Well, that was fast. Barely 10 minutes into Thursday's landmark congressional testimony — where BP CEO Tony Hayward and other leading company executives are revisiting the Gulf Coast oil spill before a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — the first controversial statement has entered the record.
[The latest coverage of the hearings, updated continuously throughout the day, is available from the Associated Press and from Reuters.]
And no, it didn't come from the gaffe-prone BP brass. Instead, GOP Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the ranking member on the House Energy Committee, made a decisive splash in his opening remarks (from which Republican leaders immediately began distancing themselves). A staunch conservative who has a long record of backing oil industry interests, Barton apologized to BP CEO Tony Hayward for the "shakedown" the Obama White House pulled on the company. (Barton has received more than $1.5 million in campaign donations from the oil industry, according to Open Secrets, a nonpartisan watchdog group.) You can watch the video here — the apology begins at the 1:45 mark:
Rep. Barton apologizes to BP for Obama 'shakedown' - Yahoo! News
I wonder what he thinks of car accidents. It must be a "shake down" when somebody hits your car accidentally or otherwise and you expect them to pay for the damages.
Unbelievable. I thought conservatives believed in personal responsibility?
How can anyone defend BP?
Conservatives DO believe in personal responsibility. Your mistake was assuming that today's Republicans are Conservative. Most of them are not.
That's fair enough coming from a self-identified conservative. Thanks!
Unbelievable. I thought conservatives believed in personal responsibility?
How can anyone defend BP?
Hahah :lamo
I don't understand how anyone can call for BP's execs to go to jail, then turn around and defend Obama's response to the spill.
I have a hard time believing some of the stories I hear about DWI's sometimes. My brother got one when he was 21, about 6 years ago. He spent a night in jail and about a thousand dollars in fines, court costs, pee tests etc. and was on probation for 6 months.Joe Barton ought to apologize to me for the State of Texas. I was convicted of DWI almost a year ago, and it cost me about $18,000.00. Never mind that I was a menace on the road, and deserved what I got. I am glad to see someone who is willing to stick up for those who refuse to hold themselves responsible. At this time, I choose not to be responsible for my DWI conviction, and am waiting for the right honorable Joe Barton to apologize to me for the State of Texas shaking me down. Barton is really a good guy, now that he is on the side of the criminally negligent. It's about time someone spoke up for all of them. They have been so poorly represented by our government. LOL. :mrgreen:
Yeah, how dare BP be made to set aside money for the inevitable and massive civil suit that will be filed against them? Massive international oil companies shouldn't have to pay for the damage they've done to people!
I wonder what he thinks of car accidents. It must be a "shake down" when somebody hits your car accidentally or otherwise and you expect them to pay for the damages.
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Ah, that's where my links went. Could you please send me a PM next time so that I don't think my thread went into a black hole of the internet ^_^ ?
Rep. Barton apologizes to BP for Obama 'shakedown' - Yahoo! News
I wonder what he thinks of car accidents. It must be a "shake down" when somebody hits your car accidentally or otherwise and you expect them to pay for the damages.
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