White House Wants BP to Promise It'll Pay

The White House's latest message to BP is a simple one: Talk is cheap, so you better pay up in the Gulf. Company officials have said a few times publicly that they were willing to cover all costs related to the cleanup, even if they exceed the $75 million liability cap. In a letter to company officials (see the pdf here), the administration seeks reassurances on that point, reports ABC News.

“The public has a right to a clear understanding of BP's commitment to redress all of the damage," says the letter. “We understand that BP will not in any way seek to rely on the potential $75 million statutory cap. ... In the event that our understanding is inaccurate, we request immediate public clarification of BP's true intentions.” On the cleanup front, meanwhile, the first attempt on the siphon didn't work, but BP officials expect it to be in operation tonight, notes AP. (More Gulf oil spill stories.)