Disgusted:

I like your way of thinking ;0) In the book 'The Promise' there's a reference in there that President Obama plays 3-D chess...

Which leaves the party of male - stale & pale... playing with themselves...

How so Disgusted?

Well, actually, this seems to have been a start toward that. But, as you suggest, I'm very much afraid of the secret handshake sort of deal that seems to have been struck here. Whether that's the WHOLE deal, or just part of it, remains to be seen. And then, whether it will be enough, or whether there will also be contributions from Halliburton, Transocean, and any one else who may share the liability.

BP is responsible for the majority of the costs of the spill.

BP owns 65% of the well. Anadarko Petroleum owns 25%. A Japanese company owns 10%. These three companies will share the costs.

Transocean owned the rig. They were drilling BP's well, and so by contract, assigned any liabilities to BP. They assign liabilities because they don't know the archeological make up of the hole they drill, so they avoid responsibility. Halliburton was contracted for the cementing. The blow off preventer was made by a company in Korea. Likely, BP will go after their vendors once their investigations are complete.

I agree with all the above comments; however, BP have insurance and will not foot the entire bill. They knew this was coming so I am almost sure there were some deals with the other responsible parties in contributing to the payout.

Penny,

Actually, BP is apparently Self-Insured, meaning they did not feel that they needed to pay out all that extra money (common thread) to the insurance Co.'s. They WILL have to cover ALL of the costs themselves, at least initially. They may win some back in lengthy court proceedings against the Blowout Preventer's manufacturer, but I have a suspicion that that case will go nowhere since BP modified the BOP and apparently failed to do regular, realistic maintainance. One of the hydraulic rams was even disabled as a dummy test circuit. Just another in the long line of willful neglect of proper proceedures in the run for the money.

What?! Seems self-explanatory to me. Or isn't that actually the plume? Or are you just tired of looking at the reminder of what the anti-regulation folks have wrought without having any good explanation for why it happened or how it can be stopped?

You will see those images, just like the images of Katrina, until and perhaps after the crisis is over. When Keith Olbermann closed his program with the number of days since W announced "mission accomplished" (or a banner did) it was entirely appropriate, and factual. When we commemorate the amount of time since an important event has occurred, it is to highlight that importance. It has been 57 days since the greatest ecological disaster in our lifetime has happened, with the end nowhere in sight. It would be highly inappropriate and be a disservice to those affected and those currently risking life and limb to suppress either the images or duration of the crisis.

Agreed, Diogenes...

Once K.O. began to meter the days since the Deepwater Horizon/BP well blew out, he bought into sticking with it until the "hole is plugged".

Of course, that might prove inconvenient to the Obama Administration.

But, I don't see how Olbermann stops marking the days as long as the leak continues to gush oil.

I wish I could put my finger on why the 'right wing nuts' have nothing but raw unadulterated hatred for the President?

Any ideas? ;0)

And the screwball from MN is only b!tching because she's not getting a piece of the pie! She's fine with subsidies as long as they go back to her whacked out district! I read somewhere that's the reason she's so 'anti-census' is because she's in danger of the district being eliminated!

speaking of screw balls did any body see Sarah palin on bill O'Reily last night. she was stomping mad at the president and talking S**t at the president ,it was funny that Bill was kind of looking at her like WTF. i have gotten to the point that i can't watch cable news. this is the same MSM that to me has forgotten what inaction really is, does any body remember Katrina, Now that was inaction. Former president Bush at the white House eating cake with John McCain while thousand were dying of thirst. they on Fox keep trying to compare this spill to Katrina, Please.

oil spill Man made disaster

Katrina natural disaster

who can anybody compare.

Well, actually both would have been lessened at the very least, if the federal government had been doing it's job and following the guidelines and regulations that already existed. Levies are man made, and their failure, just like the failure of the so-called "fail-safes" on the deepwater horizon, and the failure to ensure that a relief well was drilled have exacerbated our current crisis, just as those previous failures exacerbated the devastation of hurricane Katrina . There are many comparisons that can and will be made. Those on the right were I am sure just as offended then as those on the left are now. The dead, the injured, and the citizens who have lost their livelihoods and homes probably don't care about such distinctions.

Feisty, my love-

You're simply not paying attention.

Dissent is NOT hatred...despite what Chris Matthews has been trying to tell you. And...I notice you take Matthews' utterances with a grain of salt these days, don't you? And the words of Chuck Todd, Keith Olbermann, Andrea Mitchell, Howard Fineman, etc, as well...I could go on forever, Feisty.

Dissent didn't magically become race-based hatred on Inauguration Day, January 20th, 2009.

Do you really believe that the mainstream media has suddenly decided that they hate President Obama?

That's silly, Feisty...they've simply begun, belatedly, to do their job.

And...not a moment too soon.

There's that, and the fact that the residents of New Orleans were told to evacuate before the storm and chose to ignore, the mandatory evacuation order....

But who really cares who fault it is! Just fix it, clean it up and work to prevent it happening again. That's all we can do. Looking back, saying what could have been done differently doesn't change anything. If it isn't apparent by now that BP is going to do everything in it's power to fix this then nothing is going to take your blinders off. Some of you seem to have the impression that BP is somehow benefiting from this, please explain to me how? Because if I owned a company that had an accident this big, I would be doing everything I could to make sure the rest of the world saw that I was going to fix it, so they would continue to let me work in the areas. BP has nothing to gain from the ongoing media coverage of the spill and everything to gain by making it stop.

Hey Mixed,

No, dissent is not hatred and dissent did not magically become race-based hatred on inauguration day. If you recall, on inauguration day 2000, dissent became "anti-Americanism" and was used to paint people as un-American and un-patriotic. We can now openly question and challenge authority while you and yours are busy painting the "brown tide" as the reason you have all lost your grip on the wheels of power AND reality...

Disgusted-in-PA-

I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that dissent is not race-based hatred.

Could you spread the word?

Particularly here at First Read?

There's a lot of folks here that don't know that.

Thanks again,

MB

Aww Mixed Nuts!

NOW I'm feelin that love again! Nice to see that spanking I gave you improved your mood!

Thank you Feisty... may I have another? ;0)

Diogenes-1891091

Besides the 11 Rig workers where are the thousands of dead people? Tragic yes but we have lost fish shrimp and birds No where near the tragedy that was Katrina! No comparison it seems as though you are equating people to animals? Are you? Oh that's right if there's no money then that's equivalent to to a precious life. 9/11 and Katrina both took financial and large human tolls. I am not saying that the loss of life during this spill is insignificant but it isn't on the scale of 9/11 or Katrina, its mainly financial. I see where most Americans hearts lay. So when you speak about exacerbating a crisis please keep a perspective of the type of loss being suffered. And how long were regulations being overlooked and who knew what when.

How true. I am afraid it is also going to erode the very fabric of this great country as well. With so much garbage, misinformation, hate and fear out there people are huddling into smaller and smaller groups.

We have to all start pulling together.

Our country is a car driving down the highway at 70MPH and the temperature gauge is in the red and the oil light just came on. The nearest service station is miles and miles away.

Diogenes:

You are back. Goodness!! I suppose what you state above holds a bit of truth to it. But recognize that although Obama's approval numbers for how he has handled the gulf oil spill are not very good, his over-all approval rating remains at 50%. So the question remains, will the gulf oil spill ratings at some point spill over into Obama's over-all approval ratings. Only time will tell.

Hey, you need not remind me of the damage and loss of precious marine life and wildlife that will be lost as a result of this spill. Many of these kinds of living beings were my best friends, and those of my son, while living a stone's throw from the gulf water for over ten years. There are even a few adult alligators, adults now, who when but youngsters were docile enough to allow my son to paint his name on their bellies. We think of them often and how they are faring.

If you knew how important these friends were to myself and my son and how much we love the same, you would also then know that thoughts of these friends are only tainted by all the BS politics and blame game going on, and that includes towards Obama. The man does not like what happened anymore than you or I. He is trying to resolve some of the issues the spill has caused and will cause. He is not perfect and will make errors along the way, but he is trying. This criticism achieves nothing and means nothing. It only exhibits how human beings can misplace or ignore what is important in this life for the purpose of winning the human one-up-man-ship games they play. And i nthe end if people reject Obama because of this spill so be it. They will lose because they will have proven that while finding a scape-goat they themselves lost forcus as to what's important, and he will gain by being given the opportunity to leave that human tragedy called American politics and voter ignorance.

Having just returned last week from the Naval War College's "Current Strategic Forum", I am much more optimistic than I was before about the fate of our union in the long run, though I agree that the current snapshot is scary as hell...Thank you for your service

I thank you for your service as well. Were you at the war college in San Diego? My daughter (Lt.JG) is stationed at the Naval Medical Center in Balboa and when we visit we stay at the Naval Lodge in Coranado.

We are in scary times and I hope you are correct. Again thank you for your service. Stay safe.

"You are back. Goodness!!" and for goodness sake...

As my reply was directed at your contention and not you personally, the "some of my best friends..." defense is puzzling, but then it is my opinion that the necessity to view every event through a politically biased filter/prism cripples any cogent analysis.

Again, there is ample blame to go around and some will be directed at the president, deserved or not. A year ago today, the president's popularity stood at 60.5% (rcp avg) slowly eroding to 50%ish and it has hovered in the 50% range for at least the past 6 months. It stands to reason that the current crisis will move the needle as the crisis continues. Actions taken today will influence which way the needle goes this time next year, but how much a president is liked has to do with much more than mere likability, and a single event can change the general public perception of a president and their likeability, as the poll numbers for W post 9/11 and post Katrina clearly attest. "W" was just as likeable or detestable all the time, depending on your political leanings, but events came along and overtook his "q" rating...that's just the way it is...

I was at the War College in Newport RI, With Adm Nolan, adm Wisecup, and Secy Mabus. I have never been to the War College in San Diego, but it must be beautiful, as the Navy knows how to choose real estate!...:)

My very best to your daughter and to you. I am of the hopeful belief that she would agree with my assessment that things will get better...AYE!

There was no attempt to defend anything in my response. I need not defend myself to you or anyone else. I was simply expressing a similar love for the marine life and wildlife that you had mentioned in your post, and that will suffer terrible tragedy as a result of this spill. You stated that Obama may suffer politically as a result of this spill and its effects. I did not disagree. I said we shall see. I said that if he does and because I thought he was trying to reslove many of the issues resulting from the spill then it will be the people's loss. That is my opinion. I need not defend opinion.

We can discuss this topic as well as many others Diogenes, but the attempted use of pseudo-superior intellectual twist and turns in your communications with the bloogers here give me pause to consider your intentions. Are you as stolid in your mind and personal observable expressions as you come across in your written word? Do you smile from time to time? I shall consider, observe and perhaps even add more later.

Have a good day.

Retired... great analogy - the only thing I might add is we're going down the highway at 70mph in reverse

We do all need to start pulling together and unfortunately the small minded still suffer from tunnel vision!

"We can discuss this topic as well as many others Diogenes, but the attempted use of pseudo-superior intellectual twist and turns in your communications with the bloogers here give me pause to consider your intentions."

...well, that made me laugh out loud...again the (s)ad hominem bent of the "bloggers" here gives me the willies...:)

"I said...good day!"

Anita, I agree with you. The back end of the deal that BP HAD to take is that they can still be sued in court. If I was the CEO, that kind of liability on the back end would worry me. It looks like President Obama had some hole cards because BP agreed to it.

Didn't Boehner advocate that the taxpayers pick up the tab for irresponsible ex-CIC's BS lie that off-shore drilling was safe? Didn't his own father call for a ban on off-shore drilling? With that being said-- didn't Bauchman and the shriller's of drill baby drill" express anger at the fact that "big" oil is being hit with the 20 billion dollar OPEN fund? The same as you are now...

Money wasn't extorted from BP it was due from BP...

Puhleese Anita.. Agent Orange is getting himself a little 'Snookie' ;0)))) Since it's obvious the Geezer isn't UP to the task...

Hey GF!!

I've been answering responses and trolling around to see if I can find some nuts to whack! LMAO!! I just watched TRMS and I must say; I'm getting weary of our Progressives going behind the President with their take on the coulda, woulda, shoulda. It's his Presidency and he has his way of doing things that comes together.

They simply refused to be patient and the constant titching of what they want! Good Laud! What ever happen to respect for the Office? I guess I'm just old school that get sick and tired of ignorance and squawking. You attack my President with BS and I'll call you out for it-- it's just that simple, we can agree to disagree.

So, it would be better to let BP decide how much to pay and to adjudicate all claims themselves? BP did such a great job of providing safety oversight on their rigs, why wouldn't we simply trust them to do the same great job on adjusting the claims?

Are you and your ilk really so concerned about the fate of big oil like BP? Why is it so hard to accept that OUR President managed to remove the criminal from administering the payments to those that were damaged? Are the unions and "far-left liberal groups" lining up to make claims against an escrow fund overseen by a trustee that is there to ensure only legitimate claims are paid? What is it with you wing nuts anyway? You are so in favor of letting the market police itself that you will allow these companies to rape the environment, steal from us all, and then balk at them having to pay for what they have done? What the hell is wrong with you morons?

Theforce5:

It should be easy too do. If you own a business that was affected by the spill; you should have IRS documentation for tax filings, if you employ someone that has lost their job, you should have State and Federal tax filings-- all others such as medical claims should have documentation from physicians with diagnoses. I don't see a problem with legitimate claim filings.