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AFP - Under fire for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP chief Tony Hayward coolly told angry US lawmakers Thursday he was "not a cement engineer," "not an oceanographic scientist," and not in the loop.




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I'd be delighted to accept any number of high-paying jobs I'm not qualified for.

That IS the standard apology nowadays isn't it? The bill is handed to the taxpayers with the explanation that

we're just fukkups

used to deny that it was premeditated.

Whole world is just ONE BIG COINCIDENCE that nobody ever planned, right?

A very good friend of mine used to always say, when you've been caught with your hand in the cookie jar you need to immediately adopt a simple, single strategy and never, ever stray from it:

Deny, deny, deny...

Worked for OJ, Van Der Sloot, Bankers, Politicians, Presidents, Countries. Hayward is in lofty company.

I knew an executive once who used almost the same expression. His was "Just because your hand is in the cookie jar, doesn't mean you are stealing cookies". Funny part was that he was one of the most honest and ethical people I have ever known.

Or at least he had you convinced that he was. That deny, deny, deny strategy can be very effective...

In fairness, Hayward did not deny much, if anything. He basically said he did not know all the facts necessary to answer. Maybe he has had enough time to discover all those facts, but maybe not. There is no reason to expect the CEO of an oil company to be a "cement engineer," "oceanographic scientist" or other technical expert.

I agree with most folks that Hayward should have tried much harder to sound sympathetic to the "small people," among others, and to come up with some facts at the hearings. However, whatever he might have said would be used against BP in the many civil suits pending against it (and to be brought in the future), as well as in any criminal proceedings that might result. He was in a tough situation. Personally, I saw the hearings as nothing other than an opportunity for the senators to grandstand and try to impress their constituents. They probably knew full well that Hayward would not be able to answer many of the questions, and would not be willing to answer others, just as they (the lawyer-senators, at least) would not do so. Whatever answers Hayward could have given, I doubt that it would have improved cleanup operations one bit, or that it would help much with passing any legislation to regulate deep sea drilling in the future.

That said -- I hope BP is made to pay for every cent of damage resulting from, and costs of remedying this fiasco.