Obama's muscling of BP raises rule-of-law concern

President Barack Obama's political standing has unfairly suffered as a result of the Gulf oil spill. So, it is understandable that he should want to be seen as getting tough with BP.

Nevertheless, there is something deeply disturbing about the way he has strong-armed BP into setting up a $20 billion escrow account to pay spill-related claims and, in particular, relinquishing its rights under American tort law.