Rep Joe Barton R- Big Oil says he is Ashamed of Whitehouse Shakedown of BP

[Smash255]

Holy S****

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http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/17/congressman-i-am-ashamed-of-shakedown-of-bp/?fbid=wTGv-aZ70yB

[Jensen]

What is Holy S**** about that? The man is right. This is a true embarrassment.

[The Mikado]

What is Holy S**** about that? The man is right. This is a true embarrassment.

And no one understands embarrassments like you, right, Hamilton?

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

What is Holy S**** about that? The man is right. This is a true embarrassment.

And no one understands embarrassments like you, right, Hamilton?

Not again....... 

[The Mikado]

What is Holy S**** about that? The man is right. This is a true embarrassment.

And no one understands embarrassments like you, right, Hamilton?

Not again....... 

To Lunar: is "Gerald Ford" here still posting from a Saudi Arabian proxy?

[cinyc]

Barton is 100% right.  The Obama administration's shakedown of BP is a disgusting act that happens in dictatorships like Venezuela, not the United States of America - at least at the federal level.   Obama has no legal authority to force BP to put one dollar into an escrow.  Shakedowns may be the Chicago way, but they have no place in Washington.

[Smash255]

Barton is 100% right.  The Obama administration's shakedown of BP is a disgusting act that happens in dictatorships like Venezuela, not the United States of America - at least at the federal level.   Obama has no legal authority to force BP to put one dollar into an escrow.  Shakedowns may be the Chicago way, but they have no place in Washington.

I BEG  I absolutely BEG for the GOP to run on this.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Barton is 100% right.  The Obama administration's shakedown of BP is a disgusting act that happens in dictatorships like Venezuela, not the United States of America - at least at the federal level.   Obama has no legal authority to force BP to put one dollar into an escrow.  Shakedowns may be the Chicago way, but they have no place in Washington.

I BEG  I absolutely BEG for the GOP to run on this.

Uh, forget it Smash.....they're distancing themselves from it as we speak.

[cinyc]

Barton is 100% right.  The Obama administration's shakedown of BP is a disgusting act that happens in dictatorships like Venezuela, not the United States of America - at least at the federal level.   Obama has no legal authority to force BP to put one dollar into an escrow.  Shakedowns may be the Chicago way, but they have no place in Washington.

I BEG  I absolutely BEG for the GOP to run on this.

They won't and are distancing themselves from Barton.  But that doesn't change the fact that Barton's right.   Shakedowns by the executive branch are un-American.  We have courts for a reason.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Did the government require a slush fund during the Exxon Valdez accident?   Serious question, cause I don't know.

[cinyc]

Did the government require a slush fund during the Exxon Valdez accident?   Serious question, cause I don't know.

I don't think so.  Exxon got sued in court and lost the old-fashioned way.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Did the government require a slush fund during the Exxon Valdez accident?   Serious question, cause I don't know.

I don't think so.  Exxon got sued in court and lost the old-fashioned way.

I guess I"m not overly upset with the slush fund cinyc because BP volunteered it.  I know they were strong-armed but honestly they need the goodwill of "volunteering" it.

What I object to is them getting nailed for the wages of the unemployed thanks to the moratorium.  Now that I think is wrong.

[opebo]

Oh come on, guys. In a responsible country - one responsive to the lower 98% of the population - they'd be nationalized over this. 

[cinyc]

Oh come on, guys. In a responsible country - one responsive to the lower 98% of the population - they'd be nationalized over this. 

In a SOCIALIST country with no respect for the rule of law, like Venezuela, BP would be nationalized.  In a RESPONSIBLE country which respects free enterprise, BP would be given the resources to clean up the spill and then sued by those affected by the spill under the laws on the books before the spill occurred to recoup every penny of damage they caused. 

By the way, we all just KNOW nationalized oil companies would NEVER have an oil spill EVER.  *Cough* Pemex *Cough*  They'd never avoid responsibility for cleaning up in foreign countries by claiming sovereign immunity.  *Cough* Pemex *Cough*  Because nationalized oil companies are super-awesome perfect corporate citizens who are responsible to the people!  Socialism doesn't work.

[opebo]

Well it sounds to me like PEMEX must be 'working' on some level if its squirting oil all over the place.

[Ban my account ffs!]

What is Holy S**** about that? The man is right. This is a true embarrassment.

yes.. why should BP pay one dime to the people whose livelihoods they have destroyed.  

People bitch about how BP employes 20,000 Americans and how we'd be royally f**ked if they went under.

How many people are effectively without work now because of the oil spill?  Sure, they're being paid to go out and help dump toxic chemicals into the ocean to clot the oil.. but after that's done the fisheries will still be destroyed and they'll be unemployed.

Ford.. you're just another example of a Republican who can't get enough of screwing people over for the benefit of the few at the top.

As far as suing them in court the "old fashioned way".. it'd take them 20 years to finally settle the case.  In the meantime, the thousands of people who have lost their livelihood will have nothing.  Should the government be providing them welfare?  Or should they simply move and find one of the millions of well paying jobs that Republicans seem to believe are available?

The government shouldn't have asked for their agreement.  If they don't like paying for the cleanup and economic loss caused by their negligent business practices, they can go extract and sell oil somewhere else.

[Lunar]

What is Holy S**** about that? The man is right. This is a true embarrassment.

And no one understands embarrassments like you, right, Hamilton?

Not again.......  

To Lunar: is "Gerald Ford" here still posting from a Saudi Arabian proxy?

Nope, this time Hamilton is using "VectroProxy - Fast free anonymous proxy to hide your IP address."  You know it's Hamilton because the idiot always chooses "eccentric" sates like Delaware and Vermont that nobody actually lives in or comes from.   

[fezzyfestoon]

Firstly, BP agreead to it, so it's not a "shakedown".  And secondly how could someone have a problem with holding a powerful corporation accountable for the actions wholly faulted to them that have caused and continue to cause economic, environmental, and person devastation across an entire region of our nation?  Really?

Exxon was sued and managed to finagle their way out of almost all their settlements thanks to the state of Alaska.

What's really embarrassing is seeing people "agree" with people who have only taken a position because it personally benefits them.  Talk about a blind allegiance.

[cinyc]

Firstly, BP agreead to it, so it's not a "shakedown".  And secondly how could someone have a problem with holding a powerful corporation accountable for the actions wholly faulted to them that have caused and continue to cause economic, environmental, and person devastation across an entire region of our nation?  Really?

Exxon was sued and managed to finagle their way out of almost all their settlements thanks to the state of Alaska.

What's really embarrassing is seeing people "agree" with people who have only taken a position because it personally benefits them.  Talk about a blind allegiance.

That's a really nice house you have there.  It would be a shame if anything happened to it.  But if you set aside $100,000 in escrow, you won't have to worry.  What, you said OK!  Well, this clearly isn't a shakedown, because you agreed to it.

[Meeker]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

He was apparently threatened with the loss of his committee seniority.

[fezzyfestoon]

Firstly, BP agreead to it, so it's not a "shakedown".  And secondly how could someone have a problem with holding a powerful corporation accountable for the actions wholly faulted to them that have caused and continue to cause economic, environmental, and person devastation across an entire region of our nation?  Really?

Exxon was sued and managed to finagle their way out of almost all their settlements thanks to the state of Alaska.

What's really embarrassing is seeing people "agree" with people who have only taken a position because it personally benefits them.  Talk about a blind allegiance.

That's a really nice house you have there.  It would be a shame if anything happened to it.  But if you set aside $100,000 in escrow, you won't have to worry.  What, you said OK!  Well, this clearly isn't a shakedown, because you agreed to it.

A. Where does it say that happened?
B. The only thing they could threaten them with is a completely just lawsuit.
C. What you said is completely different than forcing a multinational corporation to pay for the damages they caused.

[cinyc]

Firstly, BP agreead to it, so it's not a "shakedown".  And secondly how could someone have a problem with holding a powerful corporation accountable for the actions wholly faulted to them that have caused and continue to cause economic, environmental, and person devastation across an entire region of our nation?  Really?

Exxon was sued and managed to finagle their way out of almost all their settlements thanks to the state of Alaska.

What's really embarrassing is seeing people "agree" with people who have only taken a position because it personally benefits them.  Talk about a blind allegiance.

That's a really nice house you have there.  It would be a shame if anything happened to it.  But if you set aside $100,000 in escrow, you won't have to worry.  What, you said OK!  Well, this clearly isn't a shakedown, because you agreed to it.

A. Where does it say that happened?
B. The only thing they could threaten them with is a completely just lawsuit.
C. What you said is completely different than forcing a multinational corporation to pay for the damages they caused.

A. Sources told the Daily News that Biden leaned forward and bluntly informed the Blight Brigade they had no choice: If they didn't do the right thing and put the cash in escrow, it would be done to them.

B. I'm sure they threatened them with worse.  The Obama administration is known for its thuggish threats to those with whom it disagrees.  It's the Chicago (and Venezuela) way.

C.  BP has said it would pay - even though their damages may legally be capped by statute.  This is just thuggish piling on by scumbagger politicians who have done little but get in the way of cleaning up the Gulf, causing problems, not solving them.  The Obama administration has no legal authority to create any escrow account.

[Smash255]

Firstly, BP agreead to it, so it's not a "shakedown".  And secondly how could someone have a problem with holding a powerful corporation accountable for the actions wholly faulted to them that have caused and continue to cause economic, environmental, and person devastation across an entire region of our nation?  Really?

Exxon was sued and managed to finagle their way out of almost all their settlements thanks to the state of Alaska.

What's really embarrassing is seeing people "agree" with people who have only taken a position because it personally benefits them.  Talk about a blind allegiance.

That's a really nice house you have there.  It would be a shame if anything happened to it.  But if you set aside $100,000 in escrow, you won't have to worry.  What, you said OK!  Well, this clearly isn't a shakedown, because you agreed to it.

A. Where does it say that happened?
B. The only thing they could threaten them with is a completely just lawsuit.
C. What you said is completely different than forcing a multinational corporation to pay for the damages they caused.

A. Sources told the Daily News that Biden leaned forward and bluntly informed the Blight Brigade they had no choice: If they didn't do the right thing and put the cash in escrow, it would be done to them.

B. I'm sure they threatened them with worse.  The Obama administration is known for its thuggish threats to those with whom it disagrees.  It's the Chicago (and Venezuela) way.

C.  BP has said it would pay - even though their damages may legally be capped by statute.  This is just thuggish piling on by scumbagger politicians who have done little but get in the way of cleaning up the Gulf, causing problems, not solving them.  The Obama administration has no legal authority to create any escrow account.

A.  Good and they should have.  BP should be forced to pay for every single last dime of destruction they have caused.

B.  Ahh nice asinine comparisons to Venezuela.

C.  Ahh yes because we should just trust BP to do the right thing.  Nothing better than letting Big Corporations Police themselves.  Afterall BP has shown exactly how trustworthy they really are....

[fezzyfestoon]

Yeah, that. ^

[cinyc]

Firstly, BP agreead to it, so it's not a "shakedown".  And secondly how could someone have a problem with holding a powerful corporation accountable for the actions wholly faulted to them that have caused and continue to cause economic, environmental, and person devastation across an entire region of our nation?  Really?

Exxon was sued and managed to finagle their way out of almost all their settlements thanks to the state of Alaska.

What's really embarrassing is seeing people "agree" with people who have only taken a position because it personally benefits them.  Talk about a blind allegiance.

That's a really nice house you have there.  It would be a shame if anything happened to it.  But if you set aside $100,000 in escrow, you won't have to worry.  What, you said OK!  Well, this clearly isn't a shakedown, because you agreed to it.

A. Where does it say that happened?
B. The only thing they could threaten them with is a completely just lawsuit.
C. What you said is completely different than forcing a multinational corporation to pay for the damages they caused.

A. Sources told the Daily News that Biden leaned forward and bluntly informed the Blight Brigade they had no choice: If they didn't do the right thing and put the cash in escrow, it would be done to them.

B. I'm sure they threatened them with worse.  The Obama administration is known for its thuggish threats to those with whom it disagrees.  It's the Chicago (and Venezuela) way.

C.  BP has said it would pay - even though their damages may legally be capped by statute.  This is just thuggish piling on by scumbagger politicians who have done little but get in the way of cleaning up the Gulf, causing problems, not solving them.  The Obama administration has no legal authority to create any escrow account.

A.  Good and they should have.  BP should be forced to pay for every single last dime of destruction they have caused.

B.  Ahh nice asinine comparisons to Venezuela.

C.  Ahh yes because we should just trust BP to do the right thing.  Nothing better than letting Big Corporations Police themselves.  Afterall BP has shown exactly how trustworthy they really are....

A.  In a country where the rule of law matters, being forced to pay every single last dime only comes after a determination of guilt in a court of law, not a politically motivated and forced "settlement" due to the thuggish actions of the White House.  People are innocent until proven guilty.

B. Comparisons to Venezuela are valid.  This isn't the first time the Chicago Way was used to shake down corporations that fall out of favor with the Obama administration.  Toyota got its taste of the Chicago Way during the overblown brake acceleration problem - all for the benefit of Obama's pals at Government Motors.  Such tactics make this country an awful place for those without political connections to do business.  Heck, it's even terrible for BP, which has donated more money to Obama and Landrieu than their Republican counterparts.  DEMOCRATS are the party of BIG OIL.

C. BP, by and large, is doing its best to clean up the Gulf.  The Obama administration, on the other hand, has been dragging its feet from day one.  It refused help from the Netherlands immediately after the spill, kept boom that could be used to clean up the spill in warehouses, was slow to mobilize federal resources to help BP, drug its feet in approving Louisiana's plan to create barrier islands to stop the spill and has done nothing but demagogue BP in its vain attempt to defect political blame from being placed where it belongs.  Their reaction has been a disgrace - and the polling shows that American people see that.