Rest assured, Don Tony, that because of the respect you have shown me I will spend your money wisely . . .
Posted on 06/17/2010 11:45:20 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The first apology that rang out in a congressional hearing about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on Thursday was not from BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward.
It was from Texas Republican Representative Joe Barton, who apologized to Hayward for BP's having to agree to a deal with President Barack Obama to set up a $20 billion fund for Gulf damage claims.
"I'm speaking totally for myself, I'm not speaking for the Republican party ... but I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday," Barton said.
He called it "a tragedy of the first proportion, that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown, a $20 billion shakedown."
Barton's point was that BP should pay for damage claims but should be allowed to follow the "due process and fairness" of the American legal system.
...
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs quickly denounced Barton and called on members of both parties to repudiate his comments.
"What is shameful is that Joe Barton seems to have more concern for big corporations that caused this disaster than the fishermen, small business owners and communities whose lives have been devastated by the destruction," said Gibbs.
BARTON NOT ALONE
Barton is not alone among Republicans holding this view.
Georgia Republican Representative Tom Price, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative House members, issued a statement on Wednesday arguing the same point.
He said the White House does not have the legal authority to compel a private company to set up and fund an escrow account. The White House has dismissed such criticism.
Price said BP's willingness to go along with the White House's new fund suggests that the Obama administration is "hard at work exerting its brand of Chicago-style shakedown politics."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Maybe it could have been less than $20 billion if Zero had defended our coast better?
And we all know BP is in bed with Obama, I say it was ‘protection money’ from further ruining them than Obama has already done...
Yeah, I’ve been wondering how many billion in damages the New Jersey unions have absorbed from the gulf spill. Bet you a lot more money goes to United Auto Workers than shrimp fishermen.
A fine time to find priniciples, eh?
It wasn’t simply the legal point, but the groveling, demeaning apology delivered from the appropriate prostrate position.
Setting the PR aspect aside, I applaud people who stand up for the rule of law and recognize mafia style politics for what they are....and unabashedly say so.
The Democrats and their sychophants in the mainstream media are characterizing this as standing for the greedy corporations.
In fact, Rep. Barton and others are expressing concern at how this precedent will enable the government to levy fines without a trial. That is a step toward rule by decree, which is a threat to us all.
What would Reuters call it? Does Reuters admire it when the Administration acts like Chavez?
We have laws in this country that establish liability. We don’t need Obama and his stupid side-kick, Biden, demanding money from corporations.
What would Reuters call it? Does Reuters admire it when the Administration acts like Chavez?
We have laws in this country that establish liability. We don’t need Obama and his stupid side-kick, Biden, demanding money from corporations.
Yes, I'm reminded of the other Republican who did the same exact thing - Barry Goldwater, who not coincidentally lost in a landslide and gave Johnson another 4 years to expand the New Deal.
Principled stands are great but they rarely win many elections.
Rule of law makes you do the right thing but it also protects you from the mob when things go wrong. Its Wyatt Earp standing off the lynch mob even though the guy in the cell is guilty.
In O’s world, Wyatt and the lynch mob clean out the perp’s pockets and if they get enough out of him, they let him go.
This is how third world thugocracies operate. This is exactly how they operate.
The question that needs to be asked about the SLUSH FUND is why did BP agree to it so quickly?
BP is a multibillion dollar company. They have lawyers. They knew they could fight this. So what did they get in exchange?
“Price said BP’s willingness to go along with the White House’s new fund suggests that the Obama administration is “hard at work exerting its brand of Chicago-style shakedown politics.”
Criminals of one sort or another always prey on the weakest in society, and the Left is certainly weak in the brains department, thus they are the useful idiots of the criminals that comprise the Chicago-style shakedown, and are now in power due those idiots of the Left, the PC idiots of the Right, and Independents.
None of this truly represents the entirety of the American people. It’s a contrivance of Leftists funded by the National, International criminal element that has bullied, and purchased their way into the leadership of that weak element known as the nitwit Left.
Even the nitwit Leftists are pee’d off, but from a Leftditz perspective.
I think American’s are catching the act. C’mon November.
This just wee wees me up, along with some of the comments from other FReepers who seem to think Barton is handing Dems some ammo for his remarks this morning. BP hasn't done anything to indicate they will be welshing out of this thing, have they? I'm sorry, I think I missed the footage of the CEO and the other execs enjoying vacations with their families while the oil gushes (as we have with 0bama), telling the camera "Pshaw, money? For what, fishermen?"
The language used, the implications being made are that BP would not pony up this dough unless 0bama made it happen. It is outrageous -- the apology owed is for the sly impression being levied that BP is nothing but a bunch of crooks.
The coverage is almost impossible to watch, Hayward is so astoundingly inept that even the Barton has now turned on him.
CNN is running a continuous live feed of the leak split screen during his testimony - This HAS to be the worst corporate PR disaster in history - I’m just in complete awe of the stupidity of whoever decided this was a viable strategy.
Which goes back to my original post to you, "ya think they set it this way up deliberately?"
It’s a shakedown - gee you think?
Yes, from that perspective, absolutely.
Our country is becoming Venezuela faster than Venezuela itself.
Rest assured, Don Tony, that because of the respect you have shown me I will spend your money wisely . . .
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