Joe Barton retires

[Landslide Lyndon]

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2017/11/30/rep-joe-barton-will-seek-re-election

Rep. Joe Barton, whose private life came under national scrutiny after sexual images he shared in an extramarital relationship were made public, won’t seek re-election.
The Ennis Republican announced his retirement in an interview with The Dallas Morning News on Thursday, three weeks after saying he would seek an 18th term.

"I’ve always listened to people in Texas and worked for them in Washington, and I’ve been listening to a lot of people the last week in Texas," he said. "...There are enough people who lost faith in me that it’s time to step aside and let there be a new voice for the 6th district in Washington, so I am not going to run for re-election."

[Keep cool-idge]

Good it’s the right thing to do.

[Attorney General, Senator-Elect, & Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Good

[MAINEiac4434]

Adios, HP

[Holmes]

I wonder how many Texas Representatives will be returning to DC in 2019.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Adios, HP

[Nyvin]

The Fort Worth parts of this district are trending to Dems, but 2018 is probably too early to flip it.

[IceSpear]

Maybe he can go work for BP now. Or be a plus size webcam model.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Adios, HP

[#gravelgang #lessiglad]

Adios, HP

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

Nice! Won't be missed!

Safe R ------->Likely R.

[Cactus Jack]

Adios to a massive HP and his tiny HP.

jesus christ

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Yay revenge porn! This surely isn't a horrible precedent to set at all!

[IceSpear]

Yay revenge porn! This surely isn't a horrible precedent to set at all!

Nowhere near as horrible as Barton's precedent of apologizing to a company that caused an oil spill which cost tens of billions of dollars and had horrific effects for the environment.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Yay revenge porn! This surely isn't a horrible precedent to set at all!

Nowhere near as horrible as Barton's precedent of apologizing to a company that caused an oil spill which cost tens of billions of dollars and had horrific effects for the environment.

Yes, the voting record of a politician is relevant in discussing whether or not revenge porn should result in their resignation, or the jailing of the person behind the revenge porn. That is also a great precedent to set.

[136or142]

I'll miss his manhood.

[136or142]

Yay revenge porn! This surely isn't a horrible precedent to set at all!

Nowhere near as horrible as Barton's precedent of apologizing to a company that caused an oil spill which cost tens of billions of dollars and had horrific effects for the environment.

Yes, the voting record of a politician is relevant in discussing whether or not revenge porn should result in their resignation, or the jailing of the person behind the revenge porn. That is also a great precedent to set.

You want to jail a person who hasn't even been tried yet?  What sort of precedent would that set?

I don't even think she's been charged.  As far as I know, the only evidence this is 'revenge porn' is because Joe Barton says that it is.

[IceSpear]

Yay revenge porn! This surely isn't a horrible precedent to set at all!

Nowhere near as horrible as Barton's precedent of apologizing to a company that caused an oil spill which cost tens of billions of dollars and had horrific effects for the environment.

Yes, the voting record of a politician is relevant in discussing whether or not revenge porn should result in their resignation, or the jailing of the person behind the revenge porn. That is also a great precedent to set.

Where did I say anything about his voting record? He apologized to a multinational company because Obama made them pay a settlement for the multiple deaths and countless amount of destruction they caused. He's human garbage. I'm glad he was cursed with a small dick, he deserves that too.

And who says the person who spread the revenge porn won't be charged?

[Cactus Jack]

Yay revenge porn! This surely isn't a horrible precedent to set at all!

Nowhere near as horrible as Barton's precedent of apologizing to a company that caused an oil spill which cost tens of billions of dollars and had horrific effects for the environment.

Yes, the voting record of a politician is relevant in discussing whether or not revenge porn should result in their resignation, or the jailing of the person behind the revenge porn. That is also a great precedent to set.

You want to jail a person who hasn't even been tried yet?  What sort of precedent would that set?

A Republican one. It's how they operate.

[KingSweden]

A terrible Congressman who should have been defeated for his views, not resign over revenge porn

[Brittain33]

A tremendous loss to the Republic. As if Churchill and Thomas Jefferson were stuck down on the same day.

[136or142]

Maybe this is old news now with the new allegations against two more members of Congress, but I think this is important for the record.

From the A.P, what I said earlier clearly seems to be correct.  The only evidence that Barton was a victim of revenge porn is that Barton himself made that claim "Barton suggested he could be the victim of online exploitation."

However, there is clearly more to this story: "About a week later (after the initial claims and counter claims) tea party organizer Kelly Canon came forward with Facebook Messenger exchanges from 2012 when Barton asked is she was wearing panties and made other sexual references."

The thing with me here is that apparently Barton sent nude pictures of himself to something like six women in a year, and I simply find it more believable that Barton sent at least some of those pictures unsolicited rather than that he had consensual relations with that many women in a single year.

Of course, it's possible that both could be true.  That the women he sent his nudes to who subsequently released them was in a consensual relationship with him while some of the others were unsolicited, but, if that is the case, he is not merely just a victim.

Of course it's not up for me to tell people how to address this issue, but if it is brought up further, I would appreciate it if Barton was referred to as an 'alleged victim of revenge porn.'

[Figueira]

A terrible Congressman who should have been defeated for his views, not resign over revenge porn

[Ye We Can]

What Republicans will run here?

[Landslide Lyndon]

What Republicans will run here?

I think his former chief of staff is already considering.