A month after oil spill, why is BP still in charge?

[brentspeak]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gMDwSQxnNOslGs1meZXx3ssFqxKAD9FRJL6O4

Month after oil spill, why is BP still in charge?

By MATTHEW DALY (AP) – 48 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — Days after the Gulf Coast oil spill, the Obama administration pledged to keep its "boot on the throat" of BP to make sure the company did all it could to cap the gushing leak and clean up the spill.

But a month after the April 20 explosion, anger is growing about why BP PLC is still in charge of the response.

snip

"The government should have stepped in and not just taken BP's word," declared Wayne Stone of Marathon, Fla., an avid diver who worries about the spill's effect on the ecosystem.

That sense of frustration is shared by an increasing number of Gulf Coast residents, elected officials and environmental groups who have called for the government to simply take over...

[texastoast]

1. I don't know

I've thought about why. Maybe (1) the government can't provide a better response; (2) the administration wants public outcry against offshore drilling; (3) the administration is setting up a climate to reverse the SCOTUS ruling about corporations.

Meanwhile, Rome is burning.

[noamnety]

8. Rome is burning. Perfect summary.

[polichick]

2. There is absolutely NO excuse for the president leaving BP in charge...

Every time I see him going about business as usual - even traveling around giving political speeches - I want to scream!

WTF is he thinking?!

[Frosty1]

13. Except maybe this>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/22/frustration-mounts-as-oil_n_585913.html

<snip>

As simple as it may seem, the law prevents the government from just taking over, Allen said. After the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, Congress dictated that oil companies be responsible for dealing with major accidents – including paying for all cleanup – with oversight by federal agencies.

[polichick]

3. I see the head-in-the-oil-laden-sand crowd is unrecommending this. nt

[Lerkfish]

11. its ok, I countered one of them.

[PurityOfEssence]

4. Because our government thinks corporations are sacred

After all, they ARE immortal...

[boppers]

5. Who has the expertise?

Who has the best equipment and manpower?

That's who should be in charge.

[polichick]

7. No, the gov't should be overseeing the best scientists and engineers in the world...

Right now there are great scientists and engineers working on the problem (borrowed from other oil companies, universities, etc.) but BP is still in charge.

[Go2Peace]

9. Both the Government (Military) and BP have the answer, but they want the damn OIL!

This could have been mudded over several weeks ago. What has kept that from happening is GREED. They wanted to keep access to the oil and were blinded by their desire. They were desperately seeking for a way to pug it but keep access to the oil. How do people think we ended up with a pipe bringing the old to the surface? Spposedly "siphoning" off the pressure? Right.

Just more proof of how dangerous this addiction is.

[tekisui]

16. That is obviously NOT BP.

[nevergiveup]

6. It is sad but

it is probably because BP has a better shot at coming up with a way to stop this leak.

[wolfgirl]

10. BP should be

dipped in the oily mess they've made & placed on display for us to stone. Okay, that can't happen, but I can dream.

What we must remember - BP is not a US Corporation inthe normal sense. There are some legal restrictions/international issues impacting what our President can arbitrarily order to be done. AND, this President isn't about the photo ops/sound bites when it comes to a crisis - that's why it appears as if he isn't doing anything, when in fact I believe he is doing much that will become more evident with time.

The solutions are more complicated than the problem despite what the "liberal media" says. Even if the President "took over from BP" the problem wouldn't be magically cured.

[nod factor]

12. Because

of all the Big Oil corporations, BP has always been the coziest to Dems and especially to this administration.
Pure speculation but I have an ominous feeling this tragedy will continue to expose such.

[TheKentuckian]

14. Same reason pharma and Big insurance still controls health care, the corporate communist control the

economy, why we continue to flush money we don't have down the toilete for wars of choice, and our energy and environmental policy is dictated by Big Carbon.

[robinblue]

15. Spot on.

[Aramchek]

17. Who else has the equipment to work a mile underwater??

I suppose you have a spare deep sea sub in your backyard?

[xchrom]

18. As long as BP is in charge - that oily buck doesn't stop

At obama's desk.

Now there's a legacy to be proud of.