Two points about Barton's apology the media are fumbling

[BurtWorm]

1: Barton did not originate the "shakedown" frame. The House conservative caucus leader Tom Price of Georgia used the very same language the previous day. The Republicans in the House were clearly planning to push that frame until it became obvious what a disastrously stupid idea that was, thanks to Barton's testing it in so public a forum.

2: The most egregious aspect of Barton's apology was not the "shakedown" bit, but his use of the words "ashamed" to describe his feelings about an attempt to forward justice for the victims of BP's negligence and, much worse, "a tragedy of the first proportion" to describe the "shakedown" of a corporation that is killing the Gulf by a government that enabled it in the first place. These turns of phrase explain the Republican position to a T: Tragedy to a Republican is that the government sides with people and the environment over corporations and wealth-generation. Of course the real tragedy is that we ever allow people like Barton and the Republicans in positions of power in the government at all.

[OHdem10]

1. The Republican Party is the party of BIG BUSINESS(Corporations)

After the Democrats went DLC-Centrist, the enableed the
GOP to hide their loyalty to BB. If a Democrat makes
this accusation, the Republicans rub their(Democrats)
faces in their Corporate Ties.

Sure the frame was there--check out Limbaugh and Hate Radio
yesterday. The carrier pigeon did not get to Barton in
time. He apparently did not get a message to stop the
"slush fund" line in time.

[CurtEastPoint]

2. I love how the Price (R-GA) angle was buried deep in the Atlanta papers within the Barton article.

Shameless whores. The media and them!

[gratuitous]

3. Yes, Barton said he was ashamed

Anyone recall how forgiving and understanding the GO(B)P has been about Michelle Obama's remarks that she was ashamed of America's past due to the injustices of race relations? Now there's something shameful. But Barton is "ashamed" of America because it's holding a malefactor responsible for what may be the greatest atrocity ever perpetrated against the environment. He's apparently ashamed because he's worried that BP won't be able to make its usual and customary contributions to his campaign fund because of this "shakedown."

Thankfully, everybody in all the popular media know precisely what Rep. Barton meant - or meant to really say - when he said he was "ashamed" of America. So none of them will have the bad taste to ask him about that, or presume they know what he meant, and we can all forget about it very soon. Like, before the next news cycle begins. Mmmkay?

[KurtNYC]

4. 1. "Shakedown" is slanderous 2. His influence peddling is obvious

"Shakedown" accuses the POTUS of a high crime.

The irony that a shakedown is usually extortion, while influence peddling is slightly nicer version of what he slanderously alleges is lost on our disconnect-the-dots media.

[BurtWorm]

5. 'Shakedown' is code word for 'mugging'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8586780

[G_j]

6. K&R