Both Transocean and Halliburton were subcontractors. BP (widely and correctly referred to in reports as "London-based BP") is quite correct to seek to place blame for their failures on them. Barack Obama as a lawyer should appreciate that, and his criticisms of "a "ridiculous spectacle" of publicly trading blame over the accident" are out of place and must I think be an attempt to play to the gallery of prejudice against "foreign corporations".

I was with you right up till the point you brought in "foreign coprorations" because it's a total and complete non sequitur. It could be he's playing to the gallery of people mad about the spill, and BP being the most prominent name (and one most people know). I think that's far more likely. At any rate nothing in your explanation has anything to do with foreignness until your conclusion. Which therefore does not follow.