Rep. Yusuf Hussein ("Joe Barton") Barton (R-Tex) Apologizes to BP on America's behalf

I would have no problem slapping Joe Barton and slamming his face into an oily shoreline repeatedly.

Really, I'm daily becoming more and more convinced that the only way to really change the systems created by people who are this far out of touch is violence.

 

Now hold on there quick-draw, violence is definitely not the answer here.

 

Couldn't agree more. The Thadeus obviously needs to get laid. He must be suffering from D.S.B.!!

 

Why do you keep referring to the guy as a Middle Easterner?

 

its obviously in reference to OddsOn post, it would have been funnier if he just wrote Barton's middle name

 

At some point it's going to be the only answer we have left if we don't get rid of politicians who slavishly suck the corporate **** out of our government.

 

I am pretty damn confident that the "we" you are referrring to will never be pushed to that limit no matter how bleak it looks in this country.

 

I'm pretty confident that people are already dangerously close to that point.

 

I had John Culberson in my "first Texas Congressman to kiss BP's ass" pool.

Damn.

 

Turns out he was forced to do it or lose his committee spot...

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/17/republican-given-ultimatum/?fbid=x5NlbWpUUto

 

What an idiot.

 

Pretty funny:
http://joebartonwouldliketoapologize.com/

 

I was perusing the Houston Chronicle and thought to myself that surely, at last, even Republicans can't accept such an obvious intentional defense of BP, and even worse, this absurd "explanation."

WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Joe Barton, of Ennis, ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill Thursday when he apologized to BP's CEO for what he called a White House "shakedown" that led to the creation of a $20 billion fund for compensating some victims of the Gulf oil spill.

The comments drew immediate criticism from Democrats, and embarrassed Republicans worried about being portrayed as sympathizing with BP and Big Oil during an election year.

"I do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong, (they are) subject to some sort of political pressure that … amounts to a shakedown," Barton told BP CEO Tony Hayward. "So I apologize."

Although Barton later backed away from his remarks, the political damage was done. Within minutes, congressional aides were e-mailing transcripts of the apology, cable networks were streaming snippets and Democratic operatives were developing fund-raising pitches highlighting Barton's comments.

Vice President Joe Biden — himself no stranger to gaffes — said the remarks were "incredibly insensitive, incredibly out of touch."

Republicans also quickly distanced themselves from Barton's apology. "I don't feel apologies are in order," said Barton's fellow North Texan, Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville.

In the opening minutes of a highly charged Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the oil spill, Barton — the committee's top Republican — told Hayward he was "ashamed" that the White House had insisted that company executives set aside $20 billion to compensate people who lose work and wages because of the crude gushing from a ruptured BP well.

BP executives agreed to create the escrow account during a meeting Wednesday with President Barack Obama and administration officials.

"I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown," Barton said.

A few hours later, Barton apologized but suggested he'd been misunderstood.

"I think BP is responsible for this accident, should be held responsible, and should, in every way, do everything possible to make good on the consequences that have resulted from this accident," Barton said. "And if anything I said this morning has been misconstrued to the opposite effect, I want to apologize for that misconstruction."


A "miscontrued to the opposite effect" "misconstruction?" Oh, really? If this clown doesn't get booted from his leadership position in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is conducting hearings into the disaster, I may have to do cartwheels. When I think of the political ramifications for the Republican Party in the Fall elections from the DNC simply putting Barton in ads saying his own words, I feel such a surge of joy. We may not lose as many seats in the House as I've been thinking we might lose. Hurray!

 

Someone need to stick a long fork in that flipflopping fish!
This is absolutely ridiculous.

Rocket River

 

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I don't have a problem with him apologizing, but he took it a little too far with his comments...hell, he's from Ennis, what do you expect...Granted,I don't agree with the $20B escrow fund, but more from a governmental overstepping their authority standpoint, but is it a shakedown? probably not

To be clear BP should pay and will, but to me it's just Obama reacting to what the polls say and since people don't appear to like what he's done, he over compensates to have a good image...

BP has forever ruined the Gulf and it sux to now have this type of disaster i our lifetime, but BP wasn't alone,there were others involved, its just BP has the deep pockets...My main concern is with this type of governmental action, it sets a benchmark to how things will be done in Washington...This could severly affect other companies, especially BP's future ability to pay for the clean-up, which worries me more...

 

So, in the financial world we have too big to fail and in the oil business we have too big to be held accountable?

Their safety record was abysmal. It was a conscious corporate culture that created this mess. If they go bankrupt it is their own doing... and if they do, at least we have a few billion to help us pay for the rest of it.

(Oh, and by the way, BP is already sending out invoices for partner's share of the response costs.)

 

It really speaks to the character of this gentleman for him to produce such a heartfelt, endearing apology in the midst of a national tragedy.

 

Who are these OTHERS you speak of?

Rocket River