What does is mean to “hold BP accountable”? We have heard this phrase over an over during the past month, as the Federal government responds to the Gulf crisis. We heard figures like $20 billion “slush fund for claims.” We even heard BP’s CEO, Tony Hayward, get grilled before a congressional committee hearing (with the exception of Republican Representative Joe Barton’s apology to Mr. Hayward about the “tragedy” that BP had experienced during this “unprecedented” government “shakedown” of a private corporate). But is this accountability? As I listened to the hearing on C-SPAN, my sense was that this was a slap on the wrist. Mr. Hayward took his punishment (6 hours of lecturing), and had about five responses ready; and he found a way to use these responses in just about every question.

• When repeatedly questioned about whether he should step down as CEO, each time, his response was: “I am focused on the response.”
• When asked about any mistake on the part of BP in causing the explosion and subsequent leak, the answer was: Phony “The investigation is still ongoing, and if there is, I will take action.” Or, “I’m not prepared to draw the conclusions about this accident until the investigation is concluded.”
• He frequently answered question about the decision making process on the rig with: “I wasn’t involved in any of the decision making.”
• The most common response was: “I am afraid I can’t recall that [either].”
• IN response to the status of hundreds of other BP wells in the Gulf, Hayward responded: “These are completed and secure.” (Whatever that means.)

Hayward got his lecture, and then he was off on his yacht for a little fun. Meanwhile, this is what is happening in the Gulf (watch this video).

Update on the relief wells:

Accountability?

I am thinking…Since the Republican insist that water boarding is not torture…that maybe…