Let's not lose it over this one. Defending BP is political suicide and it is the democrats dream that Republicans go for it. They already are trying to claim all Republicans think BP is the victim here.
An angry listener critical of Republicans for caving called Rush on this yesterday and Rush (who was talking this same theme previously) explained to him that he (Rush) does not have to get elected and that defending BP would cause election problems, and that he (Rush) didn't mean to defend BP. I normally rip Republicans for folding but pushing this line of argument is pointless given BP is the bad guy. Especially for a party that generally supported TARP when they were in power.
Better to defend against energy taxes and drilling restrictions against other energy companies that had nothing to do with this leak.
It's about defending the rule of law and the Constitution, not BP. And these 3 Republicans do not have to get re-elected. If fact, I wish they wouldn't! They should be replaced by Republicans that have a spine!
Obama took tons of BP money. Any politician bring this up on the national stage?
NO
Yes, but nobody was defending BP.
"and it is the democrats dream that Republicans go for it. They already are trying to claim all Republicans think BP is the victim here."
You appear to have missed the issue here. The Congressman was not talking about BP: he was talking about our Constitution basic principles that were violated in the process of handling BP.
If someone commits murder during breakfast, nobody discussed what the murderer and the judge think of breakfast: it is merely incidental. Obama has once again wounded the Constitution, and that it happened in his dealings with BP is also coincidental and irrelevant.
It is a sad fact that (i) most people in this country, including so-called conservatives, are so inflicted with victimhood mentality that they take sides rather than stand on principles; and (ii) the GOP leader are not only any better, they assume that all of us lack principles, and apologize where they should stand firm. Instead of apologizing, they sould've enunciated the principles better and explained what Congressman's remarks were really about (not BP at all).
As it stands, the GOP played into the hands of Obama. It is because even Republicans do not stand on principle that we have have socialist anti-Americans running the country.
We can't use the mainstream media for a nuanced message like dems can - so you're probably right on this sickoflibs.
Even if dems are doing a shakedown - even if it's a slush fund - we have to get on board until it's "unexpectedly" discovered that the bulk of the money went to dem victim groups - and not to the majority of people who suffered from the spill...
Should we also act shocked and "oh so surprised" when that happens?
Yes. Obama wants to tie GOP to “evil oil giants” in general. No need to play into his hands.
Watching Obama destroy one corporation after another, setting precedence after precedence, to further the Fascist party line, is not a winning move IMO.
There are plenty of Democrats on the coast, including political party office holders, who have come out against this ignorant president on the issue of the moratorium on drilling, including B.P.
We’re not losing folks by defending B.P. on principle IMO.
Sure you’ll get a wing-nut call once in a while, but we get wing-nut calls on almost every subject. Do we avoid every touchy issue then? No.
Talk common sense and solid policy, and good people will flock to you.
Obama is catching hell from every quarter these days. It’s no time to avoid providing a reasoned alternative voice IMO. This is perhaps the most important time to do it in decades.