White House BLASTS Joe Barton Apology To BP
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Statement by the Press Secretary on Congressman Joe Barton’s Apology to BP
“What is shameful is that Joe Barton seems to have more concern for big corporations that caused this disaster than the fishermen, small business owners and communities whose lives have been devastated by the destruction. Congressman Barton may think that a fund to compensate these Americans is a ‘tragedy’, but most Americans know that the real tragedy is what the men and women of the Gulf Coast are going through right now. Members from both parties should repudiate his comments.”
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47 Responses to “White House BLASTS Joe Barton Apology To BP”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
“Gulf Coast fisherman should go dumpster diving”-Rush Limbaugh
I am sure Hannity is dusting off the guest chair about now.
Barton is the victim of a vicious attack from White House thugs, after all.
Isn’t fishing in the Gulf basically dumpster-diving now anyway?
The amount of B.S. coming from politicians never ceases to amaze me. I can’t believe that Joe Barton really thought that apologizing to the company responsible for the worst American oil spill of all time would be a good idea. I hope folks remember this outright ass-kissing spectacle when it comes time for his re-election.
“Give Tony Hayward his life back!”–Joe Barton
Until you can show me by what constitutional authority the president demanded $20B from a corporation, I’ll side with Barton.
It’s those ACORN bastards again!
“LEAVE BP ALONE!!!” -cons
F!@# the constitution – Obama
Lets hold nobody accountable for their disasters; I’m sure they will police themselves.
No constitutional authority? That’s kind of the point, willie.
Obama had no legal authority on his side–no constitution, no law, no nothin’. Yet he got BP to bank money to cover the costs of cleaning up their mess. What’s the problem?
Yea, that tyrannical Obama, just shaking down BP for no reason at all. How dare he impose his Chicago style thug tactics! Why, BP doesn’t deserve this, because they did absolutely nothing wrong here! The market decided, end of story, waaaaaaa!
He didn’t “demand” it, dipstick. And he doesn’t need Constitutional authority to ask a corporation to accept its moral obligations; an obligation which they voluntarily accepted.
What Constitutional authority does one need for an agreement between a private company and the Government?
The Invisible Hand will take care of everything!
If people dislike the environmental damage caused by oil drilling accidents, they will refrain from buying oil or petroleum products. Of course, since oil is traded in a global marketplace, that means everyone everywhere in the world will have to agree to quit using oil…but hey, that’s how the market works!
19 months ago, having a legal authority on your side was of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE when dealing with issues, even if they were as virtuous as protecting the homeland and winning wars.
How many jobs will be lost because BP has to set this money aside instead of paying productive employees? Those job losses will be on Obama’s head. Though that won’t stop him from attempting the Blame Bush game yet again…
19 months ago, having a legal authority on your side was of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE when dealing with issues, even if they were as virtuous as protecting the homeland and winning wars.
It was of the utmos….UTMOST IMPORTANCE when dealing with matters of life and death, foreign policy, preventive war, and the Bill of Rights. Today, we’re talking about an environmental disaster in which BP has acknowledged its culpability for the spill and responsibility for the cleanup.
Other than that, they’re just the same.
How many jobs will be lost because BP has to set this money aside instead of paying productive employees? Those job losses will be on Obama’s head. Though that won’t stop him from attempting the Blame Bush game yet again…
Good golly. Poor, poor BP. Who do you suggest should pay for the cleanup, Farris?
Oh poor BP! Oh boo hoo hoo, let’s cry a gulf spill for them, because gosh, this is SO unfair! Boo hoo, cry cry cry 96 years of damage done to the Gulf.
You hacks aren’t even trying anymore, are you?
Obama Derangement Syndrome in da house. Anything Obama does, anything at all, and you shrieking little girls run to the other side of the field to try and oppose him. Fucking pathetic, dude.
he’s big and black and scary and stuff. so when he asked bp to clean up their mess it was a demand. because big black scary guys are big black and scary.
I’ll side with Barton.
And against all the other GOP congresscritters calling for his head on a pike?
Gonna be lonely, just the two of you. Oops. Now it’s just you, since Barton has abandoned the position you have championed.
It’s tough when they change the talking points on you, isn’t it.
Haw! TFJ for you.
Good point Quaker.
It will be interesting to see how the funds are used. If the tobacco settlement money is any indication, alot of money won’t be going to cleaning up the mess.
If the tobacco settlement money is any indication,
If pigs fly into a thunderstorm, it might rain barbecued ribs.
Wonder if William is hinting that he wanted the tobacco settlement money to be used to eradicate tobacco fields and shut down the tobacco companies?
Would have been nice to have seen the White House react as fast to the oil spill as they did to Barton.
We’ll push for the White House to slow it down a bit if Barton’s next blunder takes place a mile below the ocean’s surface and BP lies about the extent of the damage.
Yes, Jay. If the oil spill made a fucking-a ridiculous statement, it’d be great if the White House were able to fire back, make the oil spill crap itself, and crawl back into its hole… or Fox News, surely. Coming soon, I bet.
Marco FTW.
The “invisible hand” is clad in a latex glove, and is planted firmly up Uncle Sam’s ass.
Why should he need constitutional authority to get BP to do the right and decent thing?
I was wondering how long it would take for one of you to come to big oil’s defense.
even if they were as virtuous as protecting the homeland and winning wars.
We won the war? When did that happen?
How many jobs will be lost because BP has to set this money aside instead of paying productive employees?
To quote Bill Mahr, “FUCK your jobs!” Those jobs are detrimental to the planet.
“Everybody makes mistakes.” Gasbags.
Interesting that the price of oil hasn’t sky rocketed because of this obvious and real shrinking supply of inventory. And yet, during the election, the gasbags were arguing that the mere mention of drilling for oil would make the price of oil drop. It’s good to see that the invisible hand is staying out of this one!
So you’re on record as saying the Constitution means d*** when your side is in charge and all your caterwauling of the last 8 years was just phony outrage.
Got it.
What I’m suggesting is that question is not nearly as important as STOPPING THE LEAK. BP should be putting all their time, resources and, yes, money towards that end. Right? And they can’t be doing that if they’re also tasked with creating the Stupak Memorial Health Care Slush Fund.
They’ll be plenty of time to rape BP later. But there are more pressing issues at hand that must be dealt with first. A real leader would know that.
– as Bill Maher says from a brightly-lit studio broadcasting to a premium cable network late at night right before he takes the summer off to fly around the country and snort coke off of the nearest prostitute. Decadent much?
But in Maher’s mind, it’s the dude producing all the energy Maher plans on consuming that’s the bad guy…
I’m hinting that any time the government and business make back room deals, it’s usually the citizens who get screwed.
As of the end of fiscal 2005 more than 36% of all Tobacco Settlement money was spent on things other than health & education. 23% went to state budget shortfalls, 6% to infrastructure, and 7% to “general purpose”.
http://www.darwinsfinance.com/tobacco-settlement-money-has-been-squandered-shamelessly/
I’m hinting that any time the government and business make back room deals, it’s usually the citizens who get screwed.
I’ll side with Barton.
Who could have predicted?…
Actually, the amount of oil spilled is only equal to a few hours of our consumption.
I’m sure that’s why BP is in the middle of a $100 M ad campaign to save face. (I’m sure that you’ve seen the TV ad of that nice A-A BP claims guy talking about “making Gulf communities whole”.)
BP really wants to dedicate ALL its resources to, as you so clearly put it, STOP THE LEAK. Of course, they were also considering doling out their quarterly dividend as usual until the press called them on it and they had to cancel.
So, sure, BP is wholly dedicating all its resources to STOPPING THE LEAK and MITIGATING ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE it can.
How about the facts that BP was willfully negligent in the accident that killed 11 people, wounded 17 others, has destroyed the livelihoods of millions of hard working Americans and has doomed an entire eco system to decades of degradation?
Or does it just not matter that BP AGREED to the compensation fund?
‘How many jobs will be lost because BP has to set this money aside instead of paying productive employees?’
Are you fucking serious? It’ll be a fraction of the millions of people whose lives and environment have been destroyed by this needless tragedy caused by greed and wanton disregard for safety protocols.
I suppose you would prefer that after BP declares bankruptcy and claims to be broke so that Gulf residents will spend years in court seeking restitution like the people of Alaska after EXXON fucked them over?
The Right seems more concerned about having lost the opportunity to criticize the President for NOT securing a compensatory fund.
What a surprise.
A better question:
Who told Obama drilling is ‘absolutely safe’?
Must reading.
‘What I’m suggesting is that question is not nearly as important as STOPPING THE LEAK.’
You really should try and keep up; the first of the relief well is not expected to be completed until mid August at the earliest; 2 months from now.
How do you propose the residents of the Gulf survive until then? 4 months without an income, and you’re worried about how BP will survive?
Jesus.
By “our consumption”" do you mean global consumption?