Now that everyone has had a chance to calm down over the speech.....

[rufus dog]

What do you think they leveraged to get a 20 billion, non capped payout? And a public apology? yes it was preceded by it was an accident, but a public apology by the Chairman, with the DN Tony Hayward in the background!

[vaberella]

1. You forgot the 100 million for rig workers who won't work b/c of the moratorium.

I have no clue. I don't think the President had to do anything because BP is facing serious backlash from here and abroad. The English don't respond well to bad publicity. The Body Shop can tell you that, they tend to scramble hard to get things fixed in any way they can. And because Hayward is a mess---BP realized their situation.

[rufus dog]

6. I did forget that

That is 100k for 10,000 workers, seems like a high number of workers that would be impacted, but that is just off the top of my head.

Didn't consider the English angle, interesting thought, just trying to figure out how team BP went from claiming there wasn't a plume a few days ago to coughing up 20 billion on what appears to be a verbal agreement.

[Pirate Smile]

2. Gibbs and Browner were asked that during the press briefing and refused to answer.

They said they only wanted to talk about what was agreed to and not the rest of the negotiating points. :)

[rufus dog]

7. Saw that on the press conference

But there is no way in hell that 20 billion was given up in a twenty minute meeting unless.

1. The Admin some had a 20 billion pound sledgehammer
2. Discussions were going on earlier which makes the rightie talking point "He isn't meeting with Hayward" a mute point.
3 Something yet to be determined.

[babylonsister]

3. Maybe they escaped criminal prosecution. nt

[polichick]

5. I hope not. nt

[polichick]

4. My guess is the prez told them they wouldn't supply fuel for the military anymore...

...or maybe they wouldn't drill here at all unless they cooperated.

[FrenchieCat]

8. Might have threatened to seize their assets......

as their was enough calls that this wouldn't have been out of line
with the crime committed.

[rufus dog]

9. Possible

But don't you think they would have let the Republicans fight that one for them?

"Obama is overstepping his authority" "He is just like Chavez"

[democrat2thecore]

10. And cause an international row with Britain?

Many British pensioners count on BP. You can bet Obama didn't "threaten" anything.

[Pirate Smile]

11. I wonder what would have happened to BP's stock $ if the Obama Administration

came out and made a statement about freezing their US assets or getting an injunction preventing the transfer of any funds or assets from BP America to the headquarters, etc.? I have a feeling that would have really freaked out and driven down their already low #'s on Wall Street.

The unknown, the questions, the insecurity is what really freaks out Wall Street.

Just curious...