James Carville To Obama: Tell BP 'I'm Your Daddy' And Take The Lead In Response

James Carville offered new criticism of the federal response to the BP oil spill Wednesday, and argued President Obama still doesn't get it.

On Tuesday, BP's chairman argued that the oil company was "big and important" to the U.S. An angry Carville took issue with those remarks and told CNN's John King that Obama must lay down the law:

Carville: "BP is not the equal of the United States government. This president needs to tell BP 'I'm your daddy, I'm in charge, you're going to do what we say. You're a multinational company that is greedy and you may be guilty of criminal activity.' It's time that we understand, BP does not wish this thing well. They have been negligent. They need to whip out their checkbook and start moving into action and the president needs to push them."

Carvile told King that he believes President Obama is not being told what the situation is in "a very candid way," but that he's optimistic that a "sea change" will occur after President Obama visits on Friday, the 39th day of the disaster.

Carville's wife, Republican strategist Mary Matalin, appeared with him and agreed that the federal response was not enough.

Carville has been a vocal critic of the federal response.

WATCH:

Comments

[Phill Grimes]

08:15 PM on 06/08/2010

I have sent emails to President Obama, BP, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN. Called people and gotten the run around from the White House and BP.

This is a simple easy fix. First when they were cutting the pipe and got stuck they should have stopped. They reduced the oil flow then.

Now, what they need to do is this. under where they cut the pipe is a connection. They need to remove the bolts, and attach a shut off valve there. The valve needs to be OPEN to set it in place so the oil will flow and not have any pressure on the valve so they can bolt it down. Once that valve is bolted into place, close the valve. That ends the leak!

The robots can do this. It can be done in a day or less.

Will you please help me get this out and end this tragedy.

Phill Grimes
918-647-3439
www.coalitionforamericanprogress.net

[carhac66]

11:34 PM on 06/02/2010

why doesn't anyone ask these 2 idiots what specifically the president can do the plug the leak? they will stand there looking like the 2 idiots that they are. maybe they should use some of that energy to assist with the barriers & clean up, because it does not look like either are helping.

[jsmithepa]

03:48 PM on 05/31/2010

I love the Raging Cajun. This will be good for the Democrats. The dems have always been too cerebral, happier to be technograts and not so good at Ah Feel Your Pain. Carville shows dems can be pissed too! Go James!

[bfortier]

12:39 PM on 05/29/2010

Before BP or anyone else was permitted to drill for oil one mile below the surface of the gulf, they should have been required to develop and prove, through realistic demonstration and testing, that they had a device which could cap just such a blowout at that depth.

Why weren't they required to develop and prove such containment capabilities before being permitted to drill at that unprecedented depth?

The inability to quickly contain this catastrophic oil spill is the result of a deliberate refusal by the Bush White House to practice due diligence in enacting and enforcing environmental safeguards for offshore oil exploration and production. 

These safeguards would have consisted of already built and proven devices, which would have been in a constant state of preparedness to be deployed immediately. 

[vonPinto]

06:38 AM on 05/29/2010

James surely needs a TOP KILL to close his lousy t r a p (mouth)

[sammyscout]

01:00 AM on 05/29/2010

I agree with JC. I don' think the Govt cracked the whip on this issue with BP

[RichieB]

11:03 AM on 05/28/2010

Carville is always about promoting Carville. Yes, Obama should put on his scuba gear and swim down to plug the leak. BP can't stop the leak but Obama should be able to do it. As for Matlin, she's not happy with the federal response? The republican mantra is always to get the federal gov out of the way and let the big business and the states take care of everything. The problem is that nobody knows how to stop the flow of oil from that far down.

[Jo SmithDromey]

05:43 AM on 05/28/2010

Some people will hitch to a cause, and the more in question their opinion, the more vehement the response. I wonder if this is the case. Although, I appreciate the sentiment.

[Dujamarshman]

12:13 AM on 05/28/2010

The application of dispersants to the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf as a clean-up or mitigation technique is fraudulent. Dispersants not only hide the oil, sweeping it under the carpet so to speak, but by breaking it up and sending it to the bottom of the water column, only prolong the problem for years to come. In order for for spilled oil to become less toxic it must be allowed to "weather" on the surface where volatile components can be broken down by ultraviolet solar radiation.

The only workable approach to cleaning up this oily mess is going to be microbiological, particularly in the soft muds of the coastal salt marshes. First skim off as much oil and water-oil mousse as possible, then spray solutions of microorganisms that further break down the oil while at the same time multiplying themselves until the oil substrate is gone.

Dispersant use should be prohibited at once! EPA is asleep at the wheel. Where are all the coastal scientists and why don't we hear more about the microbiological approach?

[BigHound1]

08:48 PM on 05/27/2010

I realize how James Carville feel because this is a personal issue to him. He feels hapless as does many of us; however, the fact is that everything that can be done is being done. If more can be done, maybe Mary Matalin can call her number one contact person (i.e. the guy that is probably hiding out in an undisclosed cave somewhere) and see can Haliburton also help.

But my heart goes out to the entire gulf coast area because we all are in this one together. We just need to use this moment to make a pact with one another to be more respectful of our beautiful country. Let us leave it for the next generations to come!!!

[Gretel1or2]

10:23 PM on 05/27/2010

Where was he with his "personal" haplessness during Katrina? Carville was on a political agenda - why was he talking about Obama's poll numbers? If you are so concerned about the immediate impact of a disaster, the President's poll numbers is the last thing that should be on your mind. Do you think that the Katrina victims who lost their homes and families were pre-occupied with Bush's poll numbers in 2005? Please.

[BigHound1]

12:10 AM on 05/28/2010

This was not the time for Carville to talk poll numbers. The seriousness of this event should have been the only comment. Overall, I think that it gave the country to get an opportunity to become rage; my question is raged about what? The spill, the fact that the technology hasn't been built yet, or raged for the sake of being a ragin' cajun?

We should be raged that this kind of homework was never handed in; just as the homework that people could fly planes into building to kill people even though an edict states that Bin Laden plans to attack us.

[MyGuyO]

02:19 AM on 05/28/2010

As to Mary Maitlin, she should talk to her own boss, Dick Cheney, who laid the ground work for this diaster. Remember this..."Drill baby Drill... as Miss Maitlin's good friend Missy Sarah Palin says, and we don't need "no stinkin' regs, right?

BTW, Mary Maitlin's brother works for Exxon Oil Co. Does that say a thing or two.

[GeeBee77]

07:10 PM on 05/27/2010

Obama (and the rest of them) is owned by Big Oil-- he can't tell them what to do. And there will be some more off shore drilling, some more spills, and some more global warming, I can promise you that.

[Coloradogary]

10:09 PM on 05/28/2010

This president is not owned by big oil, and you impugn his integrity without cause when you insist he is. Anytime this man needs contributions, all he has to do is hit one key on his computer.

Stand up and accept this man for who he is by recognizing his greatness and love for America.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/joinofasplash/?source=OM_LB_google_ob2-content_ob-exact&gclid=CIy038Wh9qECFRBsgwod-xE6EA

[Shelia Washington]

10:07 PM on 05/31/2010

How is President Obama owned by the Big Oil. He Just became a millionaire, not from being in the pocket of the Oil Executive like former President Bush and FVP Cheney. You received his funds from his book writings, so how is this SO? Actually if you heard his message a week ago he has halted all offshore drilling for now.

[madrediterra]

06:46 PM on 05/27/2010

You still don't get it. Even airhead Palin understood what was going on. She tweeted this last night: “President may put down the golf clubs & fundraiser fork 40 days into Gulf gusher to finally grasp this tragedy? Carville’s right on this.” Of course she got the facts mixed up with what Bush did, but you get the idea.

The damage is a disaster - another republican disaster. On top of that it is an opportunity to take on big oil and I think it will eventually lead to criminal charges. That Matalin stands with Carville giving the President a heads up is significant because she would otherwise never agree with a democrat. This is nothing but unadulterated politics.

[sheoples]

06:40 PM on 05/27/2010

Mary Matlin = no nothing

[1088]

06:27 PM on 05/27/2010

Where were James and Mary when Bush flew over New Orleans when Katrina happened? No where to be found!!

[Gretel1or2]

06:32 PM on 05/27/2010

Exactly, Carville's silence during Katrina while bodies were floating down the river was deafening...

[MyGuyO]

02:23 AM on 05/28/2010

Nary a word, indeed.

[mcostello]

06:10 PM on 05/27/2010

I love seeing Mary Matlin there, shaking her head at the incompetence of Obama.
I'll bet the Republican ideals would have averted this disaster.

[Chase Price]

06:17 PM on 05/27/2010

Republican ideals, or should I say ideas, have caused this disaster and every other major disaster due to deregulation and cronyism.

[mcostello]

06:43 PM on 05/27/2010

Don't forget profitteering!

[Fastwriter]

07:59 PM on 05/27/2010

We haven't heard from the Republicans, they leave it to their tweeters to spread hatred and lies.

[MyGuyO]

02:24 AM on 05/28/2010

They are holding their tongues for when it is over, then they will come out in full force, have their ammunition ready and go diss Obama big time!