I don’t think it will affect much. It’s being overplayed. Barton was just stupid.

Phil-

While I agree with you that this won’t get much play, I don’t think it was Barton being stupid. He was being pretty emphatic that the $20 billion escrow account for the victims of BP’s corporate negligence was a “shakedown”. GOP candidates (and incumbents) who have taken money from Barton should have to answer for it.

Where are Issa and the “investigation” monkeys in the Republican party on this? Was Barton promised something of personal value to change his position. Sounds like he traded his beliefs (however reprehensible) to keep his job and perks.
I guess Bohner and McConnell don’t mind acting like “Chicago style thugs” when they s### the bed.
Lets be honest, Barton said what the entire oil soaked drill baby drill Palin/Beck/Limbaugh have been thinking and saying except Barton did it in front of a mixed( non fox TV and am radio) crowd.
Its cool to be in a ranting mob until somebody pays attention to you personally sees you for what your are.
Barton had a brief and shing moment of honesty when he spoke honestly what he (and his crew) really think.
The gusher of hypocracy came after the mugging by the boys.

@Anidiotsayswhat

Well written: incisive and humorous. Hypocrisy always should be spotlighted.

“Issa and the ‘investigation’ monkeys” remids me of the Dylan ballad “Tweeter and the Monkeyman”.

I don’t know why everyone is so surprised. Republicans have been fighting the “polluters pay” principle for decades.

Now the Republican are going to have to try “top kills” and “junk shots” to shut up Palin, Angle,Randy Paul and the rest of the teabag espresso crazies.
Fat chance when even the local Republicans are still on the old Right crazy playbook.
The usual play is to go center for the General.
Good luck with that now.

It just keeps getting better and better……..
”
As oil spews, BP chief attends yacht race
Critics assail trip as ‘incredibly insulting’ to Gulf Coast residents
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
updated 1:35 p.m. ET, Sat., June 19, 2010
“

you political junkies ALWAYS underestimate how the average joe and jane voter will take it. From what I’ve heard from people so far, they are PISSED that Barton said this and aren’t simply brushing it off. So you’re wrong to think it won’t matter. First they vote against the jobs bill and now repuglicans are say sorry to BP…it adds up and people are getting fed up.

To whaaaat,

You are so on point. The danger for Republicans now, is the perception that you’ll defend non-action when your constituents are in need, take stimulus money after voting against it. Have no plan when a plan is desparetly needed but not presented, and worst yet, defend potentially coporate criminal activity for political advantage. It gets a little beyond cynical partisan politics when you’re defending an organization who will potentially spend $100+ Billion over a mass enviromental disaster that kill 11 people over what looks to be cheap (and negligent) cost cutting schemes. Republicans have truly lost their way over the past 10 years. It has capable people who can do effective bipartisan work for the American people, without giving up principle. They are now being woefully overshadowed by politically dangerous gamesmen who will render it a dysfunctional, elction losing, feckless bunch of angry 21st century “Know-Nothings” if it does not center itself….

Did you folks miss the part where the entire Republican leadership condemned him for saying this? Yes he was forced to apologize and retract. What would you have suggested they did? Barton was wrong in publicly and clumsily apologizing for the US gov’t. However, the point he was making was the same one that liberal talk show host Ed Schultz made (using the same Shakedown word). That no gov’t can by law compel a private entity to set up a “fund” like this. Don’t you think it was amazing that the night before he even met with BP officials (for the FIRST time) that he said he was going to ORDER them to set up this fund? Whether you agree or not, that is a shakedown. Let’s see how the first $5 billion are handled. That is all that is going into the fund the first year.

Forcing BP to redress a massive injury was not only just but it is silly to think that this international giant could not have just said no and let the chips fall where they may.
My bet is they have every corporate and defense lawyer in the South in their payroll churning away. It is silly to suggest they ‘forced” to do anything. Even yacht boy Haywood did not claim it was a “shakedown” when questioned.
Making someone do what they should do anyway isn’t a shakedown its called doing the right thing.
The republican leadership just were upset Barton not allow the usual frothing stalking horses of Fox news and Palin/Linbaugh/Hannity/Beck to stoke this mock outrage and vitrolic anti Obama message first in the calmmy darkness of talk radio.
Oh yeah, drill baby drill.

Quite a few other Repubs have jumped on the shakedown express, Michelle Bachman is whineing about it now too. It is a perfect expression of Republican “values”. Pat “drill in Lake Erie” Toomey is toast in Nov.

So, someone makes a careless remark and everyone associated with him takes a hit? In light of all the legislation that’s been passed since Obama took office, should we pick apart his FEC reports and, based on this criteria, call on him to give back how many millions of dollars based upon the actions and words of people associated with various groups and organizations? Ridiculous.