It’s one thing to hide it. We’re used to that and pretty much expect it. But there just ain’t nothin’ like the theater of a politician exposing his and his fellow pol’s corruption on live TV.
When Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, apologized to BP chief executive Tony Hayward on Thursday and accused the Obama administration of conducting a “shakedown” of the oil giant, he drew quick denunciations from members of both parties.
Barton, under pressure from fellow Republicans, retracted his remarks hours later.
But the statement, while politically indelicate, is not a far aberration from the pro-industry positions that Barton has pursued in his 25 years in Congress.
“The attitude behind the remark is not a surprise,” said Jim Schermbeck, a North Texas clean-air advocate who has long clashed with Barton. “That he actually said it out loud gives me pause about his political radar these days.”
We need to recognize BP is the real victim here. BS.
“Shakedown” conjures the image of a cowering innocent shop owner terrorized by violent thugs. Thugs? Check. Innocent victim? Yeah, right!
At 1/12 of assets BP is getting off cheap. Way too cheap.
Get a box for this gentleman so he can collect his things on the way out. You have been in D.C. to long you douche.
And Mr. Barton’s apology is different then all of the apologies that Mr. Obama has offered that set off the right?
Is it becoming clear who’s actually in charge, now? OTOH it is funny in a sick way that the Congressman is so clueless as to ‘service’ the businessman right on the TV.
Apologizing to a foreign company for a president’s actions is ridiculous. Especially when the foreign company likes the shakedown, and is supportive of said president’s policies.
BP wants the cap-and-trade bill to happen, as it benefits them.
Let me see. The president has a meeting with the BP CEO. He tells them that, if they don’t give the government 20 billion to dole out, instead of addressing the claims in court, he will push for legislation to make them do it.
Sounds like a shakedown to me. You may think this shakedown is a good thing, but its still a shakedown.
This slimebag “representative” (or do I repeat myself) uses crude oil as lubricant when he fellates oilmen. About this overpaid worm, from Wikipedia:
“During his political career, the industries that have been Barton’s largest contributors were oil and gas ($1.4 million donated)… He is ranked first among members of the House of Representatives for the most contributions received from the oil and gas industry, and number five among all members of Congress.[32] His largest corporate contributor, Anadarko Petroleum, owns a 25 percent share in the Macondo Prospect, the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”
IF we can apologize to China for our human rights violations, and apologize to the entire Muslim world for making them fly jets into buildings, then we can apologize to BP for their terrible oil spill problems.
The $20 billion was a shakedown.
But, like everything the government does, it was incompetently done. A real shakedown artist would have demanded $100 billion and settled for $50 billion.
The first rule of Oil Club is ‘You don’t talk about Oil Club.’
His view is that we allow adults to decide to risk their lives for the greater good—as in the case of members of the armed forces. He argues that if the embryos were capable of voluntarily deciding to sacrifice themselves for the good of science, some of them would; and since parents have custody of their children, they can make this choice for them.
A previous brilliant statement from Joe Barton.
Of note is the complete plasticity of human nature: we get used to anything and accept it as normal. In this case, the Congressthug has been in the barrel for Big Oil for so long he’s starting to think everyone else is too.
Was this a shakedown? Obviously=====yes. If you don’t think so, check your bias.
However: it is the express role of government to shake down Corporate Pigs for the General Welfare. Yes, there is the Court System that a few LIEbertards think is the only appropriate remedy, BUT those retards don’t realize that it is impossible to have a court system and not also have the threat of its use. LIEbertards like to live in an imaginary world of their own pick and choose. Their foes, the rest of us, live in the REAL WORLD where all the possibilities are present. This denial of reality makes all dogmatic LIEbertards rally inane and their rantings irrelevant. I counter rant because their ideas directly led to our Banking Collapse and to Congressthugs like this one. Bad Ideas are powerful things in the use of the corrupt and criminally insane.
VOTE ALL INCUMBENTS OUT OF OFFICE.
Er, isn’t that “un-American”?
You’re apologizing to a foreign nation’s company (Britain) for causing billions in damages to the United States and causing loss of life and ruining an entire industry…and you’re apologizing to THEM? Er…….excuse me?
Bobbo, I wouldn’t have much problem with the shakedown if it weren’t for the administration’s job offers, handling GM by helping out the unions at the expense of other creditors, etc. They are likely to treat this as a slush fund. The administrator seems to be OK, he is the guy that ran the TARP fund.
Mike: as this blog proves everyday with almost every thread: any idiot can disagree with action taken by anyone else. At least you make an effort to back up your “opinion” (sic!) with some rationale, but even if your rationale was related to the action taken, and not totally irrelevant arguable BS, the same fatal flaw would remain: your alternative is what?
Yes kiddies==complaining about anything without suggesting something better is purely retarded, or a shill job, or infantile, or any other ad hominem attack that really gets to you. Ha, ha.
So, my alternative? Just to be clear: post an alternative plan you would support. If you are honest with yourself, you might find your way of thinking about issues change just a bit, unless you are just a knee jerk ditto head in search of bumper sticker call outs.
So Mike, your alternative to this slush fund is what?
Always love these hitler clips. Very funny
As for the subject at hand, what does one expect from Mr. Joe when’s he’s been backed/funded with money from the oil companies
He’ll use the citizens, the town, the city to do whatever he can to shift blame. That’s a true politician for you there!
Where will this money actually end up?
I’m sorry- the bloom is well off. I’m not tempted to watch another Hitler Bunker video.
Zombies could accidentally shuffle inside an open train and end up in Liverpool, but I doubt they could drive a stick.
Um, excuse me? Is somebody claiming it wasn’t a shake down with more to come?
Obama put everybody in the oil industry in South Louisiana out of work and he is expecting BP to pay for that so for as I can tell.
And no BP needs to be made to pay for as much of the harm they did as can be paid for, only the Feds have been a major contributing factory before during and after. They turned down help from other countries including oil skimmers.
Unfortunately even if the Feds pay for that, it’s just us paying for it because those dirt bags work for us though they sure don’t act like it.
Wow, i just say wow… have there been a more insulting thing. I think i will stop reading dvorak after this..
My comment is “Comparing seabirds to millions of lives, is not even human.” (sorry PITA Fucks)
And to all aother lovers, get a life that includes studies of anything but your own penis!