Washington (CNN) - Republican Rep. Joe Barton had some harsh words for the White House at a key hearing Thursday on the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster: "I am ashamed of what happened at the White House yesterday. I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation would be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown - in this case a $20 billion dollar shakedown." Barton was referring to BP's establishment - at the behest of the administration - of an escrow account to pay for claims.
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Hmmm! Who should I stand up for: BP or the gulf citizensl. BP, of course. We know now who's side you are on, Senator Barton!
Mr. Barton should be ashamed of himself for making such a ridiculous comment. Perhaps he too is in the pocket of the oil industry.
Must need money
Who does he work for, the lil guy or the corporate giant ?
Thanks God we have Republicans to stand up for the oil companies!
Mr. Barton, BP maybe a private business - but there are thousands of private businesses being destroyed by BP's negligence. How about standing up for them? They don't give you enough bribes? I mean campaign ocntributions. The $20 B fund is one year of profit for BP.
Hurray for President Obama. Boo for the GOP: Grand Oil Party
Mental Note: Voters in this guys district, do not vote for him!!! BP has destroyed millions of people's lives and the environment. Now this IDIOT is complaining that the WH is holding the company accountable? This IDIOT must be a Tea Party member or a member of the GOP.
Figures he is a big oil supporting republican. People lives have been lost and the environment and animals have been impacted for years to come. That is the least the BP can do and a smart move to actual calm public frustration and give people in the gulf hope that they will potentially have some recourse. This administration just cannot do anything right in the eyes of the RNC. This republican should use his inside voice to express his discontent.
And I am ashamed Joe Brown is a member of Congress ! This is a foreigned company guided by their balance sheet and as typical Republican response they don't want the company to be held accountable. I guess none of us should be surprised, they are the party of practiced deceit against the American people! How can they continue to be elected to office and continue to fleece America !
"I am ashamed of what happened at the White House yesterday. I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation would be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown – in this case a $20 billion dollar shakedown."
You are a cheap whore and your only redeeming feature is that you seem to stay bought.
I'm ashamed too. That the state of Texas, the republican party, and the american people in general have a schill like you in congress.
Your Republican party is who has bee "shaking down" industry abd leading to the mess we have not only with the oil spill issue, the finance issue, the banking issue, the eductaion issue, the health care issue and on and on...How dare any Republican cricitze ANYTHING that is happening today after their PATHETIC performance the last 15 years> Please, PLEASE just shut up and go away! We don't need you and we certainly do not want you!!!!
To Congressman Joe Barton, AMERICA is Ashamed of YOU.
Vote NO in NOvember to the party of NO.
I am ashamed of Joe Barton.
"I am ashamed of what happened at the White House yesterday. I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation would be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown – in this case a $20 billion dollar shakedown."
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Cool statement, dude. Ought to play real well with your base . . .
Beyond that . . . not so well. But do keep defending BP, though. I'm sure you are being well compensated.
Who cares, really, about the little people, right?
You see what's happening here: Texas sees the Alvin Greene situation and is afraid they're losing ground in the Crazy State competition. So, they send this clown out, and blow past South Carolina to take the lead.
Well played!
Hey talk about a surprise! A republican standing up for an oil company that has destroyed the Gulf region, a foreign oil company that has destroyed the Gulf region at that. Let's hear it for all these patriotic republicans who believe that the rights of a foreign oil company supersede the rights of the American people.
Maybe I'm being to harsh, he is after all, doing what the his owners pay him to do.
Always for "Big Business" and "Big Oil" ... who are still getting taxpayer subsidies!
Rand Paul believes the same thing: He says "accidents happen" and called the President "Un-American" for being "too tough on BP." Republicans would rather the American taxpayer pick up the tab? Protect the bottom line of the stockholders and the rest of us can go sweep up the oil? You break it – you fix it! Don't make up lame republican excuses for Big Business ...
Barton has joined Rand Paul and the Tea Party in their defense of the company that has destroyed the Gulf of Mexico. This comment and other comments by tea party members defending BP shows how they always put the interest of big business over the interest of the ordinary American. Did Barton support deep water oil drilling? If he did, then he owes the county an apology. Those who supported deep water oil drilling and down played the risks of a spill are responsible for this spill too!
Typical of his party he shows that he has and always will put corporate interests above those of this country, it's environment and it's people. These guys always side with big corporations no matter what the cost to the American public. They always insist that Corporations will do the right thing, police themselves and only have our best interests at heart. The events going on in the gulf as he speaks are the biggest example in history that this is not the case. Corporations only care about profit, period and must be held accountable for their actions. If they did not put up some sort of escrow, and 20 billion probably isn't enough, they would find some way to get out of paying for the damage they've caused. Even now Republicans are trying to block any effort to elimnate the 75 Million dollar cap on liability that these guys could hide behind if given the opportunity. JUST WHO DO YOU GUYS WORK FOR ANYWAY? It certainly isn't the people of this country!
And I am ashamed that you consider yourself an American, but you are also a Republican from Texas so I'm not surprised.
The shame here is GOP defending these people. The GOP were responsible for the watering down of regulation that allowed this disaster to happen and now they appologize to BP because the gov't is insuring the people and environment are protected. BTW the wingers that suggest this is a 'slush fund' are just plain lieing. This is to be handled by a 3rd party.
The GOP was responsible for the watering down of financial regulation as well and we've seen how well that turned out.
He clearly has connections with the oil industry and not the American people.
What they hell will it take for people to get fed up with the Party of No?
They complained that nothing was being done to get compensation for peoples lost work while screaming about helping people being socialism.
Now something they asked for to happen and that has never happened in terms of getting money from a company to cover thier problems effects on people and now they are screaming about the poor company...
I hope you tighty righty voters in the gulf area are paying close attention to your boys & girls in the House & Congress.
Saying no is no way to govern.
Here sits a FOOL, now we know want one looks like.
"All" politician's have taken contribution from Oil Companies, including BP. Rep and Dem alike. Like it or not they have us in their pocket, we need them. I don't see American's giving up their big cars, their huge RV's, all of their plastic, that they don't recycle, etc. We, Rep and Dem can insist on changes to Contigency Plans, OSHA can start enforcing the laws. Rep and Dem can'stop giving out waiver's. Neither party should be pointing fingers at the other, both have done well thanks to the oil companies. In Alaska we see oil spills all the time, the last one in 2006. Congress chewed on BP then. Can we say dog and pony show for the public. Stop doing a show and enforce change. The is not a Rep or Dem incident, issue, problem, cause, it happened, it happened because CPlans' were not reviewed properly, changed and enforced. Heads turned whether than upset an oil company. Stop pointing fingers, it doesn't make changes and it doesn't clean up the mess.