June 17, 2010
(Daryl Cagle / MSNBC.com)
Archive for June, 2010
BP cartoon: Spill cam…LIVE!
June 17, 2010Rep Barton: Escrow fund was a “a $20B shakedown” (video)
June 17, 2010June 17, 2010
Day 59
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*updated
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Before Tony Hayward made his opening statement.
REP JOE BARTON to Hayward (R-TX):
But I’m ashamed at what happened in the WH yesterday. I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown – in this case a $20B shakedown – with the AG of the US, who is legitimately conducting a criminal investigation and has every right to do so to protect the interests of the American people, participating in what amounts to a $20B slush fund that’s unprecedented in our nation’s history, that’s got no legal standing, which sets, I think, a terrible precedent in the future.
REP EDWARD MARKEY (D-MA)
No. This is not a shakedown of their company. This is the American government – President Obama – ensuring that this company is made accountable and sending a signal to all other companies that seek to treat ordinary American families in a way that can destroy their entire family’s history. This is, in my opinion, the American government working at its best. This is creating truly the kind of partnership between the public and private sector that could make sure that innocent victims are not road kill as a result of corporate plans that did not actually factor in the harm that can occur to ordinary families.
ROBERT GIBBS through CNN’s Dan Lothian:
What is shameful is that Joe Barton seems to have more concern for big corporations that caused this disaster than the fishermen, small businessowners, and communities whose lives have been devastated by the destruction. Congressman Barton may think that a fund to compensate these Americans is a tragedy, but most Americans know that the real tragedy is what the men and women of the Gulf Coast are going through right now. Members from both parties should repudiate his comments.
REP MIKE BURGESS (R-TX) to Hayward:
I am not going to apologize to you. It was, after all, BP executives who were on that rig, BP executives who ultimately could have made the call to stop operations when things became unsafe. And ultimately, you are the person at the top and you are responsible. We lost 11 men on that rig. Transocean and other companies lost 11 men on that rig. I don’t feel that apologies are in order.
*REP BARTON hours later during Q & A:
Finally, Mr. Chairman, if I may take a small point of personal privilege, I want the record to be absolutely clear that I think BP is responsible for this accident, should be held responsible, and should in every way do everything possible to make good on the consequences that have resulted from this accident. And if anything I have said this morning has been misconstrued in an opposite effect, I want to apologize for that misconstruction.
Hayward opening statement (video/text)
June 17, 2010June 17, 2010
Day 59
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House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Chairman Bart Stupak (D-WI) re BP CEO Tony Hayward:
Members are angry. Members are frustrated. They’re going to take his hide off, as they should.
The ones I heard kept interrupting him. Henry Waxman was trying out for the movie.
And as soon as Hayward began, he was interrupted by a protester with tar on her hands and face. It took a while for her to be removed and when Hayward began again he was interrupted by Chairman Stupak (this brings another questioning as to why he isn’t running) and asked to move the mic closer.
HAYWARD: The explosion and fire on board the Deepwater Horizon and the resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico never should have happened, and I’m deeply sorry that it did.
FULL TEXT FOLLOWS
Jimmy Fallon re: BP-WH meeting
June 17, 2010BP-WH meeting: Did Eric Holder make a deal too?
June 17, 2010June 17, 2010
Day 59
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Why would the man responsible for the potential criminal litigation of BP be present while a deal is being made to ward off civil litigation? Why else than to make another deal?
Doesn’t matter. He should not have been there whatever the case. Kind of like Biden and barry meeting behind closed doors with the Supremes while eligibility cases were presently pending the Court’s decision.
Can the WH legally make a private deal with a private company in a state of emergency and have it covered by presidential privilege? Privilege that Holder has to okay as of October 2009.
It’s always what’s not there vs what is…Holder’s presence vs Chief WH Counsel Bob Bauer absence.
And why is Valerie Jarrett in these meetings?
(Official WH photo – Pete Souza)
Clockwise: BP CEO Tony Hayward, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg, BP General Counsel Rupert Bondy, BP Managing Director Bob Dudley, Valerie Jarrett, Labor Secy Hilda Solis, AG Eric Holder, VP Biden, POTUS, Homeland Security Secy Napolitano.
Beauty of the Gulf: Sunset
June 17, 2010Perdido Pass, Orange Beach, Alabama
(more…)
Hayward re: $20B fund
June 17, 2010June 16, 2010
Day 58
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From the outset we have said that we fully accepted our obligations as a responsible party. This agreement reaffirms our commitment to do the right thing. The President made it clear and we agree that our top priority is to contain the spill, clean up the oil and mitigate the damage to the Gulf coast community. We will not rest until the job is done.
BP Chairman Svanberg re: dividends
June 17, 2010Jume 16, 2010
Day 58
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BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg:
We appreciated the constructive meeting conducted by the President and his senior advisers and are confident that the agreement announced today will provide greater comfort to the citizens of the Gulf coast and greater clarity to BP and its shareholders.
We welcome the administration’s statements acknowledging that BP is a strong company and that the administration has no interest in undermining the financial stability of BP.
This agreement is a very significant step in clarifying and confirming our commitment to meet our obligations. We regret the cancellation and suspension of the dividends, but we concluded it was in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.
Bottomline: BP-WH meeting
June 17, 2010June 16, 2010
Day 58
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POTUS remarks (text/video)
Even though BP Chairman Svanberg’s “small people” comment (his clarification) is getting all the news, some important steps were taken yesterday.
1-BP Board – no further dividends this year
2-BP set aside $20B escrow fund for claims – even though there is a $75 million cap in place
3-Will be managed by 3rd party: Ken Feinberg (oversaw 9-11 funds)
4-Three-person panel to adjudicate claims that are turned down
5-The fund does not supersede either individuals’/states’ rights to sue
6-BP set aside $100M to compensate unemployed oil rig workers affected by the closure of the other deepwater rigs
7-BP will remain liable for environmental clean up and containment
POTUS re: BP meeting (video/text)
June 17, 2010June 16, 2010
Day 58
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BP Chairman Svanberg statement, Q & A
Svanberg re: ‘small people’ comment
POTUS comments after meeting with BP.
Highlights – full video/text follow
1-Containment not good enough – no details – just that 90% again.
My administration has directed BP to mobilize additional equipment and technology, and in the coming days and weeks, these efforts should capture up to 90 percent of the oil that is leaking out of the well.
2-Money: $20B set aside for legitimate claims (not a cap), $100M for unemployed oil rig workers affected by the closure of the other deepwater rigs, BP not paying out any more dividends this year.
3-Transparency, accountability, he’s confident and will continue to fight
We will continue to hold BP and all other responsible parties accountable. And I’m absolutely confident BP will be able to meet its obligations to the Gulf Coast and to the American people.
BP is a strong and viable company and it is in all of our interests that it remain so.
So what this is about is accountability.
I want all Americans to know that I will continue to fight each and every day until the oil is contained, until businesses recover, and until the Gulf Coast bounces back from this tragedy, as I know it will.
Video/text follow
Day 58: Asskicking expected to take less than 20 mins
June 17, 2010June 16, 2010
[WH Correspondent for CBS News]
POTUS wants to know “whose ass to kick”
Video remix: “Whose Ass To Kick”
Cartoon: barry & Big Oil
June 17, 2010June 16, 2010
(Cam Cardow / Ottawa Citizen)
And to think…barry is the top recipient of BP PAC and individual money over the past 20 years…and he’s only been in Washington for 5 years.
BP Svanberg re: ‘small people’ comment
June 17, 2010June 16, 2010
Day 58
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POTUS re: BP meeting (video/text)
Not sure why the hoopla. Mr Svanberg is Swedish. What he said was not meant as an insult. He meant it in reference to the small business owners and people affected by the oil disaster as opposed to big government and big oil companies. You want someone to go after – watch Mr Dudley.
Here’s what Svanberg said. [full text/video]
Q: How long did you spend with the president himself?
SVANBERG: I spent a fair amount of time. And I must say that he is — he comes across as a — he is frustrated, because he cares about the small people. And we care about the small people. I hear comments sometimes that large oil companies are greedy companies or don’t care – But that is not the case in BP. We care about the small people.
Still find it malicious?
BP spokesman Toby Odone:
What he means is that he cares about local businesses and local people. This was a slip in translation.
Mr Svanberg:
I spoke clumsily this afternoon, and for that, I am very sorry. What I was trying to say — that BP understands how deeply this affects the lives of people who live along the Gulf and depend on it for their livelihood — will best be conveyed not by any words but by the work we do to put things right for the families and businesses who’ve been hurt. Like President Obama, I believe we made some good progress toward that goal today.
No dummy. He made sure to mention barry again.
Orange Beach, AL Mayor Tony Kennon:
They can call me small, miniature, they can call me anything they want. Just write the check and send it to us.
As for the $20B escrow fund:
They better be lucky I called off the invasion of 10,000 rednecks with their rifles headed toward England anyway.
And the ones heading for DC?
BP Chairman Svanberg statement, Q & A (video/text)
June 17, 2010June 16, 2010
Day 58
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POTUS re: BP meeting (video/text)
Svanberg clarifies “small people” comment
After the WH summoning, BP Chairman Swede Carl-Henric Svanberg spoke to the assembled media while Brit Tony Hayward (CEO), Bob Dudley (Managing Director) and Lamar McKay (Chairman/President BP America) stood behind him. Hayward and McKay look terrible and Dudley looks like he always does – above it all. My guess is Mr Svanberg enjoys more than his fair share of grog.
(L-R) Hayward, Svanberg, Dudley, McKay
Key words: obligations, responsibilities, tragedy, legitimate, damage, proper, swiftly, fairly, right, words, actions, fully aligned, patience, get all the language right, fair amount of time, big, small.
Text follows
Chris Matthews rant re: Oval Office speech (video/text)
June 16, 2010June 16, 2010
Day 58
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Countdown – Chris Matthews, Howie Fineman, Keith Olbermann
Discuss the Oval Office speech. None of them are happy. Chris Matthews continues on with barry’s non commander-in-chiefness, Dr Chu’s Nobel Prize and the escrow fund. Other same-themed rants by Matthews.
OLBERMANN:
Nothing. Nothing specific. Nothing specific at all.
I did not hear in here about what he is doing.
Partial video. Full transcript with full video here.
Escrow:
MATTHEWS: He didn`t mention what power he has as chief executive of the country to make them understand they need to put this escrow account in third party hands….I`m amazed he just says he has that power.
Nobel Prize:
Why does he continue to say that the secretary of energy has a Nobel Prize? I mean, it`s almost gotten ludicrous.
I know I`ve mocked him for doing it, saying I`d barf if he did it one more time, but it`s not important. This meritocracy is going too far.
This I`m the new guy here, the head the MMS. I`m not sure whether these degrees are going to help or these awards from overseas. I think it`s interesting. We have a blue ribbon panel now that`s going to look in to what went wrong.
Can`t we move a little quicker than that, than to name a commission?
That`s what they`ve done here. Another commission and another guy mentioned — they mentioned for having a Nobel Prize. I think there`s a lot of meritocracy, a lot of blue ribbon talk here. References — you know what they don`t refer to, his cabinet.
Now, this is cabinet government like I`ve never seen before.
I asked Admiral Allen the other day, “Who do you work for?” Because there`s been concern in the Gulf as to the lack of a clear-cut chain of command, like the president of the United States, Rahm Emanuel, cabinet does what they`re told. Now, I asked Allen, “Who do you work for?” Well, he says, “I work for Janet Napolitano over at homeland security and then she sort of reports to the president.”
Wait a minute, isn`t the president calling the shots here?
And here he was delineating everybody`s job like Admiral Allen and he`s got this Nobel Prize guy and then he`s got this blue-ribbon panel.
I don`t sense executive command.
And I thought that was the purpose of this speech tonight, command and control. I`m calling the shots. My name is Barack Obama. I`m the boss. I`m telling people what to do.
I didn`t get that clarity.
And I think that command and control, a phrase that`s made — worked its way around the White House is essential here.
He must be chief executive. He can no longer be Vatican observer or intellectual or a guy calling in experts or naming commissioners or citing people for their Nobel prizes.
I think he has to be the boss.
And he never mentioned here anything beyond BP, like, aren`t there other oil companies that could help clean up this mess? You know, we`ve had Hofmeister on, the former Shell executive, saying you`ve got to get all these tankers in there, all these people out there skimming.
I don`t sense this as a real national effort yet.
OLBERMANN:
There`s another problem with that, which is that BP is still keeping people away from volunteering or keeping them from protecting themselves because
they don`t want the shots of people wearing gas masks trying to clean up the goddamned dispersant that`s making people fall and knock over.
POTUS photo of the day: Don’t make me eat that
June 16, 2010
Day 57 map of oil spread in Gulf
June 16, 2010
Day 57: Flow estimate = 35-60K brls/day
June 16, 2010June 15, 2010
Day 57
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Estimate d’jour. It’s eventually going to be over 100K brls/day. Estimate last week 20-40K brls/day. Can’t find the post.
Flow Rate Technical Group’s new estimate:
35,000 – 60,000 brls/day
1,470,000 – 2,520,000 gals/day
Newly-installed pressure gauges (at Dr Chu insistence) in the top hat makes this estimate more reliable than estimates made before the riser was cut.
Methodology:
a combination of analyses of high resolution videos taken by ROVs, acoustic technologies, and measurements of oil collected by the oil production ship together with pressure measurements inside the top hat.
Energy Secy Chu:
CHU: As we continue to collect additional data and refine these estimates, it is important to realize that the numbers can change. In particular, the upper number is less certain – which is exactly why we have been planning for the worst case scenario at every stage and why we are continuing to focus on responding to the upper end of the estimate, plus additional contingencies.
How can they be planning for the worst case scenario when it’s already an unprecedented ecological disaster that isn’t anywhere near being over?
BP spokesman TOBY ODONE:
Our response to the spill is not determined by flow rate estimates. Our primary concern is to capture as much oil as possible. We are building options to contain higher volumes of oil.
Containment estimates:
Top hat (LMRP cap) in place: 18K brls/day
“Q4000″ (no description) might total: 20-28K brls/day
End of June: 40-53K brls/day
Mid-July: 60-80K brls/day
Curious isn’t it? When the estimate is 35-60K brls/day?
Video: Gen Petraeus slumps forward at Senate hearing
June 16, 2010June 15, 2010
Gen Petraeus slumped forward during today’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing re: Afghanistan while he was being question by Sen McCain.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
He recovered quickly (seconds) and walked off unaided. He returned and wanted to continue – said it wasn’t John McCain’s questions – but the hearing was suspended until tomorrow. Chalked up to jet lag and dehydration.
Wonder how long it will take Sen McCain’s opponents to use the snippet of him stopping mid-sentence to portray him as a doddering old fool.
POTUS reportedly called Gen Petraeus from AF 1 and pronounced Petraeus “doing great” per Bill Burton.
BP photo of the day: Lightning strike fire on Discovery Enterprise
June 15, 2010June 15, 2010
(AFP/USCG-HO/File)
At approximately 9:30 am CDT, a small fire was observed at the top of the derrick on the Discoverer Enterprise. The fire was quickly extinguished. The preliminary view is that the fire was caused by a lightning strike. There were no injuries. All procedures were followed and, as a precaution, the LMRP containment operation was shut-down. All safety shut-down systems operated as designed. Final safety and operational assurance inspections are underway and operations are expected to recommence this afternoon.
POTUS Oval Office speech (text)
June 15, 2010June 15, 2010
Day 57
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Oval Office speech highlights. Scroll down for full text.
How soon was Dr Chu on scene?
That’s why just after the rig sank, I assembled a team of our nation’s best scientists and engineers to tackle this challenge — a team led by Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and our nation’s Secretary of Energy.
What did Secy Slazar actually do?
When Ken Salazar became my Secretary of the Interior, one of his very first acts was to clean up the worst of the corruption at this agency [MMS].
90% of how much flow?
[BP's] efforts should capture up to 90 percent of the oil leaking out of the well.
BP will pay.
We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long as it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever’s necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy.
But he outlines nothing that will lift the limit on damages in place now. BP’s word is not exactly golden.
How?
So if something isn’t working, we want to hear about it. If there are problems in the operation, we will fix them.
“Best efforts”?
despite our best efforts, oil has already caused damage to our coastline and its wildlife.
Will he be speaking with Tony Hayward?
Tomorrow, I will meet with the chairman of BP and inform him that he is to 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. And this fund will not be controlled by BP.
Inform?
Covers his flipflop:
A few months ago, I approved a proposal to consider new, limited offshore drilling under the assurance that it would be absolutely safe –- that the proper technology would be in place and the necessary precautions would be taken.
Let no crisis go to waste::
The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.
As we recover from this recession, the transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create millions of jobs -– but only if we accelerate that transition.
Accelerate? With what plans.
As always – nothing specific.
As Jon Alter says: “eloquent fast food” that nobody can remember.
FULL TEXT FOLLOWS
(more…)
POTUS photo of the day: Day 57
June 15, 2010June 15, 2010
Ever seen this man?
(Charles Dharapak/AP)
President Obama speaks to military personnel at Naval Air Station Pensacola’s Naval Air Technical Training Center in Pensacola, FL today.
POTUS Crisis Management 101
June 15, 2010June 8, 2010
1-Wait until forced to act
2-Pretend you know nothing while assuring you did everything
3-Feign outrage
4-Blame President Bush
5-Stir up media deflection
6-Call for civility so no one can critique barry
7-Back to the stump
8-Press conference with folks standing on either side
9-Saturate the media so no one notices there are never any press conferences with questions
10-Form a taskforce
11-Appoint a czar
12-Promise the rooting out of corruption
13-Set meaningless deadlines (like 2014)
14-Promise TRANSPARENCY! while doing just the opposite
15-Talk about but not explain the latest Change! as a result of the latest man-made emergency.
16-Promise better environmental control
17-Proclamation of massive emergency funding
18-Ratchet up deflection (AZ immigration law)
19-Get done what they really wanted (DISCLOSE Bill)
20-Reward barry puppetmasters
21-Time it for a weekend, holiday or barryvaction.
Sprinkle throughout copious amounts of lies, misinformation, non-answers and accusations of racism.
BP OIL spill pix: blobs, globs and boom
June 15, 2010June 15, 2010
Day 57
BPposts (other photos)
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Photos from June 4-5 from Yahoo photos and Newstimes “How the spill affects wildlife“. Not sure why their links expire.
Queen Bess Island (pelican rookery) at the mouth of Barataria Bay, Plaquemines Parish, LA. MAP. Parish coastal zone director PJ Hahn lifts boot out of beached oil-dispersant. Note how his other boot is fully immersed.
(AP/Gerald Herbert)
Cleanup worker picks up globs of oil in absorbent snare.
(AP/Gerald Herbert)
Cat Island in Barataria Bay clumped with blobs of oil-dispersant mix trapped by boom.
Charlie Riedel/AP
Boom coated in oil caught in the rocks at Grand Isle, LA
Charlie Riedel/AP
Beachgoer on Grande Isle
Charlie Riedel/AP
Oil smearing the beach at Grande Isle
Charlie Riedel/AP
Photo: Meet the oil executives
June 15, 2010June 15, 2010
(Molly Skipper/Reuters)
Oil company executives (L-R) ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson, Chevron Chairman and CEO John Watson, ConocoPhillips Chairman and CEO James Mulva, Shell Oil Company President Marvin Odum and BP America Inc President and Chairman Lamar McKay are sworn in before they testify on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico during a House Energy and Commerce hearing on Capitol Hill.
(Larry Downing/Reuters)
Lamar McKay
(Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
POTUS: “I am confident that we’re going to be able to leave the Gulf Coast in better shape than it was before.”
June 15, 2010June 15, 2010
Day 57
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Hey Jack. Here’s the video and full text of his remarks.
POTUS: It’s going to take time for things to return to normal. But I promise you this: that things are going to return to normal… And in the end, I am confident that we’re going to be able to leave the Gulf Coast in better shape than it was before.
Japan: ‘Fish World Cup’ (video)
June 15, 2010Candy Crowley – Alabama Gov Bob Riley (video/text)
June 15, 2010June 13, 2010
Day 57
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State of the Union: Candy Crowley speaks with Alabama Governor Bob Riley. He is frustrated with the claims process, the oil on the beach and the “unified command”. Also discusses tourism and BP-funded escrow account.
Newswatcher89
Video is only part of the segment. Full transcript follows.
Video: Hugo Chavez singing about Hillary Clinton
June 15, 2010June 15, 2010
Strange as ever, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez sings about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to an amused crowd of redshirted followers.
Translated from Spanish: ”I’m not loved by Hillary Clinton… and I don’t love her either.”
Video: Blackhawks on Tonight Show
June 15, 2010June 14, 2010
Pix: Parade, Cubs-Sox game, Video: JR, 7th inning stretch, National Anthem, 1st pitch, outfield with Cup/handshakes
Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks encore appearance on Jay Leno.
(L-R) Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Jonathon Toews.
Keith gave Jay one of his (seven) knocked-out teeth on a leather strap.
(brian cassella/trib)
Toews gave him a Hawks jersey.
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