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Joe Barton, GOP in Hot Seat as Democrats Attack Apology to BP
"I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday," Barton said to Hayward as the hearing began. "I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private company would be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown, in this case a $20 billion shakedown."
Although the Texas lawmaker immediately added that he had no doubt that BP is responsible for all of the damages, it was too late to undo the damage he had caused himself and his party.
Moments after Barton's statement, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that members of both parties should "repudiate" his comments. "Congressman Barton may think that a fund to compensate these Americans is a 'tragedy,' but most Americans know that the real tragedy is what the men and women of the Gulf Coast are going through right now," Gibbs said.Unfortunately for the congressman, the Democrats were just getting started.
Vice President Joe Biden called Barton's remarks "disgraceful," the Democratic National Committee sent urgent alerts to members of the media who may have missed Barton's statement, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used her weekly press conference to highlight it.
"While people in the Gulf are suffering as a result of the actions of BP, Republican are apologizing to BP," Pelosi said.
She later laughed out loud when asked by a reporter if Barton's apology was a turning point for the Republican Party's support for big business. "A turning point?" she laughed. "They've always been with big business."
By late afternoon, even Barton's own Republican colleagues threw him overboard, as Reps. John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence took the rare step of releasing a joint Republican leadership statement to condemn Barton's apology to BP.
"Congressman Barton's statements this morning were wrong," the leaders said, before calling the White House response to the Gulf disaster "unacceptable."
After the all-day assault, Barton stepped forward and issued a partial apology for his apology, saying his comments at the hearing were misconstrued, and, "I apologize for that misconstruction."
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The comment by barton shows how corrupt the gop has become.Their only concern is for big business.I heard Barton recieved 1.4 million from big oil.Is any wonder this country is going down the tubes, if we dont get corporate money out of politics we are doomed as a country. GOP stands for gas oil petrollium.
July 01 2010 at 9:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyRepublicans need to apologize.. GO APOLOgIZE TO BP!! They are so ridiculous.. This guy Barton is a ranking member, he doesn't speak off the cuff. This wasn't a "misconstruction", its a talking point meeting reality.
June 22 2010 at 12:17 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Replybadly stated but technicaly correct.
June 21 2010 at 3:51 PM Report abuse Permalink -3 rate up rate down Replymillions of Gulf residents are being destroyed, financially, socially, and emotionally. To ensure they are compensated for their HUGH loss is a GOOD thing.
Barton should apologize to every person hurt by this, which in the end may be all Americans , maybe all of humanity, and the planet , and the wildlife. In reality 20 billion is no where near enough to make everyone and the planet whole, back to the same point prior to the spill.
Republicans have shown their true colors.
Yes they have time and time and time again. We have the right man on the job and its Obama. I shudder to think of how this would be handled if the alternative was in office. Now thats really scary.
June 21 2010 at 2:27 PM Report abuse Permalink +7 rate up rate down Replyan apology for an apology? thats classic.
June 20 2010 at 6:26 PM Report abuse Permalink -4 rate up rate down ReplyIt's naive for the democrats to say the republicans are too close to big oil. They both are!! It was clear in the 60s & 70s that oil alternatives were needed and neither party did anything to support finding them because they all get huge contributions from big oil. The Supreme Court is also in their pocket.
Where were the democrats when the people of Cordova, AK received a royal shafting from the Supreme Court last June when the Court took away 90% of the original punitive damages of $5 billion, knocking it down to only $500 million. Twenty years after the catastrophe and only 30% of the fishermen are able to make a semblance of a living and the area and woldlife are far from "recovered."
In the end $20 billion won't be enough for the Gulf states. That said, I'm just waiting to see who will come along and let BP off the hook the way Exxon was. I'm sure someone will.
To Rep. Joe Barton: I totally agreed with your first statement. Sorry that you took the pressure and withdrew your statement.
June 19 2010 at 10:24 PM Report abuse Permalink -3 rate up rate down Replycome on now people...a texas republican...barton is for big oil...not the (small) people....its TEXAS the lone star state...very alone..
June 19 2010 at 1:05 PM Report abuse Permalink +6 rate up rate down ReplyI agree with Joe... and I'm sorry for that.
I'm sorry it took such a disaster and loss of lives to bring to light the Federal Governments part of inaction and lack of oversight when it came to the proper inspections by the Federal inspectors.
I'm really upset with the leftist media more focus was not brought to light of misbehavior by Federal agencies responsible for the overseeing safety and construction properly which also led to this catastrophy.
Is any home up there???
If Obama stopped the drilling for now for everyones safety then why didn't he stop all colemines also???? Remember people died.... thats right it colemines don't have that much money to suck dry from the owners.
June 18 2010 at 6:05 PM Report abuse Permalink -6 rate up rate down Reply
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