Tough Words From Obama - But no Good Options

President Obama took oil executives to task today, sternly criticizing their response to the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and berating them for blaming each other instead of being proactive. Mr. Obama called the blame game a "ridiculous spectacle" and said he was "angry and frustrated" by the response.

Politico's Eamon Javers joined John Dickerson on Washington Unplugged Friday to break down the president's harsh words from the Rose Garden. Javers said Mr. Obama's speech may have been tough talk, but it highlighted the fact that there is very little the president can do to help an underwater pipe leak.

"This was one of those situations that show the limitations of the presidency," said Javers. "He's expecting BP to pick up the bar tab for all of this."

Javers said officials now estimate that the amount of oil leaked every four days is the equivalent of the oil that entered the ocean in the disastrous Exxon-Valdez spill in 1989. He discussed White House efforts to break up the Minerals Management service into two separate groups, one for collecting revenue and one dedicated to safety and oversight.

"What the president is doing also by showing this flash of anger today is showing Americans that he gets it, that he is not going to rest until this is solved," said Javers.

Also on Unplugged Friday, CBS News National Security Correspondent Juan Zarate recapped the major international news of the week, including Afghan President Hamid Karzai's important visit to Washington D.C.

"This was a face-saving, fence-mending trip to sooth the frays between Washington and Kabul," said Zarate.

Karzai met with the president and vice-president, as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Zarate also discussed the new coalition government in the UK, the crisis in Thailand and the potential return of Al-Qaeda to Iran.

For both interviews, plus a special interview with hip hop impresario and activist Russell Simmons, watch Washington Unplugged above.

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