BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward testified before Congress today. Not surprisingly, Hayward apologized for the spill. He knows what he has to say. Somewhat surprisingly, Republican Congressman Joe Barton of Texas (where else?) apologized to Hayward for making them BP for it! Really. I guess Joe Barton knows what he has to say too (video below).Barton said he was “ashamed” of the meeting in the White House yesterday where BP agreed to create a $20 billion fund to help pay for the damage they caused. Sorry you find fundamental fairness so mortifying, Congressman. Barton apologized to Hayward , saying “I think it is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown.” Joe Barton has an interesting notion of what constitutes “a tragedy.” He evidently would have thought 9/11 would have been many times worse if we had forced Al Qaeda to pay for the damage. It was interesting to watch Tony Hayward’s face while Barton was apologizing to him. He seemed to be saying to himself “Must…not&h ellip;let…jaw…drop.”
Barton said “I’m only speaking for myself. I’m not speaking for anyone else, but I apologize.” Come on Joe, you’re also speaking on behalf of that $1.4 million you’ve received from the oil and gas industry over the years. Really Congressman Barton, is $1.4 million enough to go in front of the cameras and say the most disgusting thing in recent memory that didn’t involve a racial slur? Joe Barton may have actually gone too far in serving his oily masters. It reminded me of when press corps plant and male prostitute Jeff Gannon asked a question that was way too softball and brought attention to himself.
Joe Barton has a long history of serving the powers that drill. In 2004, Barton crowed that deep water drilling could take place “all without so much as losing a gum wrapper over the side of the platform. It is truly amazing.” I will say this—I haven’t heard of any gum wrappers involved in this spill. Thank God—I would hate to see one of those poor Caribbean walruses choke on one.>>> MORE
1 comment:
Very good.
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