In a statement from Robert Gibbs, the White House fires back at GOP congressman Joe Barton for apologizing to Tony Hayward:
What is shameful is that Joe Barton seems to have more concern for big corporations that caused this disaster than the fishermen, small business owners 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.
Who could ever have guessed that Tony Hayward would be the one receiving apologies at today's hearing?
Meanwhile, members are reconvening and the question of Hayward is set to get underway. Here's live video:
Update 1 -- How many times will Tony Hayward deflect questions by saying the investigation is "ongoing" and "incomplete"? Obviously safety measures weren't complete, but they drilled anyway. Yet all the sudden he's now cautious?
Update 2 -- Hayward: "There's no doubt that I've focused on safe, reliable operations." Heckuva' job, Tony.
Update 3 -- Hayward keeps on saying that safety has been and continues to be BP's top priority. If that's the case, if a company that big makes safety a top priority and yet still causes such a big disaster, isn't it an admission that drilling is unsafe?
Update 4 -- Random thought: I'm never a huge fan of calling on people to resign, but if there ever was a case of calling for resignation, shouldn't Joe Barton resign after his apology to BP? I think that if enough people call for it publicly, it could actually be an issue. I'd love to hear Republicans explain whether they think he should resign over his apology or not.
Update 5 -- Speaker Pelosi:
Americans are suffering in the Gulf while Republicans apologize to Big Oil. We need clean energy now. #BPhearing
Update 6 -- I'm guessing Joe Barton's question will be something like this: "Do you accept my apology?"
Update 7 -- Waxman is frustrated that Hayward won't directly answer his questions. Clearly, he needs to get some advice from Joe Barton. Start with an apology, and limit your questions to whether the apology will be accepted and whether it is enough. Those kinds of questions will get direct answers.
Update 8 -- Hayward keeps on saying he's not prepared to draw any final conclusions until the investigation is done. Here's the problem: he (and his company) are the targets of the investigation. Stonewalling at this point is obstructing the investigation. It would be more honest of him he just invoked the fifth.
Update 9 -- Dingell is giving Hayward a beating. With every answer, Hayward says: "I don't know" or "I wasn't there" or "I can't recall." He's really coming off like an evasive scumbag. Right now, I gotta' figure the only reason BP is continuing to pay him a salary is so that they can fire him.
Update 10 -- As the committee enters another hour long recess, GOP rep Michael Burgess leaps to Hayward's defense, attacking Bart Stupak for allowing Hayward to be asked difficult questions. Burgess says the government should be the one getting grilled, not Hayward. He's yet another Republican, blaiming the U.S., not BP.