Calling for a Bully Pulpit rallying cry to bring justice to BP execs... hello, Bully Pulpit...?

[metapunditedgy]

Everybody knows the guys who created the empire of reckless profiteering (to put it mildly) at BP deserve serious prison time for what they have done. *That* would be justice.

Everybody also knows that a few choice words from the Bully Pulpit on the subject would have a tremendous effect.

Don't give me this crap about "It's Congress's fault."

Until Tony Hayward receives the treatment that a common crack dealer would (not to insult crack dealers), it's pretty obvious that justice is *not* being served.

[treestar]

1. Under what statute can he be charged?

[metapunditedgy]

2. How about the patriot act? n/t

[treestar]

12. Which section, which says what?

[metapunditedgy]

14. Several responses. First, Obama doesn't need a warrant from a judge to use the bully pulpit,

don't you agree? Notice that my OP is calling for Obama to use the Bully Pulpit, not to submit a legal brief for public evaluation.

Secondly, if the Justice Dept. can't work up some wiretaps, evidence-gathering office raids, and subpoenas, then they're obviously not even trying. Wouldn't you agree that's true in the post-Patriot Act era?

Finally, the JD is investigating; more details available from google. Here's what they say:
Every cent of taxpayer money will be repaid and damages to the environment and wildlife will be reimbursed. We will make certain that those responsible clean up the mess they have made and restore or replace the natural resources lost or injured in this tragedy. And we will prosecute to the full extent any violations of the law.

Notice what's missing there? Are we really going to hold human beings, the execs at BP and perhaps a few other guilty parties, *personally* responsible? Or are we going to continue "business as usual," where we diddle around for a decade, charge minimal fines, reduce the fines further, and pretend we've extracted justice from an abstract entity?

Instead of "business as usual," how about a few words from the bully pulpit that some guilty *people* will land in jail before this is all over, and any management that encouraged a cult of negligence can kiss their fortunes and freedoms goodbye?

[treestar]

15. The bully pulpit cannot be used to arrest or punish anyone

You'd be just saying it was just words.

Under what statute can he be charged with a criminal offense?

[metapunditedgy]

17. The bully pulpit also cannot be used to resurrect kangaroos.

Quit playing games... you're trying to create a false dilemma where Obama can only call for justice if the execs are practically already in jail.

As for chargeable offenses, check my previous post; the JD is already investigating. The issue is whether humans will pay with jail time and huge fines, or whether an abstract corporation will take the fall and "business as usual" will continue unabated.

[tabbycat31]

10. environmental terrorism

[treestar]

13. What section, which says what?

[CountAllVotes]

3. just last night I was saying this

for Christ's sake! The president has something called the BULLY PULPIT! Why the hell doesn't he use it? :wtf:

I then found myself talking about the power of Big Oil and how they are able to buy about anyone off that they care to. I hope this is not true of the President.

If it is true, I'll never vote for him again, that is my guarantee.

To think that this country engaged each other and voted in a man that was using CHANGE as his mantra and what we see is no change much and more oil fields being viewed in Alaska right now for drilling makes me personally sick! :puke:

Use that bully pulpit Mr. President. So few have had this power. What don't you use it President Obama? Why don't you prosecute these criminals that have destroyed our gulf?

WHY?

:kick: & recommend.

[metapunditedgy]

4. Really... all it would take is a few words. Not police raids, asset seizure,

polygraphs, subpoenas... though I think those are all appropriate at this point, too.

Just a few pointed words.

Instead, we have Thad Allen telling us "BP gave me two fingers up, which means 'victory' in my book!"

[90-percent]

5. Buying off the President?

Big Insurance, Wall Street and Big Banks have already succeeded in buying off the White House.

What makes you think Big Oil is not capable of doing the same thing?

It will all be moot within the next two election cycles, anyway. Once the grandeur of the Supreme Court Citizens United ruling of last January has it's full impact on our elections. After that, influencing our elected politicians to represent the bottom 98% of the population will be harder than changing the orbit of the earth around the sun!

-90% Jimmy

[ima_sinnic]

6. not one word has been said about use of Corexit

OSHA is a government agency for which the president is ultimately responsible.
I find it odd that, in light of everything known about Corexit and its deadly, toxic effects on people and all living things, BP is allowed to use it with impunity, and clean-up workers are not required to wear hazmat protection.
What is going on, anyway?
Why hasn't OSHA stepped in and put a stop to it? Why is President Obama silent on this? Is the $20 billion payoff supposed to shut everybody up?
Another thing that's not happening is job retraining and placement for displaced fishing and other marine industry workers. This should have started on like Day 1.

Frankly, the laissez-faire attitude toward BP, a foreign oil co., and its desecration of an American resource is an atrocity.

[metapunditedgy]

7. BP also publicly thumbed its nose at the EPA what, twice publicly? On the Corexit issue. n/t

[90-percent]

8. Hypothetical

If the cross-your-fingers-and-hope-for-the-best plans for capping this disaster are not successful, and this stuff makes it into the Atlantic and gets moved to Europe by the Gulf Stream, that would make it an international problem instead of a mere American one.

That will be fun to watch for sure!

-90% Jimmy

PS - I wonder about the unsung hero's working to fix this right now - all the drilling guys probably working beyond the point of human endurance to angle drill into the existing well. The pressure of their jobs right now must be staggering! Both in terms of answering to their corporate pin head chain of commands and the ecological future of the gulf and possibly the world. Like defusing a nuclear time bomb.

PPS - re post #9 - regarding the hazards of corexit - it seems like corporate sadism at it's finest that the oil clean up workers ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE BREATHER MASKS! they would be dismissed if they were to provide their own masks and wear them while cleaning up! That's like making steel workers in a foundry work in tee shirts and shorts instead of full aluminized protective gear!

[ima_sinnic]

9. the first hurricane is going to blow that toxin inland

Corexit is known to cause rupturing of red blood cells, and its label calls for use of protective gear when handling.
How many thousands of Americans are going to be seriously sickened? Why is it allowed?

[metapunditedgy]

11. Unreccers... which BP do you fear? Bully Pulpit or British Petroleum??? n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. Unrec'd for hyperbolic b.s. (nt)

[metapunditedgy]

18. Thanks for your honesty, at least. Does this sound more realistic?

Everybody knows that the titans of industry who are responsible for the economic dynamo that is BP should, in the face of current events, take a long, introspective look at how they could better serve the interests of the public and their shareholders.

While the bully pulpit cannot be used by Democrats, Congress certainly has the power to request more introspection from BP execs. Unfortunately, Congress is to blame for not requesting additional introspection from the BP management.

Until Tony Hayward spends some serious time confessing his personal inadequacies to the American public, the economic benefits of big oil corporations will be adversely affected.

As Americans, we need to face up to our shortcomings and ask ourselves how we can all help BP to help us. Only then will we fully put this unpleasant event behind us.