Democrats have pounced on Rep. Joe Barton’s statements this morning in a House Energy Committee oversight hearing apologizing to BP for the White House’s “shakedown” of the company, referring to the $20 billion fund for damages BP agreed yesterday to set up. Barton’s remarks:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj1lrvNDkCE]
In the less than three hours since he uttered those words, the DCCC has launched facebook ads and a petition that Barton retract “his shameful apology,” the DNC has sent out five press releases highlighting other Republicans who’ve expressed concerns about the escrow account (by their tally: Haley Barbour, Dino Rossi, Michele Bachmann, the Republican Study Committee and Rudy Giuliani), the DSCC put out a statement, Nancy Pelosi’s office circulated a story on Barton to reporters and lefty groups Media Matters and the Campaign for Fair Elections also put out statements. Not to mention the White House. Something tells me that Dems think this is a winning subject for them.
So far the only GOP response has been House Minority Leader John Boehner distancing himself from Barton’s remarks:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XULzNec0QQ]
Update:
At least one Republican, Jeff Miller of Florida, is calling on Barton to resign, Politico reports.