United States Congress

Representative Joe Barton has got a lot of nerve. In a shocking turn of events last week, Rep. Barton issued an apology that belies his lack of moral fiber and willingness to buckle under pressure.

Last Thursday during BP President Tony Hayward’s questioning at the House committee hearing, Barton called the unprecedented $20 billion escrow account for victims of the gulf oil disaster a “shakedown.” He apologized to Hayward for the treatment he received from the White House and the American public. This is to be expected, after all BP and individuals associated with the corporation have donated some $27,350 to Barton’s political campaigns since 1990.

What’s truly shocking is his subsequent apology for the apology. Barton pulled a quick about-face on the subject, saying that he retracted his apology to BP and regreted implying  that “BP should not pay for the consequences of their decisions and actions in this incident.”

We are deeply saddened by this cowardly turn from the Texas rep. To think that a representative could turn on an ally of 20 years due to political pressure from their party is absolutely mind boggling. The oil industry put Barton where he is today, and it is his responsibility to remember those dollars when the proverbial shit hits the fan. Tony Hayward has had his life turned upside down for 60 days over a simple hardware malfunction and if 30k isn’t enough to buy some well-deserved sympathy in Washington, something has gone very wrong.

We at United States Congress would like to apologize for Barton’s apology for his apology. It has always been our policy to serve the interests of our biggest supporters in their time of need, and we hope that BP and all oil companies operating in the United States will remember who their biggest fans are this election cycle.

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