BP Chief Cares About 'Small People'

In another public relations nightmare, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg insisted the company cares about the “small people” affected by the oil spill. Svanberg, who is a native Swedish speaker, told reporters after leaving a four-hour meeting with President Obama, in which they negotiated a deal to pay $20 billion over three years for the cleanup, that the company hears “comments sometimes that large oil companies are greedy companies or don’t care, but that’s not the case with BP. We care about the small people.” He later apologized and for his remark and said he "spoke clumsily." Svanberg’s comments come just prior to the company’s awaited appearance before Congress Thursday, where BP is expected to be grilled mercilessly.