What chutzpa: BP CEO, "I want my life back"

If it’s Tuesday, it’s a good day for an unmitigated rant. Frustration mounts as we watch another attempt by British Petroleum to fix the “Big Spill” in the Gulf of Mexico.

Attempts to plug the leak, now in day 42 and spewing out mega gallons of gooey oil into the ocean, have been unsuccessful, even after flushing the pipeline with mud and ramming it with junk shot.

Okay, let’s try something new. No guarantees yet, but some action is better than no action at all. Frankly, (IMHO) I don’t think they know what they are doing at this juncture – time will tell, I guess.

In the midst of the failed attempt and resulting public disappointment, BP CEO Tony Hayward let loose with yet another gaffe.

Already famous for these gems, which were published in the May 14, 2010 edition of The Guardian:

In reference to the size of the leak: “relatively tiny."

In reference to BP safety performance: "In the last four or five years we have made major improvements in safety performance. It has made the company much better … Four years ago it could have been very different."

In reference to early attempts to fix the leak: "It was a bit bumpy to get it going. We made a few little mistakes early on.”

Then this one from Sky News on 5/18/10:

In reference to the environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon Spill: “I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest."

Now the crowning statement is captured by the Today Show and first surfacing on Think Progress: “There’s no one who wants this over more than I do. I would like my life back.”

In response Mr. Hayward, I ask you these questions:

“What of the 11 men who died in the drilling platform explosion; do you think they would like to have their lives back?”

“What of the families of the 11 men who died in the drilling platform explosion, do you think they would like to have their loved ones back?”

“What of the entire fishing industry on the Gulf coast, do you think the fisherman would like to have their lives return to normal and their livelihoods back?”

“What about all the mammals, birds, turtles, dolphins and fish, do you think they would like to have their habitat and their lives back?”

I say, “Suck it up Mr. Hayward, and JUST FIX THE LEAK!" And, while you're at it, get yourself a good PR spokesperson. On your salary of $4.5 million per year, I would expect both issues are doable.

Granted, Hayward does apologize for the “massive disruption,” but before you turn livid upon actually hearing how the massive disruption has disrupted his life in the video below, see my previous post, which includes the live video feed of the newest attempt to fix the leak.