Washington (CNN) – Rep. Bart Stupak, a leading Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said BP CEO Tony Hayward looked "absurd and ridiculous" giving non-responsive testimony at Thursday's Gulf oil spill hearing.
"It was frustrating, not just to me but to the American people," Stupak said in an interview on CNN's "John King, USA." The Michigan congressman pointed out that the committee had sent Hayward a letter outlining the lines of questioning they intended to pursue and yet he still did not answer their questions.
"There comes a point in time when you almost become absurd and ridiculous. Unfortunately, I think that's how Tony Hayward looked to the American people," Stupak said.
Separately, Stupak defended the White House for including Attorney General Eric Holder in a Roosevelt Room meeting with BP executives on Wednesday. Holder's Justice Department has an active investigation into the oil giant following the disaster.
"I think it was worthwhile having the attorney general [in the meeting]. He helped put some parameters there," Stupak said.
From CNN Politics
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kinda reminds me of how Stupak acted during the healthcare fiasco,"absurd and ridiculous"
You want to really know who looks absurd and riediculous? Every single politician in office, who only know how to react too little, too late.
How do these dimwits get into positions of power?
If only I were king for a day, we'd have some very public "corrections" of their attitudes.
Stupak, you are the idiot and a traitor...You should be ashamed.
Vote with your $'s.
Boycott BP
Boycott ARCO (California)
Well if there was anybody in this country that should know absurd and ridiculous . . . it’s Bart Stupak.
That hearing today made our politicians look ridiculous. Its obvious many have not had a real job and they have no idea what they are asking, It's insane to believe the CEO of a company the size of BP would know about individual well plans. If Congress put as much effort in to our spending and national deficit we would not be where we are today.
Does he expect honest answers? Ya gotta be kidding...that testimony was lawyerized!
I'd like to know who the "company man" was on the DH that we kept hearing about and what direction he was getting from BP senior management. Surely BP leadership doesn't allow an overactive middle manager to run open-loop and create the worlds biggest environmental disaster ever all by himself.
Well, absurd for sure, but no moreso than James Watt!
Congress looked absurd and ridicolus asking the questions. What are they trying to accomplish? BP is guilty. That is as clear as a bell. Do they think they can make BP more guilty? Do they think that this dog bashing of someone that is a fool anyway makes them look powerful or like they are worth something? It won't be Congress that decides if there was criminal intent, that will be up to the courts. As many problems as this country has right now, this bunch could find something more productive to do. All this boondoggle is theater for the upcoming elections (look how tough I am.)
I think Stupak and Hayward should pray for wisdom just like when Nixon and Kissinger got on their knees in the oval office for a prayer meeting.
If Hayward appeared ridiculous, he could be accused of being a member of Congress.
what was absurd and ridiculous to me was the way the congressmen grilled the bp ceo. it was like they are the bullies, you will do what i want or say. what you think, mr. stupak and what i think are 180 out.
vik o'd
Stupak. Brave words from a politician. Hayward is BPs hollie north
A Congressional blow-hard chastizing a burned-out captain of industry (whom I do not hold harmless in this incident, BTW) and praising Eric Holder. What, did I wake up in Opposite World???
The whole things make no sense. From president to the congress wants to grill CEO of BP. Why politicize the same. One thing is clear there are two faces of US as a country, it is hiding and helping CEO of Union Carbide responsible of 20000 deaths and uncountable miseries of Bhopal Gas Tragedy and on other hand arm twisting 10Downing Street and BP for the OIL mess. Talk of double standards. Talk of New America under Obama's leadership. Everything is falling apart from relations to economy to growth to jobs to manufacturing etc.
it is like the us goverment to lay the blame they should look at each other first and see how many of those peoples hands are out when they need money from the bp's and countless other oil companys for their political needs. right obama
Isn't oil spilling into the ocean a bigger deal than who we blame?
Hayward did sound like an idiot, every other comment was "I don't know I was privy to that." Makes you wonder how he runs a HUGE Oil Company when he doesn't know anything. I applaud how Democrats and Republicans both tried to get some straight answers out of Hayward.
Now what is really frustrating me is that the Federal Government has become the Party of NO. Step aside Republicans, the Democratic Party controlled Federal Government is saying no to cleanup efforts in the Gulf. They are shutting down the attempts from Louisiana to hoover up the oil, while Coast Guard officials have to process and approve the equipment. And the environmental study? HAH, who in the right told the Corp of Engineers to do an environmental impact study, that when it was completed...the oil already reached the shore.
It's the OIL STUPID! Someone for the love of God fix this mess...2010 is going to be a political slaughter, and 2012 is going to be interesting.
Stupak crapped on us with medical care and now he is trying to show he has testicles. Too late Stupy. Madame Pelosi done castrated you.
We are being stupaked again in the ass by the same congressidiot who raped us with the Obamist takeover of health care.
Be careful what you say it may come back to bite you in the butt in the future.
"absurd & ridiculous," Mr. Stupak? For me, not at all. You self-serving politicians did not get what you wanted because you yourselves are absurd & ridiculous. Why not focus on finding the solution to the problem, instead of grandstanding?
Those who were absurd were every member of the committee, except one. He called it a shake down, I call it illegal extortion.
Don't you think that the American government needs to accept the major part of this ridiculous oil spill situation. First they will not allow drilling on the mid-continent through to Alaska stating environmental reasons.Which would yield more oil than the whole middle east put together. But with their fantastic brain power they authorize off shore drilling at a distance no one has ever drilled before. (SMART) Now they're holding BP responsible to pay everything caused by their ignorance. Was BP even given a OSHA safety inspection to see if they could handle a catastrophe such as this world has never seen.(NO) So I rest my case Obama and friends are just as responsible as BP is. So they should be called on to put up half of this money. SOMEONE SHOULD TEACH WHAT ASSUME MEANS. It makes a ass-u-me (ass out of you and me). SO our government and BP have made asses out of each other. Quit gripping and fix this thing before the world's food supply is gone forever. GOD HEAVEN HELP US FROM THESE MORONS.