i think all corporations want to defend their bottom line, there s no question that s what they do. there are clearly it is a desire to try and limit this and resolve questions about their future, but if they were trying to be exxonmobil, then they re not doing a very good job of it. richard wolf, also the author of renegade, the making of a president. as always, thanks. thank you, keith. about the gulf and the storm, let s turn to rick steiner. rick, good evening. hi, keith. give us your own assessment of the likely effect of this tropical storm on the broad range of the cleanup efforts in the gulf, including the skimming operations that were shut down today. well, it could be a big deal, there s no question about it. the biggest implication would be if they have to discontinue the relief well drilling. right now they have a 40-knot wind emergency shutdown and move off the site threshold. but i think they ought to push that envelope a little higher to
off the site threshold. but i think they ought to push that envelope a little higher to maybe a 60-knot wind. these are enormous rigs, the development dw development rigs, three and two. they re a football field wide by a football field wide, 50,000-ton vessels. they re very stable and waves and winds, they re designed to withstand 100-knot winds and 40, 50, even 60-foot seas so they need to stay drilling as long as is safely possible. if they have to disconnect from the drill string, which is a fixed structure, we understand that, but they shouldn t move off to florida, spend a week getting back on site. if they miss a week of drilling the relief wells, that s equivalent to another exxon valdez or two going into the gulf of mexico. so they need to stay there. 40 knots of wind is a good day in alaska fishermen s life so these huge rigs ought to be able to take it. did the relief wells, this backup plan we re hearing about, if they fail it s to collect oil
off the site threshold. but i think they ought to push that envelope a little higher to maybe a 60-knot wind. these are enormous rigs, three and two. they re a football field wide by a football field wide, 50,000-ton vessels. they re very stable and waves and winds, they re designed to withstand 100-knot winds and 40, 50, even 60-foot seas so they need to stay drilling as long as is safely possible. if they have to disconnect from the drill string, which is a fixed structure, we understand that, but they shouldn t move off to florida, spend a week getting back on site. if they miss a week of drilling the relief wells, that s equivalent to another exxon valdez or two going into the gulf of mexico. so they need to stay there. 40 knots of wind is a good day in alaska fishermen s life so these huge rigs ought to be able to take it. did the relief wells, this backup plan we re hearing about, if they fail it s to collect oil at the current wellhead through various systems and then direct