The BP Shakeup That Isn't - By Robert Reich

[kpete]

The BP Shakeup That Isn't

By Robert Reich - June 19, 2010, 9:59AM

One day after he was blasted on Capitol Hill, BP CEO Tony Hayward has been removed from day-to-day management of the oil spill. BP's chairman has turned it over to a BP managing director, Bob Dudley.

That makes sense from a PR standpoint. Before the congressional hearings, Hayward seemed merely overwhelmed. After yesterday, the mere thought of Hapless Hayward in charge of plugging the hole strikes most people as ludicrous. Hayward told Congress he knew nothing, took no responsibility, and wasn't able to comment on a thing.

Yet Dudley's only apparent qualification is he's an American. Dudley still reports to the same BP board of directors. They are responsible to the same BP shareholders. Those shareholders still, naturally, want BP to maximize share values and not spend a dollar (or pound) more than necessary.

Day-to-day responsibility for plugging the hole and containing the spill should be under a U.S. Admiral. He should use whatever expertise and resources BP has on hand, but also be able to get expertise and resources from other oil companies, the Navy, and the Army Corps of Engineers. He should report daily and directly to the President.

And he should send BP the bill for everything.

[flyarm]

1. I wish i could K&R 10,000 times!! K&R!!!!!!!!

[Greyhound]

2. K&R for more of that "change".

[Poboy]

3. He is still LITERALLY in charge as well-

Posted: Saturday, 19 June 2010 11:30AM

As oil spews in Gulf_ BP chief? at UK yacht race

Associated Press Reporting
BP's chief executive is taking some time off from dealing with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tony Hayward is in England, where a spokeswoman says he's watching his boat compete in the world's largest yacht race off the Isle of Wight.

Spokeswoman Sheila Williams says Hayward took time off his duties handling the oil spill catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico to see his boat "Bob'' participate in the J.P. Morgan Asset
Management Round the Island Race on Saturday.

The one-day yacht race is one of the world's largest, attracting hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors.

A company statement calls it "a rare moment of private time'' for Hayward and says "no matter where he is, he is always in touch with what is happening within BP.''

The news comes amid questions are about who's in charge of BP's response.

BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg tells Britain's Sky News that Hayward is handing over the role of point man on the crisis to Managing Director Bob Dudley.

But a company spokesman based in London tells the Associated Press that Hayward is "still very much in charge in the response.''

http://www.wwl.com/As-oil-spews-in-Gulf--BP-chief--at-UK-yacht-race/7505087

[Octafish]

6. What's ''Bob'' stand for? Blow Out Boy?

Tony's boat looks like it costs more than $500,000 fail safe device.

[Poboy]

7. He had that arrogant, snide look and response on Thurs.

Smug bastard knew he was going on this trip, so they apparently used a press release to say he was no longer running things, but as it turns out, he is supposedly STILL in charge.
There will be outrage.

[IDemo]

4. Stay tuned to this space for the predictable dissing of Reich

One seems to pop up with every new thread.

[Overseas]

5. K&R. Would love it if BP came to mean Beyond Privatization

and back to more professional, competent government.

The Republicans of the Bush Era sought to prove that government was bad. It takes time to rebuild and restore our in-house engineers and experts, after the concerted GOP effort to weaken them. President Obama has been doing some of that and I hope he does more of it.

[Poboy]

8. kr