Barton: 'I Had A Prepared Statement -- But That's Not The Statement I Used'

[SecularResponse]

I think comments should be disabled on posts like this. Not to devalue the contribution of others, but to encourage a look at the whole story as advocated multiple times here. If you're looking at the clip then moving down the comments section to see what the zeitgeist looks like before going to CNN you're cheating yourself of an opportunity. It also encourages jokers who only see this to throw in their hat, all the worse for we few looking for a crown or two... Objectivity Is.

[phuture101]

What a Class A asshole! A jerk at it's finest!

[k166a]

Thanks for helping sink the GOP further.

GOP: defending corporate America

[newbreed1]

Piece of shit.

[ensurePlus1]

joe barton has a beautiful smile and a wonderful laugh. the republicans are lucky to have a man of the people on their side.

[scbluesman13]

I would call what BP did to the entire gulf coast one of the worst environmental "shakedowns" we've seen in our lifetime. If the President is forcing them to pay for their mistake, and offering the taxpayers some protection for having to bail out yet another failed action on the part of private industry, I say "huzzah".

[GretchenDawntreader]

funny how BP's youtube channel shows up as an ad on all these videos, just like they paid Google to put their site first on all searches about oil spills. They are spending more money on spin and PR than they are on ending the spill and cleaning up their mess.

[curlyfry1106]

he looks fucking scared

[mrcartoonmusicvideo]

Vote this coroporate ass kisser out!. his statement proof of what is important.his wallet. UN freaking Belivable

[FlowerClown]

The statement he used came right from his heart and wallet.

The right to free speech? No shit.

Vote this ass out of office.

[Richardgwm]

Resignation by Monday.

[yoda002]

GOP only cares for the top 1% and would like everyone else begging work for at the lowest amount possible. They want an oligarchy society.

[newbreed1]

IF the GOP had their way they would rape the earth then ask us to thank them for it.

[chakoh1]

Flip Flop !!!!!!

[ThePoliticalMoose]

Everything that he said was legitimate. I'm so sick of the media dumbing everything down and distorting the facts.

[GretchenDawntreader]

@ThePoliticalMoose I agree, he has a legitimate right to sit in committee and make a statement that outrages most of the public. This is indisputable.

Enjoy the political ads that use his clip between now and November, about how sorry the GOP is that BP has to bear the burden of their mistake. Poor, downtrodden BP, bad evil Obama. How dare he hold this corporation accountable for the damage they caused! LOL

[phuture101]

@ThePoliticalMoose Stay with the facts! Fact 1: BP caused the spill. Fact 2: BP should pay for what they caused. Thats capitalism. You people wanting the government and tax payers to foot the bill for an international company is just as dumb as this guy. Rememer those are the facts and just plain common sence.

[ThePoliticalMoose]

@phuture101

You're an idiot. I never stated that BP shouldn't pay or anything of the like.

The point that Barton was making was that we already have a court system in place to handle claims. If a slush fund is set up then BP will be forced to settle every claim, no matter how unreliable or outrageous. BP caused a lot of damage but that doesn't mean they should have to pay illegitimate claims

[phuture101]

@ThePoliticalMoose So why apologize to BP if he ment the court system dummy! Thats some idiot BS. So trust BP to pay directly to the people? LOL!! There an international company why not secure the funds for the victums of the gulf. Ur worried about the government using the money wrong but you get ur income tax refund every year. So how should BP pay? Just put $20 Billion in a big pile of money in the parrish and let the people divey it up huh? LOL!

[Starry2000]

Just to add to the insanity, Savage suggested that when the coast guard pulled over a BP boat earlier (crew weren't wearing vests) that it was actually part of an OBAMA ADMINISTRATION CONSPIRACY to STEAL money from BP. He carried on about us "environmentalists" being "children", that we were being used to steal money from this "great" company.

I shit you not.

[Starry2000]

@Starry2000 I didn't elaborate as to how that was supposed to "steal" money from BP. Savage was crying about the crew being paid by the hour. The method of "stealing money from BP", that "great" company, is simply because they crew was stopped while the coast guard did its job.

They have completely lost their minds.

[shaundraivy]

Fuckin' Republicans....who is exactly that you work for because if it is truly the American people you should type up a resignation letter a leave...but if it is for the oil executives, you should rot in jail with them!!!!

[smekese]

GOBP!!! FUCKING ASSHOLE.... THIS DUMBASS CHOSE MONEY OVER HIS PRIORITY IS TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE... REPUBLICANS NEEDS TO WAKE UP, THESE ANIMALS ARE WORKING FOR THE CORPORATE NOT FOR THE PEOPLE...

[rkeppler3633]

@smekese He's an oil company executive. What do you expect? He read his sympathies in to the record.

[crumbtrey]

Members from both political parties have their heads so far up the asses of oil companies for so long they've grown together. I can't stand either party anymore. Both parties have sold the entire nation down the oil-stained river.

[Seldona]

@crumbtrey

Nothing could be further from the truth. You do realize the monetary cap had already been reached?

The Democratic Party, and their President, were able to get a

20 billion dollar fund set up, with BP agreeing!

Oh, have you seen any Democrats actually APOLOGIZING to BP?

Looks like 20 billion and one differences right there for you.

[Gurthick]

Haha- Rush Limbaugh istrying SOOOO hard to organize his morons into believing the 20 billion DESERVES to pay is a slush fund. And this moron corroborates. How can you pity a company that destroyed potentially thousands of lives simply because the president has a different party affiliation.

Fuckin priceless.

[dafttool]

They got to the guy before he fully realized what a shit storm he stirred up. "The vice president said what?" If you thought his backpedaling was something a few hours later, wait till he's campaigning trying to put a spin on it. The GOP have become the party of corporations in an era when corporations are often justifiably reviled. It was an idiot move on his part. Corporations may finance him, but the people are still the ones casting votes.

[MrGnarus]

@dafttool electronic voting will take care of the people

[twh115]

What a giggling assclown. I'm glad he's happy and smiling as his neighbors drown in oil due to a profit-mad oil company's relentless pursuit of gains and disregard for their own egregious negligence. Vote this fool out. It'd be a start.

[SubmarinerAndroid]

He's like, "What? Usually when I kiss corporate ass I am rewarded for it. Has something changed?"

[valhala56]

Wow, some of these Republicans are just bat shit crazy. I think even Tony Haywood was surprised of the nonsense coming out of this fool's mouth. Haywood probaly thought has this country gone completetly mad?

[TrollBuster9090]

@valhala56

Did you see the other TPM video of the split screen where Barton was talking about the "shakedown?" The look on Tony Haywards face was a look of absolute PITY, mixed with a little bit of panic about how he was going to respond.

Do I say:

A) Thank you for your concern, Congressman, but BP does not consider it a "shake down." Or,

B) Who the hell IS this guy? Please don't punish me for what HE says! I don't know him, I've never seen him before in my life!!!

[valhala56]

@TrollBuster9090 You know Tony Haywood is fully expecting an ass whooping and out the blue this asshole Barton comes out with an apology, Haywood is probaly as confused as everybody else.

Barton wasn't the only Conservative saying this, Limbaugh, Rep. Michelle Backman also said the same thing on CNN.

The only thing I can think of is that these people are living in a different dimesion or are totaly oblivious to the pain going on in the Gulf of Mexico.

[TrollBuster9090]

Deadman Walking.

You've got to love that fatalistic little smile on his face as he walks down the corridor knowing his political career is probably over. Is it my imagination, or does he look a little relieved? Like when the Republicans were defeated in 2006, and Rush Limbaugh said he felt "liberated" because he no longer had to "carry water for a bunch of people who don't really deserve to have their water carried."

[fret2424]

"I Had A Prepared Statement -- But That's Not The Statement I Used, I choose to rent my opinion out to big oil instead". "Thanks for the $1.5 million BP, hope we can do business again"!

[gentrevino1]

o_0 

[btc8128]

fuck this ass hole

[ensurePlus1]

excuse my french. but that guy is a motherfucker.

[voyzovrezon]

The vice president is correct. Barton's apology to BP was outrageous.