running this country, that have contributed to these cover-ups. A trillion dollars is not enough.to come close to settlement. America is capable and has the tech to make the changes we need, and change creates jobs. We need leadership, within leadership to start now," Not wait another Day". We need an organizination to start putting together a political party. We need testing, varifications, and putting up at least 50 thousand new political leaders, that are smart, and willing to give their lives to the American cause. We have myths and untruths everywhere, "even in our ministry fields", and not one of those 537 persons running ths America is on trial. That is due to the Supreme Court Justises they regulate. They are making millions, while we suffer from the unwarranted profits, from here and overseas companies, in the name of global economy. How far do you want these 537 persons running this country, to be allowed to go. According to 60 Minutes, it is extremely possible that there are bugs in our military system, that have been already completely taken over our military high tech for days in the past and can change anything in the system, from anywhere, in the world. That would mean that, due to the fact that China and other countries owns and builds our computer programs, they also install bugs to control, if necessary. They can turn our own missles against us, very simply, and 60 Minutes has demostrated this, on all our power plants and military take overs, for many days including NASA. We are under attack with computer software at a rate of 10,000 a day from other countries, and those 537 had to authorze this. Did ;you know why one of the reasons we cannot get good leaders? First, it takes between 1500 and hundred of thousand of signature each state before you can get on the ballot. Oprah would have a 100 times better chance of becoming president then any of the top economists, that could run this country. That is because you have to be a billionaire, or a celebraty, just to get to run. Then you have to learn how to join the extortion ring against America's middle class. In order to do that, you have to protect free enterpise for the extorionist. They are seen in oil, many mafias, Senate, Congress, administrations throughout, lobbiest against America, medical especially who in reality can kill as many as they can help, all in the name of profit. This is what BP has done with the blessing of those 537 persons, past and present, that have not taken care of our capabilities, to move the country forward. We need to start another TV series like American Idol, only make it a political contest, with all the many tests all walks of life can come up with. Get those politcians, from all walks of life, who just want to give their services, to help America, and not stay in and make millions doing so. We need a better value system and start with a high power base foundation

[lanford meiere]

in Manhattan
Playwright Larry Myers' "Edgar Cayce's Autograph"
is about the Gulf Oil Leak
Dr Myers went there in person & talked to the real people as he did for his
New Orleans play
"Limericks from UnDisclosed Locations"
Myers has lectured at St John's pretigious Law School & runs an
International playwriting center at 101 Murray street in NYC saval space
across from World Trade Center

[Wishbone]

Ah yes, a good old-fashioned show trial! This administration is bringing back the good old days...