Congressman Cao Suggests BP Execs Commit Suicide

Talk about extreme rhetoric! Congressman Joseph Cao of Louisiana suggested that maybe BP America Executive Lamar McKay should commit Harakiri in response to the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The oil disaster has caused great economic impact to my district. Hundreds of businesses have closed, thousands are out of work. Mr Stearns [Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-FL] asked Mr. McKay to resign. Well, in the Asian culture we do things differently. During the Samurai days, we would give you a knife and ask you to commit harakiri."

OK. Like most people, I am frustrated with BP and others for causing this foreseeable and avoidable catastrophe, and with the seemingly little progress they are making in containing the spill. But this statement is over the top. Killing a man, of course, would do nothing to stop the disaster or repair the damage. Furthermore, these course words ring hollow from a Congress which is extremely squeamish about raising the liability cap on damages caused by Big Oil.

Furthermore, is Congressman Cao prepared to turn the blade on himself or his fellow politicians for their failures in regulating and overseeing this industry? When his constitutents lose their homes to mortgage foreclosures, or when they go bankrupt due to high medical bills, does he see this as his own personal failure to properly govern?

I understand that politicians are scrambling to talk tough now. They are looking for butts to kick, and damn holes to plug up. But this talk is all meaningless. We know how cozy our politicians are with Big Oil. We know when the media turns its attention away from this disaster, our politicians and Big Oil with get back together. We know that they're just stroking us. And we don't like it.