Anderson Cooper opened tonight’s AC 360 with story of President Obama’s visit and an alleged oil cleanup sham by BP. Today on Grand Isle, the same day as President Obama’s visit, 300-400 workers showed up instead of the usual 12. Once President Obama left, so did the additional workers. BP is trying to spin this as the workers were just leaving their regular shift. When approached the worker’s said they were under orders not to talk. BP had agreed to come on 360 this morning, but when this story broke, they suddenly quit returning phone calls.
Chris Roberts, a Councilman from Jefferson Parish joined Anderson to talk about the alleged oil clean up sham. He’s the one bringing the allegations and broke down the events of the day. He said that on a normal day there were about a dozen workers on the beach in Grand Isle, and today he was surprised to see 300-400. Oil has been washing up on the beach for two weeks and this is the first day they’ve seen any level of worker’s there to clean up the beach and he doesn’t feel it was a coincidence that it was the same day as the President’s visit. He doesn’t blame the Federal Government, but rather thinks it’s insulting to all levels of government for BP to pull this scam leading everyone to believe they were on top of things. Roberts also talked about the clean up effort to date by BP. He said efforts have gotten better by the government, but is upset at what BP did today. I guess the real test will be if the 300-400 workers show up tomorrow. They also talked about how local fisherman who would like to be employed by BP to help with the clean up effort.
Ed Henry gave tonight’s “Raw Politics” report on local reaction to President Obama’s visit and Anderson interviewed Billy Nungesser today about his face-to-face meeting with President Obama. Apparently POTUS told Billy to call him, before he called AC360! Here’s the clip.
James Carville was with Anderson in NOLA and David Brinkley was in a box, but both joined Anderson to discuss President Obama’s visit and the frustration with BP. While Carville feels President Obama said the right thing today – he won’t abandon Louisiana, he’s really mad at BP because they lie all the time. Brinkley said President Obama’s visit today was important and it was good to see the picture of him on the beach, but he’s disappointed he didn’t spend the night. That said, he did say the crisis in the Gulf is not going anywhere anytime soon, and he can come back. BP is a different story. Brinkley feels BP has about three days to get the well capped before they face further outrage. Carville thinks they really do want to stop the leak, but wants President Obama to order a criminal investigation against BP. The interview continued into a second segment where Carville talked about the culture of the Gulf being unique and what they have endured, but made it clear they are not going away. He told the President not to be mad, “We just want you to help us.” Anderson closed the segment by saying NOLA is open for business and tourists should come! If you didn’t watch the show, I would suggest you watch the clips. It was an informative and touching interview.I know there were feelings that President Obama should have spent the night or the weekend in the Gulf. Because I live in the area, I happen to know that POTUS and his family are in Chicago for the Memorial Day weekend. It’s their first trip home since February 2009 and he flew from Chicago to NOLA and back to Chicago today. It was my understanding that his visit was scheduled for two hours, but it appears he stayed a little longer. Personally, I can’t fault him for not staying overnight; but that being said, I hope he returns to the Gulf soon, spends more time and visits the marshes and the local people impacted by this disaster.
Oystermen are in jeopardy. While the oysters remain untainted by oil at this time, their is fear that could change very soon and a way of life could be wiped out. The oystermen, when offered to help with the clean up, were told by BP that there is not enough work to go around. Here’s Anderson’s report of the time he spent with the oystermen today.
Joe John’s was in with the 360 Bulletin:- WH admitted today they offered Rep Sestak an unpaid position to encourage him to drop out of the PA Senate primary
- House okays DADT repeal and it heads to the Senate where opposition is expected
- Worst May for the Dow in 70 years; Europe’s economic crisis to blame?
- Gary Coleman died today. He was 42 years old.
The show ended tonight with “Reporter’s Notes” – David Mattingly, Carol Costello and Rob Marciano joined Anderson to discuss what they have witnessed covering the crisis. They have all been covering various aspects of the story and shared their experiences. Here’s what they had to say –
Anderson closed the show by saying CNN would continue to cover the story. (I received a “tweet” tonight that Gary Tuchman is back from Haiti and headed to NOLA.)
A couple of extra's for tonight.
First, Anderson is once again scheduled to co-host Live with Regis & Kelly - Thursday, 6/10. Bradley Cooper and Christina Aguilera are the scheduled guests. Anderson's appearance on Live with Regis & Kelly today was posted earlier. Click here if you missed it.
John King's show tonight referred to an article in the Washington Post where the White House pushes back against James Carville's criticism of President Obama and the Administration. If your interested in an interesting read, here's the link.
That's it for me tonight. I hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend! Wonz~
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13 comments:
It would not be the least bit surprising if BP had "workers" to "clean up" the beach while The President was giving his press conference.
Anderson's discussion with James Carville and Douglas Brinkly. I am glad 360 played the extended portion of it.
Anderson's piece about the oyster fishers was good. I like pieces like that where he gets out and talks to people. He needs to do more pieces like that.
360 was so good last nite. It was nice to see Anderson out talking to the oyster fishers. Anytime Anderson does a piece for 360 its always good and makes the show better.
Is anyone surprised that BP would try to pull a fast one when the President toured the area? Of course they're going to pretend that they have lots of workers cleaning up the spill - it falls right in line with all the deception and corruption that they've dealt in from the beginning. I really hope that the President keeps his promise to not forget the Gulf Coast and that more assistance is coming. I loved how Billy Nungesser surprised AC with the comment about the President and 360 and it was good to hear that Nungesser received further reassurance and an official on the ground to help get things moving and organized. James Carville was REALLY fired up and heaven help the White House if they don't come through for NOLA - they'll have to contend with the wrath of Carville AND Cooper and be held accountable for their failings. It was also good to see AC's interview with some of the oystermen to hear how they've been impacted by the spill - overall, it was a good 360, much better than "360 Friday" would've likely been. Thanks for the great pics and the R&K heads-up.
OT, Anderson needs to try some frameless glasses like Jeff Toobin wears - they won't be as overpowering as the black frames and they almost look like you're not wearing anything at all. Still, the black frames were actually oddly appealing to me even though most people seem to hate them.
How I wish that it were David Brinkley commenting on the BP/government approach to the oil leak -- he was wry and sardonic, which underscored the absurdity of certain human behaviour.
Instead, we get Douglas Brinkley, who never smiles (not even ruefully) and pretty much just whines.
Friday 360 had the best coverage of all the nights in Louisiana, though in my opinion the commentary was tedious and irritating. The oystermen story was very good, and the oil cleanup update and president's visit overview were well-done. The wearying commentary kept me from enjoying the show, it was long and I wanted them to be quiet. I know many ATC bloggers enjoy the commentary, but I think discussions are dragging 360 down. CNN will have a much better program if they're cut out. JMO. And I hope we've seen the last of Mr. Brinkley for awhile. 360 will probably have him on again next week just because some viewers complained about seeing him so often. Anderson is the only interesting speaker; they should keep his talks and pull the rest. I was disappointed by the Louisiana trip overall. Too many dull segments; not enough action and realtime news.
I included as many positives as I honestly could in this comment. I apologize for expressing negatives so often, but it's my truthful opinion of 360. I'm a fan who loves ATC, and prefers watching Anderson to anyone else on TV. Only my perception is some features of 360 desperately need improvement.
@Judy Thank you for your comment on Day 3! My thoughts exactly about the Louisiana trip. I really miss AC's direct interaction with the local people, and his riveting description of his surroundings and sensations as he walks and travels, followed by the outstanding CNN cameramen. That is so exciting, and I've never seen anyone who does it like Anderson. I think it was a big letdown that we saw so little of it this time. I could have done without Nungesser, Carville, Brinkley, and all the boxed heads.
@MichellenLomita, why do you watch 360? It's a news program, not a program about Anderson Cooper. It's not to showcase his looks, but the news. If you want to see pretty go to you tube, google or any other video site and watch, but CNN is first and foremost about news and not pretty. Your comments always bring out the worse in me.
Nobody brought this up, but I was wondering if "some" of those alleged fake workers on the beaches were Secret Service people. It's not unusual for security to pose as regular workers when the Pres is out in the open like he was for extra protection.
Having said that, I DON'T think that all 300 plus were security though, and someone was trying get a good photo op whether it be BP or the White House.
Did anyone else think Carville got a little out of control? I agreed with most of what he said, but wow, his head looked like it was about to explode!
Living in one of those cities he mentioned would get greater attention than NOLA, I took it as an insult. I understand he was upset, but don't put others down. The places he mentioned are big port cities but bring very few fishing hauls in and to me that is the big difference. Enough of my rant! Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
First and foremost Wonz, thank you for another amazing post. I've been without TV for almost a year, and 360 is one of the few things I would watch on television. Thanks for your clips, I watched all of them.
And with that being said, I really don't believe in hating people, but if I did, BP would be at the top of my list. This is deplorable. I agree with James Carville, we need to bring criminal charges against these people. First and foremost, 11 people died and we need to find out exactly why. BP needs to be giving people money in damages because this oil spill is destroying the lively hood of thousands of people (and that $5,000 they gave to that restaurant owner the other day, just isn't going to cut it).
It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so callous. I'm not one of those people who blames "big business" because behind those labels are humans, just like each and every one of us. And these human beings are being inhumane. I really hope that this cleanup gets a lot better and somehow the people on the Gulf will be able to recover.
@everyone who are continually being "disappointed" by 360. If you want to watch a program without commentary and more "action", watch a documentary, or even your local news. 360 is about presenting both sides of the situation, and AC is trying hard to present that to the viewers. He talks sometimes, but that's not the only thing he's responsible for. Being on the field and producing a show that airs on the same day is hard work. You have to work with what you have.
Wonz, thanks for all the recaps and clips, I wasn't able to see the first half of the show.
360 gets a gold star for staying on the Gulf and not doing a "Fridays" show (technically, they could have taped a show Friday morning).
I like James Carville and his almost-exploding head. I like how he, even though he's a Democrat, isn't letting that get in the way of good criticism of Obama when Obama deserves it.
MichellenLomita, love your phrase "boxed heads" and I don't like them either, much prefer people be right there whether it's in the studio or standing a few feet away near a Louisiana marsh. I know that's not always possible but hey, some people hate the taped segments, I hate the boxed heads.
I thought James Carville was "slightly" out of control, but I do understand his frustration actually living in the area and confronted with this daily horrendous mess.
Carville has always been a great supporter of President Obama and I believe he is also disappointed, as am I, with the POTUS'response time.
I understand Obama has other matters to be dealt with, but this is no natural disaster and to have us believe that a person if his intellectual caliber, actually believed that BP was fully engaged in helping the "little people of Louisianna," is laugable. The federal government has an unholy alliance with big corporations and their donorship. Not only should the POTUS have stayed longer, he should have shown the same compassion for those caught in this economic plight, as he has shown the auto workers in Detroit. "Out of work, is out of work," no matter what or who causes it.
Like or it or not, this IS the President's Katrina, and unlike water, oil doesn't wash away.
Liked AC's visit with the fishermen and enjoyed seeing him devour the fresh oyster. One things for sure, AC LIKES to eat.
I wonder exactly when BP realized top kill wasn't working. I was looking at the live feed this morning and could tell it was all oil. I guess they figured we'd all be distracted with the three-day weekend. (Sorry - I know that's not AC-related in the slightest but just had to say ARGH!!!!)
To all those who don't like commentary don't turn on CNN now or the rest of the evening, Top Kill has failed and it is the focus of CNN tonight. And no Anderson probably won't be on, so there is no pretty.
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