(NEWS.GNOM.ES) — As oil recovery from BP’s ruptured Gulf of Mexico well temporarily was reduced after equipment malfunctioned, one Louisiana official tried out a new device of his own on Saturday: a reversible drum vac that he ordered online for $400.

Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser was out on Terrebone Bay at the break of dawn with his new industrial strength, compressed air-powered vac.

Within 15 minutes, he said his crews had collected 55 gallons of oil and Nungesser — vocally frustrated by the response from BP and the federal government — was thinking about whipping out his credit card to pay for more pumps from an online site.

Out in the Gulf, BP suspended collecting oil on the Discoverer Enterprise at about 8:30 p.m. Friday after a venting device aboard the drilling ship stopped working properly, said Ayla Kelley, spokesperson for the Deepwater Horizon command center. Other recovery efforts continued, she said.

She said the problem was with a blocked flame arrester, designed to prevent oil from combusting. Collection on the Discoverer Enterprise resumed Saturday morning after a subsequent delay caused by a lightning storm.

BP said it was able to capture roughly 24,500 barrels — just over 1 million gallons — of oil Friday, a little less than it captured the day before.

Meanwhile, Tony Hayward, the beleaguered company’s equally beleaguered chief executive officer, was also on the water Saturday — but not anywhere near the Gulf.

After being lambasted in Congress on Thursday, Hayward was spending the weekend with his family in Britain’s Isle of Wight, said company spokesman Robert Wine.

On Saturday — Day 61 of the oil disaster — Hayward was watching his yacht, a Farr 52 named Bob, compete at the tony J.P. Morgan Assessment Management Round the Island Race — an act likely to spark more public outrage for the company and its chief.

“That’s so typical. Judging from the comments he’s made all along, did you expect anything different?” Nungesser said.

Nungesser said he didn’t buy one word of Hayward’s testimony before a key House subcommittee, his first appearance on the Hill since April 20, when an the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and triggered the massive oil spill.

Lawmakers wanted to know if BP had cut corners in an effort to save money in the run-up to the explosion, focusing on the well’s design and measures taken while BP was attempting to seal it before it exploded.

Hayward repeatedly answered that he wasn’t involved in those decisions or did not recall.

The seven-hour-plus hearing came a day after Hayward and other top BP officials met with President Obama’s disaster team in the White House and announced a $20 billion escrow fund to help compensate victims.

After the session, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said his company cares about the “small people” impacted by the oil. He later apologized for the remark but it was a continuation of public relations gaffes for the oil company that began with Hayward saying the spill would be “modest” and that he wanted his life back.

“We need to take decision-making away from BP,” Nungesser said. “We need to do everything we can to fight this disaster.”

As much as 60,000 barrels a day may be gushing into the Gulf, new estimates found this week, and many Americans reached out to do what they could to help.

One of them was comedian Stephen Colbert, host of “The Colbert Report,” who along with Bing.com started a charitable fund with a donation of $100,000. The Colbert Nation Gulf of America Fund will be used to help people and wildlife affected by oil.

NEWS.GNOM.ES’s Dave Alsup contributed to this report.

We’ll get started here at any moment.

UPDATE: Well, that was underwhelming to say the least. In fact, Obama basically said nothing. You can read the liveblog below, but here’s a link to Obama’s remarks as prepared. (I’ve livebogging GIbbs’ questions below, too.) UPDATE again: I’m done liveblogging Gibbs. That was awful.

Basically, Obama offered no specifics on how to bring some life to the recovery effort, used BP’s unfounded statistics to promise about the cleanup, and again offered no specifics for what he will do to help the people of the Gulf. There’s a whole lot of pretty sentiments and references to maritime tradition, but nothing about what the administration will do differently. There wasn’t even a specified number for BP’s escrow account, just “whatever amount is required.” How’s that supposed to work?

This was a blown opportunity on so many levels.

8:00 – When the Deepwater Horizon exploded, “nearly a mile before the floor of the ocean, oil started” to leak. there’s never been a leak of this size, at this depth.

8:04 We’ve directed BP to pursue now technology. We should capture 90% of oil spewing in weeks.

8:05 Oil is more like epidemic that we’ll be fighting for years. We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long as it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. We will do whatever necessary to hep Gulf recover.

“I’d like to lay out our Battle Plan.” More than 30,000 people deployed, thousands of boats.

five and a half million feet of boom, new barrier islands. “We will offer any additional resources to our coastal states that they need.” [Will BP pay?]

“From day one, the federal government has been in charge of the largest environmental clean up effort.”

Second thing to focus on after cleanup is recovery of the people of the Gulf Coast. Mentions fishermen who “made their living from the water…that living is now in jeopardy.”

Sadness is not just about money they lost, but “a wrenching anxiety that their way of life will be lost.” Says BP Chairman will set aside “whatever amount is required.” Says “an independent third party” will run the fund.

“BP will pay for the impact on the region.”

Third part of plan is to make sure this never happens again. “We need to know why.” National Commission for safety and environmental standards in offshore drilling.

MMS is example of what’s wrong with government. Regulators too close to industry.

When Ken Salazar went to Interior, goal was to clean up corruption. But problem is much deeper.

New MMS leader will make the agency “the industry’s watchdog”

Says faith sustain the Gulf region. Mention shrimping tradition for “Safety of the fleet” for people going off to sea. One happened after Katrina, another happened a few weeks ago. “They came, and they prayed.”

What has seen us through is “our strength and resileance.” “We pray for that courage, for the people of the Gulf,” and the hand that leads us out to sea.

Thanks folks! This was my first liveblog so I was a little rusty, but hope it was OK if you couldn’t watch.

GIBBS questions

Sarah in NE: Will there will be required shutoff switches like in other countries?

Gibbs: Setting up National Commission for reviewing offshore drilling. They’ll decide if that’s required.

Anothy in Toronto: Why has govt allowed BP to restrict media access?

Gibbs: I don’t know specifics of “that incident” you’re talking about. But Thad Allen just reiterated saying all sites should have media access. Obviously some safety zones. “Oil is exceedingly toxic and hazardous substance.” Coast Guard embedded 600 reporters for overflights, other tours. “This president takes media access very seriously. We’re not leaving this up to BP.”

Monica in CA: Why not more supertankers?

Gibbs: Coast Guard looked into it. I don’t know specifics of Saudia Arabia incident, but each environment is different. True in Valdez, true for Gulf. CG looked at different methods. We’ve skimmed, burned, absorbed millions of gallons of oil. Thousands of vessels, a lot who are shrimpers and fishermen, have been hired to skim oil away from beaches.

Joe: Comission formed in 1990 after Valdez received millions of dollas. Where did it go?

Gibbs: Don’t know about it, but President says we need more done around permitting. We need better response plan. MMS was bad, President is committed to breaking link between regulators and industry.

Ren in CO: Why turning down help from countries and specialists?

Gibbs: we have accepted help,using products from Denmark and other countries. Thad Allen said he would wave law preventing foreign vessels from helping if they’re needed to help with recovery. [Me: I should hope so...] We’ll take advantage of help from people all over the world.

John in Grand Isle, LA [video]: We’re seeing true impact of oil. Seeing dead birds, hurting communities. Can we count on President to tell America the truth? Way to stop this from happening is stop relying on fossil fuels, go to clean energy future.

Gibbs: Been to Grand Isle a lot, talking to fishermen. Mayor used his own credit card to help fishermen. Fishermen hurting and losing “due to BP’s response to the oil spill.” [I thought fed govt was in charge from day one?] President believes in clean energy. President does not want to be another president talking about clean energy and not getting it. Just unveiled fuel standards for heavy duty work trucks. Congress needs to work with President to take bold steps to stop relying on fossil fuels and foreign energy.

Someone in LA: “Do you have any idea what its like for 12 year old son to pick up oiled fish on oiled beach and ask what’s this?

Gibbs: I greww up in AL, know the beaches. My son asked me how we’re going to plug that whole. Told him it’d be long and hard, he’d be older before Gulf is restored. More on clean energy….

Bill? in NJ: Will we inspect more rigs so we don’t see this disaster again?

Gibbs: Salazar and Obama issued order for inspections as soon as this happened. Commission will decide what should happen for future.

Jim in FL (video): ouch, nasty feedback. Summation: what are we waiting for for putting people to work to have clean energy?

Gibbs: Like Apollo Project. JFK didn’t know how we were going to do it, but he knew American people would have a way. Manufacturing plants opening up, to produce wind turbines or electric car batteries. Tremendous opportunnity to create jobs to build turbines, solar panels.

Whit in DC: Why give handouts to oil companies?

Gibbs: Have to end subsidies for fossil fuels and oil companies. need to hold BP accountable. make investment in renewable energy.

Rob in FL: Since BP is incapable of dealing, will authorities revoke BP’s license to drill?

Gibbs: We stopped rigs from drilling until we know its safe. We can’t take BP’s word that they have safety procedures. [??? So why trut them for cleanup?] President paused permits for drilling. Take a look at safety procedures.

Question: how long wi`ll it tAke to recover?

Gibbs: We’ll assess impact on environment, send BP a bill. We’ll turn it around to restore Gulf.

END

Good lord, that was worse than the speech! I’m spent.