Lawmaker tells BP chief to 'commit hara-kiri'

[gateley]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A hearing to discuss the future of national energy policy in the wake of the Gulf oil disaster got pretty ugly Tuesday.

Lawmakers slammed executives from five of the world's largest oil companies. At one point Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., called on Lamar McKay, chairman and president of BP America, to quit his job. Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, R-Louisiana went so far as to suggest McKay try a type of ritual suicide.

"Mr. Stearns asked you to resign. In the Asian culture we do things differently. During the Samurai days we just give you a knife and ask you to commit hara-kiri," said Cao, who is of Vietnamese descent.

McKay did not respond to these comments. However, he did say that a relief well will allow his company to get the leak under control "by mid-August."

Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass. called on executives from BP (BP), ExxonMobil (XOM, Fortune 500), ConocoPhillips (COP, Fortune 500), Chevron (CVX, Fortune 500) and Shell Oil (RDSA) to answer before his House Energy and Environment subcommittee Tuesday. Specifically, he wanted to focus on the ongoing spill, renewable energy development and the effect of President Obama's six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling.

>>>> more (highly recommended, especially if you didn't get the chance to see the hearing today): http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/15/news/economy/big_oil_goes_to_washington/index.htm?hpt=T1

[harry_pothead]

1. Tough talk in public, and favorable legislation in private.

Same old same old.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[Newest Reality]

2. Yes!

Save face!

Oh, but there is no honor in corporate America, my good sir. Profit is now he new honor and wealth is what you hold up as your own just reward, having built it on the backs and with the blood of thousands, even millions.

However, for those corporate mono-culture executives that hide, immune and cozy, behind the now sacred, (and impenetrable?) corporate veil while they govern nations with impunity like virtual warriors that, once revealed, have no substance or value, could you simply relieve yourself of your bad Karma and Dorian Grey consciences by simply offering yourself to the people for a proper, public disemboweling, or at least an episode of American Idol where you are dissed and ridiculed into disgrace as you should be?

The planet and the people thank you for your humble cooperation in this matter and we send a big, FUCK YOU to big oil even though we know they have our entire lifestyles in their hands.

[mix]

3. The dude's Vietnamese, those Samurai days were definitely in Japan.

Weird bit of fraudulent Republican theater.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Give Mr. Cao some credit

Other Republicans are still saying, "drill, baby, drill" as the oil washes up on the wetlands.

I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Cao, except being of European descent, some of which is actually French, I would not hand him a knife but instead strap him on to a guillotine.

[47of74]

5. Better yet, videotape it and sell it on pay-per-view

[AsahinaKimi]

7. "During the Samurai days we just give you a knife and ask you to commit hara-kiri,"

SAMURAI (To Serve):

Samurai were Honorable men and those who did wrong, sought fix to the wrong by doing the "honorable" thing .. which was called Seppuku.

The main point is, one has to have HONOR IN THE FIRST PLACE.

[Hannah Bell]

8. vietnamese do seppuku? who knew?

[vixengrl]

9. I think he meant it figuratively for "Have you no honor? Have you no shame?"

Even without hara-kiri, to see some gesture that these people knew how deeply they screwed up at a gut-level would be appreciated.


(As for gut-level, I recall a statement Hayward made, with a touch of figurative hyperbole: "I'm just gutted". He meant he was quite sad about all of this, but my reaction was on the order of "No you aren't, but it can probably be arranged.")

[gateley]

10. Agree - but I guess the message was lost on some. nt

[Laelth]

11. Dog, meet Pony. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[flyarm]

12. why are they bothering with these hearings..Obama just said last night , almost his first sentence

BP is still in charge of this disaster!

Dog and Pony show to the max!

When is the last time anyone who has committed a crime against this nation was held accountable from these hearings?????????

[derby378]

13. What you mean "we," kemo sabe?

Cao is Vietnamese. The samurai were Japanese. Atama no Cao ga okashii.