(CBS/AP) President Barack Obama says his talks with Gulf fishermen and oil spill experts are not an academic exercise. They're "so I know whose ass to kick."
One target for the presidential foot: Tony Hayward, the embattled chief executive of BP.
Mr. Obama was asked by Matt Lauer of NBC's "Today" about Hayward's past comments that "I want my life back," that the Gulf was "a big ocean" and that "the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest."
Special Section: Disaster in the Gulf
"He wouldn't be working for me after any of those statements," Mr. Obama said, according to excerpts released by NBC.
The interview was to air Tuesday. NBC aired portions and put out some excerpts Monday night.
It was part of a stepped-up White House effort to show Mr. Obama is actively engaged in dealing with the worst oil spill in the nation's history, and to distance itself from the London-based oil giant, formerly known as British Petroleum. Polls have shown a majority of Americans believe Mr. Obama has handled the crisis poorly.
In a CBS News poll released last week, 44 percent of Americans said they disapproved of the president's handling of the spill, with 38 percent approving. In all, 63 percent of respondents said they felt the president could be doing more to address the disaster. - CBS News Story
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