BP executives not only lead a company whose wanton disregard of caution led to April 20′s Gulf of Mexico oil spill — the worst environmental disaster in America’s history — but also betray an acute case of foot-in-mouth disease.

In May, while millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf, BP CEO Tony Hayward told a British newspaper that he expected Americans’ claims for oil spill damages via lawsuits to be “illegitimate.”

“This is America –  come on,” Hayward said. “We’re going to have lots of illegitimate claims. We all know that.”

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President Obama’s fact-finding visits to Alabama, Mississippi and Florida Monday underscore at least one thing: the BP oil spill disaster off the coast of Louisiana isn’t impacting just that state, but also the entire Gulf of Mexico region, including Texas. And that region is being devastated with battered businesses.

Obama also plans to address the nation about the crisis Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the White House is pressuring BP to set up an escrow account for paying off oil spill damage claims.

Such claims are likely to come from those who might otherwise make a living from shrimping, fishing and related businesses, from hotels, motels, restaurants and other tourism enterprises to gas stations, food retailers, food preparers, packers, truckers and others. Sadly, oil spill damages are making their survival difficult, if not impossible.

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The immediate toll from April’s explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon came in human life, with 11 tragic deaths among the oil platform’s crew. The ensuing toll includes catastrophic damages to nature and wildlife, and devastating damages to fishing , tourism and other businesses along the Gulf of Mexico coast of Louisiana, Texas and other states.

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