Obama blasts BP: 'We will bring those responsible to justice'

The Hill ^ | 6/01/10 | Sam Youngman

[mdittmar]

President Barack Obama on Tuesday used the strongest language yet to suggest that BP could face charges in connection with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig and the resulting oil spill, saying if any laws were broken, “my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice.”

The president met Tuesday morning with former Democratic Sen. Bob Graham (Fla.) and William Reilly, the Republican former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, the co-chairmen of a bipartisan commission tasked with exploring the causes of the disaster and safeguards for future offshore drilling.

“If our laws were broken, leading to this death and destruction, my solemn pledge is that we will bring those responsible to justice," Obama said from the White House Rose Garden. 

[Carling]

Is he going to sue his own MMS, and the head of it who was fired, as well? They signed off on the short-cut cap over Halliburton’s very loud objections.

[a fool in paradise]

Too bad he isn’t so focused on bringing those responsible for the banking collapse to justice (Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, I mean YOU!).

[Centurion2000]

This is a guy that believes that government is the seat of all power and all wisdom.

If a sparrow falls from the sky, someone somewhere needs to pay.

If the sparrow falls, it must be observed via CCTV, registered and taxed in accordance with federal government regulations.

Is it an Bachman's sparrow? Oops, that's endangered, where it falls just became federal protected wetlands.

[silverleaf]

He never said that about whoever torpedoed our ally South Korea’s ships and killed 46 sailors, did he?

[ExTexasRedhead]

Enemies of America like Barry, his Regime, and this Arrogant, Corrupt Congress.

[DrC]

“From what I’ve read, BP had full sign off from MMS on everything they did,”

It would be delightful if this inquisition determined that everything was done by the book. We’ve already established that the rig received a safety award from the feds etc. It would be nice to establish in black and white beyond any shadow of a doubt that the federal government lacks the capacity to regulate these rigs safely. People will then realize they surely don’t have the competence to manage a $2.5T health care system, GM or anything else in the private sector.

[kenavi]

If I were employed by BP, this would certainly encourage me to take risks to get this under control /s

Worth repeating. Actually, the best witnesses against BP will come from within BP.

[oldfart]

""We have an obligation to investigate what went wrong and to determine what reforms are needed so we never have to experience a crisis like this again," Obama said.

 The president said he and his administration "owe" those who have been affected by the disaster a "full and vigorous accounting of the events" that led to the explosion and subsequent leak, now more than 40 days old.

 "Only then can we be assured that deepwater drilling can take place safely," Obama said.

Didn't he say something like this before he took over GM and Chrysler? Didn't his old buddy Hugo recently nationalize the Venezuelan oil industry?

Of course my tinfoil could be too tight but people suggested that before the auto industry takeover too.

[popdonnelly]

Obama’s a neo-Marxist. All corporations are the enemy. It’s plainly obvious in everything he says and does.

I don’t see anyone besides BP trying to solve this problem. All the government has done is tell BP what it can’t do. Our government needs a radical change in its perspective.

[BelegStrongbow]

Didn’t he just get through saying we need to stop pointing fingers? Or does his memory not go back that far?

[Hoodat]

Time to sell your BP stock then. If the government takes over BP, it will go the way of Mexican and Venezuelan oil (and every other nationalized industry). Annual production will begin to decline. Production targets will not be met. Aging equipment will not be replaced. And more accidents will occur in the future.

[Hoodat]

From what I've read, BP had full sign off from MMS on everything they did, so...meaningless...blather from the teleprompter.

You are under the mistaken impression that the rule of law applies in ObamaWorld.

[mo]

That oughta get that hole plugged real quick!!!

[mojitojoe]

[Gabrial]

Obama sees it as a revenue opportunity.

FUBO

[mojitojoe]

[TexasRepublic]

How dictatorial of him. If the trains don’t run on time, shoot somebody. That will show ‘em.

[SunkenCiv]

"I'd better come out with my hands up, or I'm going in after me!"

• Government to launch criminal probe into BP spill: Holder
  (BP resumes cutting after brief pause)