One day in Washington — two apologies from BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg.
The second apology came for referring to Gulf coast residents devastated by his company’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as “small people.”
“I spoke clumsily this afternoon and for that I am very sorry,” Svanberg said in a statement after his “small people” comment earlier on Wednesday drew widespread ridicule and condemnation.
“What I was trying to say — that BP understands how deeply this affects the lives of people who live along the Gulf and depend on it for their livelihood — will best be conveyed not by any words but by the work we do to put things right for the families and businesses who’ve been hurt,” Svanberg said in the statement.
Which brings us to the first apology. It came after the BP executive met with President Barack Obama at the White House, where the company agreed to a $20 billion fund to pay damage claims.
