in Energy, Government, Observations, Politics 421 Words

The Mouth Stays!

By now we all have heard the words uttered by Rep. Barton as an apology to BP for making them contribute to a claims fund….it case you missed it…

“I think it’s a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would call a shakedown,” the Texan said. “In this case a $20 billion shakedown.” Barton said the administration has no authority to ask for this “$20 billion slush fund” and that litigation provides adequate due process for awarding damages.

“I apologize,” he said to Hayward. “I do not want to live in a country where every time a corporation does something wrong, it’s subject to a political process that amounts to a shakedown.”

After he made his now infamous apology the GOP scrambled to be on record to saying that he, Barton, did not speak for the Party.  After a meeting with the minority leader of the House, Barton came out and made an apology, sort of, it was nothing to remember.

The point was made that he was the ranking member of the GOP on the Energy Committee and if the Repubs win back the House then he would be the chairman of that committee.  Well the GOP had a meeting whether to strip him of is position or not and the votes are in….

House Republicans agreed Wednesday to keep Arlington Rep. Joe Barton as the party’s senior voice on energy policy, after one more apology – a private one to his colleagues – for the uproar he stirred last week by apologizing to oil giant BP.

“This issue is closed,” said House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio, who downplayed the episode as a “distraction” from discredited Democratic energy policies.

Now knowing that his words will show up a bunch of 30 second during this and future campaign ads for the Dems….why would they chance the fact that this could weigh heavy at the polls?

To me…Barton said openly what the rest of the cowards will not admit…..that they feel the same and if possible will do everything they can to stop the bleeding of money from BP.  They, the GOP, wants to keep an oil friendly guy on the Energy Committee, especially one that is in line for the chairmanship.

The GOP’s true colors will emerge as soon as they think it will not bite them in the butt at election time….my bet is that they will be on the side of BP in the near future.

11 thoughts on “The Mouth Stays!”

  1. I agree entirely. I agree that litigation the way it is set in the US will allow the lawyers to argue forever over this and will stop payment being made. I am also deperately sorry for the Gulf Coast area and its people too – like that’ll help them, but still, that’s how I feel…

    But then, looked at logically, from what he said and how he said it, this guy obviously actually believes his in own attitude and I do have to say that, if you can shell out a trillion dollars to save the economy from (and FOR) the gamblers of Wall Street, why should the government not pick up the tab for BP – also in the interests of the economy?

    …and, before you get all upitty about that remark, can I just point out that you don’t mention how you propose that we should get around the fact that the WHOLE American (and Brit and European and the rest of the industrialised world) economy depends totally on OIL right now and almost certainly will for at the very least a decade (or decades??) to come!

    Reply

    1. Once again……this was stupid politically…..personally, do not give a crap about his words I just looking at them as they will be used in the political theater to come…..GOP could losing ground, at least in the Coast states. I will not get pissed….because I agree with the money thing….at least it would create and preserve jobs and put a temporary cash flow into the economy.

      NO one would like my idea! I would set a limit on how many cars could be made that run on gas…..alt energy cars could be made as much as they like…..massive amounts of cash for wind, solar, geothermal, et al…..not gonna work because NO one wants to pay for that…….sacrifice….something ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WANTS!

      Reply

      1. I don’t think sacrifice is necessary – the technology is already there, but NOT the infrastructure.

        Electric cars are a red herring – they are frequently limited in range and power and electricity generation can be worse environmentally. Hydrogen on the other hand offers some real answers for the future, but it won’t HAVE a future unless we get it going strong in the present…

        Not likely.

        Back on topic, yes his comments were politically stupid, but we do have to deal with reality and whether BP pays now or later or whatever happens – the two most important things are – first to do EVERYTHING possible to fix this mess as quickly and smoothly as possible for those directly affected – and that’s a lot of people (not to mention the wildlife and ecology of the area). The second is to keep the oil flowing – for now! BUT to seek much harder to phase out it’s use!

      2. Please do not misunderstand…I agree that the is a point….but on that other hand, the CEO did say publicly that BP would pay as long as the spill was a prob…..will they….no……he should have made that comment in an other way.

        I said I was a dreamer and I know that you are right……this whole thing is a catch-22……in my younger years I was a radical environmentalist but now I am just dealing with reality…..I know that nothing that I mentioned will come about any time soon….but I just keep hoping something will change……or just price that goddamn stuff so expensive we have to cut back or drive more efficient cars…..like I said a dumbass dreamer….

      3. I don’t think it’s a dream, but it’s going to take time. What we DO need is a strong economy in the meantime and an administration committed to looking for the new stuff and then supporting it – that I agree doesn’t any of it look likely anytime soon, but you never know…

      1. I don’t think it would take that much money – yes a hell of a lot of investment at first, but it could well come back later. Peanuts compared with what Wall Street has cost though.

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