Republican Congressman Apologizes to BP: He Is Ashamed of the Way BP Has Been treated

SirJosephPorter

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Nov 7, 2008
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Republican Congressman from Texas, Barton has apologized to BP for the shabby way Obama has treated BP. Apparently according to Barton, Obama was out of order when he made BP set up the trust fund of 20 billion $. He describes it as a 20 billion $ shakedown.

He thinks this sets up a bad precedent for the future, when it comes to disasters caused by other corporations.

His remarks were universally condemned. Barton is from Texas, and he represents the interests of the oil industry. He thinks BP has been unfairly treated.

One cannot help but wonder, if American people become dissatisfied with Democrats, are they really going to let clowns like him assume power? One has to wonder how much BP would have done, how much Republicans would have made BP do, if they were in power. Considering the comments by the Texas Congressman (who apparently is very influential in Republican circles), it is highly unlikely that a Republican president would have made BP set up the trust fund.

In politics, as in war, it is important to figure out who is more dangerous. USA made such a mistake in Afghanistan. In order to defeat Communism, they supported Islamic Fundamentalists (precursor of Taliban), not realizing that Isamists are the more dangerous adversaries of the two. USA will be paying dearly for that mistake at least for decades to come.

One can only hope that Americans think long and hard before they put people like Barton into power again.

BP 'shakedown' claim is a sad joke - CNN.com
 

SirJosephPorter

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I heard that several Republicans have demanded that he retract his stupid comments as they are viewed as highly risky to Republican interests.

I understand he was threatened with losing his influential position on the committee. But he apologized simply because the Republican hierarchy leaned on him. Left to him, it is highly unlikely that he would have apologized, he expressed the way he really feels (that government should get out of the way, and let BP fix the mess as best as it can).

And he is not the only one to express such sentiments. Rand Paul, the Tea Party (and Republican) candidate in Kentucky, has expressed exactly the same views, that government should not lean on BP, but leave BP alone to fix the mess the best they know how.
 

ironsides

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Feb 13, 2009
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Republican Congressman from Texas, Barton has apologized to BP for the shabby way Obama has treated BP. Apparently according to Barton, Obama was out of order when he made BP set up the trust fund of 20 billion $. He describes it as a 20 billion $ shakedown.

He thinks this sets up a bad precedent for the future, when it comes to disasters caused by other corporations.

His remarks were universally condemned. Barton is from Texas, and he represents the interests of the oil industry. He thinks BP has been unfairly treated.

One cannot help but wonder, if American people become dissatisfied with Democrats, are they really going to let clowns like him assume power? One has to wonder how much BP would have done, how much Republicans would have made BP do, if they were in power. Considering the comments by the Texas Congressman (who apparently is very influential in Republican circles), it is highly unlikely that a Republican president would have made BP set up the trust fund.

In politics, as in war, it is important to figure out who is more dangerous. USA made such a mistake in Afghanistan. In order to defeat Communism, they supported Islamic Fundamentalists (precursor of Taliban), not realizing that Isamists are the more dangerous adversaries of the two. USA will be paying dearly for that mistake at least for decades to come.

One can only hope that Americans think long and hard before they put people like Barton into power again.

BP 'shakedown' claim is a sad joke - CNN.com
Wrong time for anyone to make a comment like that.
 

TenPenny

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Jun 9, 2004
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Republican Congressman from Texas, Barton has apologized to BP for the shabby way Obama has treated BP. Apparently according to Barton, Obama was out of order when he made BP set up the trust fund of 20 billion $. He describes it as a 20 billion $ shakedown.

Must pose quite a headshake for a BP shareholder.
 

Johnny Utah

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Mar 11, 2006
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The average employees of BP have been treated like **** by the Left and MSM as for the powers that be who turned this into one giant Cluster Frak, they should be held accountable because there's more to what they and when they knew it..
 

wulfie68

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Mar 29, 2009
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Stupid comments but it does lead me to wonder where in Texas his constituency is: if his district is home to one or more major BP facilities, he may have felt he was pandering to his electorate...

Kinda funny how the GOP stepped on him so fast and had him retracting his comments a couple hours later.
 

JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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I'd like to see him tarred (with BP oil of course) and feathered, then sent packing. If ever there was a reason to remove a duly elected official from office is now.

In any disaster there are always those who make stupid comments. Unless you know all the facts (and 99.9999'% of the populace don't) it's best just not to comment, especially apportioning blame. :smile:
 

EagleSmack

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Feb 16, 2005
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The guy was a moron for making these comments and the left jumped on it pretty quick.

Anything to divert attention from the disaster they are overseeing.
 

SirJosephPorter

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Nov 7, 2008
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Stupid comments but it does lead me to wonder where in Texas his constituency is: if his district is home to one or more major BP facilities, he may have felt he was pandering to his electorate...

Kinda funny how the GOP stepped on him so fast and had him retracting his comments a couple hours later.

The article did mention that he represents oil industry, so I assume there must be many oil refineries in his district (providing employment to many of his voters).

The guy was a moron for making these comments and the left jumped on it pretty quick.

Anything to divert attention from the disaster they are overseeing.

He is not a fringe figure, like Rand Paul. When Paul made such a statement, it only reflected on him, on no one else. Barton apparently holds an influential position in the Republican Party.

Perhaps that is why when Paul said it, Republican Party machinery pretty much ignored him, but they cracked down hard on Barton.
 

SirJosephPorter

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Vote candidate and party affiliation becomes a non-issue.

I think that is what many voters do in USA. That is why you have the incongruous sight of John Murtha (Democrat) winning his Pennsylvania House seat by double digits in 2008 election, and Obama losing the same district to McCain (in 2008 ).
 

Tonington

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Oct 27, 2006
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The article did mention that he represents oil industry, so I assume there must be many oil refineries in his district (providing employment to many of his voters).

Of all the Representatives in the House, Barton receives the most from oil and gas interests.

Oil & Gas: Money to Congress | OpenSecrets

Which hat was Barton wearing when he made that comment...not too hard to figure that one out.

Come to think of it, the top donor to Barton is a BP partner in the Deepwater Horizon project:
FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Top Corporate Donor to Barton Is Partner of BP on Deepwater Horizon

 

Risus

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May 24, 2006
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Republican Congressman from Texas, Barton has apologized to BP for the shabby way Obama has treated BP. Apparently according to Barton, Obama was out of order when he made BP set up the trust fund of 20 billion $. He describes it as a 20 billion $ shakedown.

He thinks this sets up a bad precedent for the future, when it comes to disasters caused by other corporations.

His remarks were universally condemned. Barton is from Texas, and he represents the interests of the oil industry. He thinks BP has been unfairly treated.

One cannot help but wonder, if American people become dissatisfied with Democrats, are they really going to let clowns like him assume power? One has to wonder how much BP would have done, how much Republicans would have made BP do, if they were in power. Considering the comments by the Texas Congressman (who apparently is very influential in Republican circles), it is highly unlikely that a Republican president would have made BP set up the trust fund.

In politics, as in war, it is important to figure out who is more dangerous. USA made such a mistake in Afghanistan. In order to defeat Communism, they supported Islamic Fundamentalists (precursor of Taliban), not realizing that Isamists are the more dangerous adversaries of the two. USA will be paying dearly for that mistake at least for decades to come.

One can only hope that Americans think long and hard before they put people like Barton into power again.

BP 'shakedown' claim is a sad joke - CNN.com

Another thread about the oil spill fiasco in the Gulf???

Anyway Barton later retracted the apology.