GOP Rep. Barton Apologizes to BP

[Political Junky]

Another Corporatist Republican steps in it.

GOP Rep. Barton: 'I Apologize' To BP For 'Tragedy' Of Obama Admin's '$20 Billion Shakedown' (VIDEO) | TPMDC

GOP Rep. Barton: 'I Apologize' To BP For 'Tragedy' Of Obama Admin's '$20 Billion Shakedown' (VIDEO)
Eric Kleefeld | June 17, 2010, 10:47AM

In the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing today on the BP oil spill, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) said something very remarkable: Amidst a committee slamming BP all around, he apologized to the company for the $20 billion escrow account that the Obama administration asked them to create for paying out damages in the case.

"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, in this case a $20 billion shakedown," Barton said.
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"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
Benito Mussolini

 

[WillowTree]

He's right. It was a shakedown. Once again obie wan has circumvented the law. US law states BP's liability is no greater than 75 million dollars.

 

[Mr Natural]

What an asshole!

 

[sangha]

He's right. It was a shakedown. Once again obie wan has circumvented the law. US law states BP's liability is no greater than 75 million dollars.

So sue Obama. GO ahead. I dare you

And I dare your conservative fakers in Congress, who I bet are too chickenshit to do anything but whine

 

[Political Junky]

He's right. It was a shakedown. Once again obie wan has circumvented the law. US law states BP's liability is no greater than 75 million dollars.

I wonder is Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida will vote republican in 2010 and 2012.

 

[WillowTree]

we'll see won't we?

 

[Charles_Main]

If I were him I would not have directed the apology at BP, I would have apologized to the American people on Obama's Behalf. For Obama once again acting like he is a king not a president, and can Order anyone to cough up 20 billion dollars with out first having them found liable in a court of law.

Don't get me wrong I want BP to pay, but I also want a president who respects the Law and constitution, and is not constantly abusing his power, and basically behaving like a bully.

 

[Ravi]

What a fucktard.

I thought BP did that out of the goodness of their heart, btw. Obama has no power to make them do it.

 

[Charles_Main]

He's right. It was a shakedown. Once again obie wan has circumvented the law. US law states BP's liability is no greater than 75 million dollars.

I wonder is Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida will vote republican in 2010 and 2012.

Hmm well it was the Obama admin that gave the deep water horizon a safety award, and it was the Obama admin that has dropped the ball on the reaction to the spill. It was Liberals and Democrats who have forced companies like BP to drill in 5000 feet of water instead of 500 and then tried to tell us all it because were running out of oil, when in fact it is because the government will not permit them to drill shallower. It was obama who reacted by shutting down deep water drilling in the gulf and putting 10's of thousands in the area out of work. It was Obama who didn't answer calls for weeks and failed to even Meet BP for 8 weeks.

You really think these deep south states are going to vote Democrat over this?

You people really do live in a dream word.

 

[WillowTree]

"I do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong is subject to some sort of political pressure," the 13-term congressman said. "That…amounts to a shakedown. So I apologize."





Demonize Demonize Demonize.. the good congressman see it as does the rest of the world, demonize and destroy. that's obie wan's ticket.

 

[sangha]

I love the way the wingnuts can't figure out if Obama didn't make them do it(ex BP said they would do it, and now they did it) or if he did make them do it (ex He's a dictator who's ignoring the constitution!)

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Everyone sees that this is a shakedown, even the environmental attorneys think the Democrats and Obama are overreaching.

Even environmental attorney David Pettit of the Natural Resources Defense Council says BP might have a hard time agreeing to the terms spelled out by Senate Democrats.
Mr. DAVID PETTIT (Environmental Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council): We'd like you escrow $20 billion, with a B, and we'll take over claims processing. So we'll write the checks, and it'll be your money that backs them up, and you're out of the loop. You know, if I were BP, I'd have some problems with that.

White House Wants Assurances BP Can Cover Claims : NPR

More power to him for calling it like it is.

 

[Charles_Main]

What a fucktard.

I thought BP did that out of the goodness of their heart, btw. Obama has no power to make them do it.

You are right he has no legal power to make them, though he seems to think he does, But he does have the power of the bully pulpit. BP agreed to this under duress at best. Why can we not go the normal route of a Civil trail and find them liable and make them pay. Why must Obama act like he is some kind of King who can order people around.

That is the word he used you know. "I have Ordered BP to set up a fund" those are his words.

 

[Charles_Main]

I love the way the wingnuts can't figure out if Obama didn't make them do it(ex BP said they would do it, and now they did it) or if he did make them do it (ex He's a dictator who's ignoring the constitution!)

No one said he was a dictator, I said he acts like one. Or did you not see him stand up there and claim credit for "ordering BP" to set up that fund. Of course we know he has no legal power to make them. It simply the fact that he acts like he does that bothers me. That and he clearly wants the average person in America to credit him with getting that money.

 

[jillian]

oops... maybe this is why barton sounds the way he does:

6.17.2010
Top Corporate Donor to Barton Is Partner of BP on Deepwater Horizon
by Nate Silver @ 2:26 PM

Ordinarily, it's not that shocking to see a Republican from Texas defend the petroleum industry. But Rep. Joe Barton's comments to BP CEO Tony Hayward today, in which he described it as a "tragedy" that a "a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown", has obviously touched something of a raw nerve, with Republicans already seeking to distance themselves from the comment while Democrats look for ways to exploit it.

Making matters worse for Barton is the identity of the top contributor to his election campaigns. Since 1989, it has been the company Anadarko Petroleum, from which he's received $56,500 in PAC donations and another $90,000 in individual contributions.

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Top Corporate Donor to Barton Is Partner of BP on Deepwater Horizon

i love nate silver.

 

[B. Kidd]

Energy Commision hearing just a dog 'n pony show. Where the hell were these political posers', from both sides of the aisle, when the MMS had been whoring around for the last 15 years?
No one guards the supposed guardians.

 

[Ravi]

He's right. It was a shakedown. Once again obie wan has circumvented the law. US law states BP's liability is no greater than 75 million dollars.

I wonder is Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida will vote republican in 2010 and 2012.

Hmm well it was the Obama admin that gave the deep water horizon a safety award, and it was the Obama admin that has dropped the ball on the reaction to the spill. It was Liberals and Democrats who have forced companies like BP to drill in 5000 feet of water instead of 500 and then tried to tell us all it because were running out of oil, when in fact it is because the government will not permit them to drill shallower. It was obama who reacted by shutting down deep water drilling in the gulf and putting 10's of thousands in the area out of work. It was Obama who didn't answer calls for weeks and failed to even Meet BP for 8 weeks.

You really think these deep south states are going to vote Democrat over this?

You people really do live in a dream word.

Liar.

 

[jillian]

Liar.

you know, he's not the first person i saw lie about that. someone actually posted an article with that heading and there wasn't anything about an award i there.

do they really think no one factchecks them?

 

[Charles_Main]

Liar.

you know, he's not the first person i saw lie about that. someone actually posted an article with that heading and there wasn't anything about an award i there.

do they really think no one factchecks them?

Yeah i'm the liar.

You people would not know truth if it bit you on the ass

MMS Thought Deepwater Horizon was Award-Winningly SAFE - The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) Blog

the MMS is part of the Federal Government of Which Obama is the head in case you had not noticed.

Why is the MMS not present at the hearings with BP going on right now on Capitol hill?

Better yet why am I arguing with a bunch of Liberal dimwitts who would excuse anything Obama did and try and tell us how it was bushes fault.

You people are pathetic excuses for human beings.

 

[sangha]

Liar.

you know, he's not the first person i saw lie about that. someone actually posted an article with that heading and there wasn't anything about an award i there.

do they really think no one factchecks them?

It's not that they think no one will fact check them; It's that they have no idea what fact checking is.

If they did, do you think they'd say such stupid things