Bill Nelson: BP Execs "Not in the Real World"
When "Face the Nation" came to a close this past Sunday, moderator Bob Schieffer and Florida Sen. Bill Nelson weren't quite finished. The two continued talking about everything surrounding the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, first touching on Rep. Joe Barton's (R-Texas) apology to BP for the government "shakedown" they were enduring.
"I think some of the oil state representatives are so much an advocate for the oil industry that they lose judgment and perspective," the Florida Democrat said. "The oil industry has ruled the roost with the government...and as a result we're seeing, sadly, the tragedy that came out of that lack of government regulation. I think the president is beginning to turn that around, but now those of us on the Gulf and possibly the east coast are going to have to suffer the consequences for some time to come."
The CEO of the oil giant, Tony Hayward, received negative attention over the weekend for attending a yacht race, and Nelson did not approve.
"I think those guys are sensitivity challenged," he said. "They are just not in the real world to realize the suffering that is going on now. Appearances do matter, and words do matter, and they just don't get it."
Nelson says the oil hasn't affected Florida as much as it could have so far, but he knows the problem is just beginning.
"It's been hitting the beaches in Florida for the last week and a half, two weeks," the senator added. "Some days it'll bring it in and then the wind shifts and it'll bring it back out. So we're going to be faced with this for quite a long while, simply because there's so much oil out in the Gulf."
Watch Monday's Washington Unplugged also featuring CBS News Director of Elections Anthony Salvanto on Tuesday's GOP primaries and Christina Ruffini with a report on the controversy surrounding "Female Viagra".
Nelson: Barton Apology Shows Big Oil's Power
Watch Nelson on Yesterday's "Face the Nation"
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