Now I understand why Obama has not wanted to meet with BP executives until Day 58 of the Gulf oil spill crisis. They say opposites attract. Well, the BP executives and the Obama Administration are identical twins. Obama has no use for those who, “cling to their guns and religion”. BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said today after meeting with Obama, “I hear comments sometimes that large oil companies are greedy companies or don’t care, but that is not the case with BP. We care about the small people.”

Great! Small people, huh? That’s the attitude erupting across America, particularly in the Gulf states. Now, to fair, Svanberg is Swedish and the remark came right after talking about affected small businesses, fisherman, etc. So, perhaps, maybe, just possibly, he meant to say small business people. But after remarks a month ago by BP CEO, Tony Hayward, hoping to get the spill contained so he may, “get my life back”, the insensitivity meter went deep in the red zone again.

Some Gulf residents are taking today’s gaff in stride. Tony Kennon, mayor of Orange Beach, Alabama said, “They can call me small, miniature, they can call me anything they want. Just write the check and send it to us.” And write the check BP is doing. The company agreed today to fork over $20 Billion dollars to be placed into an escrow account. The money will be allocated under the supervision of Kenneth Feinberg, Obama’s ‘Pay Czar’. He was the one assigned to review Wall Street bonuses. Feinberg was also in charge of paying out claims to 9/11 victims.

So BP will soon be helping the small people with money. Who and how much is yet to be determined, usually these things are settled in court. There are many unanswered questions as BP and the White House fumble their way through this crisis. Now that BP executives have insulted small people, one question is who will they insult next?