Oil Spill Executives Used 'Shaggy Defense' During Capitol Hill Hearing, Says Chris Hayes (VIDEO)

Who's to blame for the gushing oil well in the Gulf of Mexico? According to the executives of the companies involved, it's the other guy. Chris Hayes calls that "The Shaggy Defense."

Hayes, the Washington, D.C. Editor of The Nation, guest hosted "The Rachel Maddow Show" on Tuesday and lambasted BP, Halliburton and Transocean executives for blaming everyone but themselves during testimony before Congress about the continuing oil spill.

Hayes explained that the "The Shaggy Defense" is based on the 2000 hit song "It Wasn't Me" by reggae singer Shaggy.

The song, about a man caught cheating by his lover, repeats "it wasn't me" over and over in its chorus.

Hayes says that's kind of like the oil executives blaming their corporate partners for the spill, like Bush explaining his administration's role on the WMD-Iraq War excuse, and like federal and local officials who made excuses for their botched response to Hurricane Katrina.

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Comments

[gsteinum]

05:05 PM on 05/13/2010

3 stooges or more like the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil monkees???

[fredisfred]

05:23 PM on 05/12/2010

Is anyone actually surprised these cesspools of corruption wouldn't take responsibility for their actions?

[jan4insight]

01:04 PM on 05/12/2010

Chris, you ROCKED last night - the whole show was magnificent! For anyone who hasn't seen it, watch this segment and then keep watching through all the video clips from 5/11!

And don't forget, props to Kent Jones for both of his segments. The take-off on '50s educational vids married with the oil-spill fixit fiasco was PRICELESS!

[NoFactsJustTruth]

11:29 AM on 05/12/2010

Congratulations on a great show, Chris, I enjoyed your work greatly yesterday and think you're opening another possible major path for yourself, should you choose and it chooses you. I caught a brief glimpse where you seemed uncomfortable your hands were talking almost as much as you were. You know what, DON'T BE! Keith, Rachel, Jon, Stephen and Ed are ALL great hand talkers and it works for them in wonderful fashion. It will work for you also, just make it strength instead of a personal distraction. It might help to be deliberate with your hands though, rather than sudden or jerky in motion.

This Hayes fan is looking forward to more.

[Sandmanj]

11:10 AM on 05/12/2010

They all think they're auditioning for a remake of "Rocket Man".

[fredisfred]

05:20 PM on 05/12/2010

lol It was Julie!!!

[Sandmanj]

12:59 PM on 05/13/2010

In any case, "it wasn't me!"

[barkingcat]

10:50 AM on 05/12/2010

Dang...I thought it was Shaggy from "Scooby Do"...

...ruh-roh!

[stevebeast]

02:22 PM on 05/12/2010

me too. i think a picture of scooby and shaggy pointing at each other makes a better analogy

[liveordie]

10:48 AM on 05/12/2010

By the way Chris you did a bang up job standing in for Rachel last night.

[barkingcat]

10:51 AM on 05/12/2010

Amen...I concur!

[dre7861]

11:09 AM on 05/12/2010

I hope Rachel and MSNBC starts grooming Chris for the 10 o'clock slot. I know Keith seems to be leaning to Lawrence O'Donnell but to be honest I find his presentations a little stiff. IMHO, Chris did an excellent job last night and would be a great host!

[Bloggerrogr]

11:40 AM on 05/12/2010

Co-sign!
Attention NBC ! Give Chris Hayes his own hour; he is getting better and better all the time.
Give Lawrence O'Donnell Sunday's MTP. Send "fluffy" Gregory over to fill in for Al Roker on the 'Today' show and everyone will be happy!
That's all for now.
FWIW

[Richard Green 1]

10:46 AM on 05/12/2010

I was surprised the MSNBC feature story didn't reference Adam, Eve and the Serpent-- nor, apparently, did any of the congressmen (most of whom, one presumes, profess to be people of faith). But then, congress would be forced to curse all there parties coming before them, to shift the blame.

[angrymanspokane]

10:44 AM on 05/12/2010

Sucess has many fathers, failure is an orphan.

Weasles. Highly compensated, professional weasles.

[omobob]

10:41 AM on 05/12/2010

And here i thought the headline was a reference to "Scooby snacks" and those darn kids.

[ronnierayjenkins]

10:38 AM on 05/12/2010

This kid said he didn't do it either as he and his dad stare out over the gulf of mexico. Sad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAtVj1w3ucY

[candlepin2002]

10:35 AM on 05/12/2010

We continue to believe we can control other nature, again she humbles us. Humans will never learn, we have to live in concert with nature, not use nature for our greed. These oil executives and politicians are so arrogant that they will bring all of us down!!!

[OB08]

10:30 AM on 05/12/2010

Chris Hayes was awesome.

[Oonagh]

10:29 AM on 05/12/2010

It shows that there is no honor amongst thieves

[Librick]

10:19 AM on 05/12/2010

Hey Conservatives and Teabaggers, you like deregulation for corporations. How about deregulation for us?

I'll change my oil in my car and dump it on your lawn. How would you feel about that?