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.
From CNN Politics
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Mr. Barton, this makes you look like a complete buffoon!!
Keep talking and protecting the big business interests. Looks good on you and your Party of NO cohorts. Just confirms that you are in their pockets and will support them NO MATTER WHAT, at the detriment to the best interests of most of the citizens of the US of A!
is anyone suprised at this? This guy is from Texas and Texas is OIL..even after BP had the oil blowup here in Houston costing many lives, he has the nerve to come out and say something such as this. BP has very deep pockets, lives were lost and so will jobs and possible gulf coast reasons and some things you can NOT put a price on. He should walk hand and hand with Michelle Backmann as being FOR big corporations and not us..I'm sure he makes the Tea Party folks proud.
Tell that to the thousands of gulf coast residents who cannot put food on their table or pay the bills. Somebody's got to shake them down. Do you think cajun joe or his cousin cajun charlie can shake down a corporation like BP. Kudos for the administration for having a pair, I want my gulf back!!!
Where is Chairman Markey's response to this clown Barton?
Report the full story, dudes,
Excellent!! You sir are a true servant of the Nation and very generous! We will on behalf of the Nation accept your offer to personally foot the costs associated with the damage, losses, and cleanup of the BP oil disaster.
Please make your first check payable to the US Government in the amount of 20 Billion and we will invoice you the additional costs as they accrue.
Thanks again Congressman!!
Is this guy serious?? Unbelievable
Chicago style politics at its finest.
An Obama gets poor ratings for handling this disaster? Please. Sorry he doesn't have a red cape and an S on his shirt. But the GOP makes no bones about whose side they are on.
that's ok. i am ashamed Barton is one of our representatives. i am ashamed that another republican comes out and kisses their masters butt. loser. i am ashamed that Barton owns a bunch of BP stock. i am ashamed we derugulated the crap out of the oil industry over the past decade.
?????....Does he expect Tax Payers to pay for this mess. He needs a shakedown.
SHAKEDOWN! You Moron!
With their cavalier cowboy attitude before the explosion, with the string of corner cutting and risk taking, it was BP who was shaking down the people of the gulf coast!
In the future, engage your brain before putting your mouth in gear......IDIOT!
Get over your shame. They have to take responsibility for their actions... even unintended actions.
Get real, Joe!
He's right..... this isn't 'due process'.... why have laws if you don't follow them.... this is Chicago thug-politics at its best.....
BP will pay.... there's no question.... but to handle this in a power-grab style in a back room deal is par for the course with this so-called president.....
pitiful display by the white house..... all they want is money.... nothing more....
What, no pat on the back? No job well done? How about you CNN? Do you have the courage to give our president credit for what he has done or are you going to cave and Obamabash because it's the popular thing to do right now?
If Barton has the gall to state that payments and assistance to all the people and businesses in the gulf states is a shakedown and sham by the government, then he needs to be voted out of office by the people in his district.
It was sickening to watch and hear him defend and apoligize to BP.
If the people of his district would vote him out immediately, he could move to England and I'm sure BP would give him a job. What a insult to the family members of the loved ones killed and injured and to the American people.
18 billion for the SEIU, the New ACORN, and other hate-filled lie all the time, hold people back for the benefit of the Democrat party left wing groups, 2 billion for those un-enlightened red staters in the gulf who almost every Democrat would like to see exterminated.
he is correct... one thing they dont have 20 billion... this is all show... make them accountable but do it the right way...they better watch out .. this could happen to a american company one day,,, be held hostage by a show boat who wants to look tough to his people....
The rethugliban are siding with BP against the American people. Remember that in November and vote them out!
I am appalled but not surprised a Republican would make that statement. The president is making them pay for their mistake and castatrophe, fiscal conservative thinking. Instead of the government paying make the offend company cover the costs. But of course Big Business republicans obviously would not want their benefactors to pay, instead make the "little people" pay.
So, do these idiot Republicans want to raise taxes to pay for this mess? It is bad enough that the right never accepts responsibility for their own disastrous policies, now they are fighting to protect big oil from their mistakes. Is there any argument that the Gulf if filling with oil and it is coming from the well owned by BP? How obvious does it have to get that GOP actually stands for Grand Oil Party?
Great! Let's have the rest of the Republican party leap to BP's defense.
Shameless filthy republicants. It looks like these fools want US the American citizen to pay for this and not their precious corporate masters.
Rep Joe Barton is an idiot! If the President had not been successful at getting BP to at least start making resititution for the debacle, Barton would be slinging mud because he had not been forceful! There is no way for President Obama to win with these Republicans, especially those from "oil country" . We know where Barton gets his campaign money!
I am ashamed.... I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that this representative would choose to think of the feelings of a private corporation, that through its inept negligence, has helped destroy a vital ecosystem, killed countless amounts of wildlife, killed human beings on the now non-existent rig, destroyed major segments of the gulf economy, before thinking about the people he has been elected to serve. Who do you work for Mr. Barton? The people who elected you or BP?