House GOP Leadership: Barton Was 'Wrong' On BP Apology -- And Spill Is A 'Natural Disaster'

[babylonsister]

This must have hurt the gop to actually admit one of their own is wrong. :(

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/house-gop-leadership-barton-was-wrong-on-bp-apology----and-spill-is-a-natural-disaster.php?ref=fpb

House GOP Leadership: Barton Was 'Wrong' On BP Apology -- And Spill Is A 'Natural Disaster'
Ben Frumin | June 17, 2010, 4:37PM


House Republican leadership has a strong message for Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX): You were wrong.

They also are rather strangely referring to the disastrous Gulf Coast oil spill as the "nation's largest natural disaster." (Emphasis added).

Barton apologized to BP this morning for the "tragedy" of its $20 billion fund to pay damage claims from the Gulf Coast oil spill. Barton has since apologized for apologizing to BP. Nonetheless, Reps. John Boehner (R-OH), Eric Cantor (R-VA), and Mike Pence (R-IN) released a joint statement this afternoon calling Barton's original statements "wrong."

"Congressman Barton's statements this morning were wrong. BP itself has acknowledged that responsibility for the economic damages lies with them and has offered an initial pledge of $20 billion dollars for that purpose."

Here's the full statement:

The oil spill in the Gulf is this nation's largest natural disaster and stopping the leak and cleaning up the region is our top priority. Congressman Barton's statements this morning were wrong. BP itself has acknowledged that responsibility for the economic damages lies with them and has offered an initial pledge of $20 billion dollars for that purpose.

The families and businesspeople in the Gulf region want leadership, accountability and action from BP and the Administration. It is unacceptable that, 59 days after this crisis began, no solution is forthcoming. Simply put, the American people want all of our resources, time and focus to be directed toward stopping the spill and cleaning up the mess.

[gateley]

1. This isn't the first time those fucks have referred to this as a natural disaster.

A natural disaster is a hurricane, not a company drilling a mile down into the ocean hoping to tap into a geyser. Apparently that's going to be their next talking point - I'm prepared to hear it endlessly until they're shamed into retracting THIS statement.

[Uncle Joe]

2. 1. There was nothing "natural" about it, this was an entirely human-made catastrophe.

2. The GOG is not a leak, it's a gusher.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.

[Turbineguy]

3. If they can bamboozle people into thinking that

then they can make it Obama's Katrina. Which from their perspective is stupid as well as it implies Bush gave a poor response to Katrina.

A more accurate description however would be "Cheney's Chernobyl".

[Phx_Dem]

4. Too late! No takebacks!!

:rofl:

I love it when Republicans step on their own d*cks.

[ProSense]

5. What a disingenuous bunch of assholes. n/t

[Bad Thoughts]

6. Is "natural disaster" a euphamism for an oil rig?

Does the GOP want "natural disasters" up and down all our coasts?

[nmbluesky]

7. (sigh) What's earth wrong with gop today

I need to know what is in their brain..

:crazy: :silly: :banghead:

[rzemanfl]

8. The next time I see a Republican I may have a natural disaster

in their face.

[Thrill]

9. Natural?

uh ok

[dgibby]

10. Anybody got this idiot's e-mail addy?

I'm thinking we need to shower him with a little DU "love".

[Mimosa]

11. Morons. How so 'natuaral disaster'?

That would be an earthquake or a tsunami...

[treestar]

12. What is it with them and this "natural disaster" thing?

Are they following boss Limbaugh on this one? :rofl:

[old mark]

13. C'mon, you commie liberals - if you drill a big hole for a high pressure oil well in the ocean floor

almost a mile deep, don't take proper precautions and use shoddy equpiment and cut safety corners on top of all that....what could be more natural than a disaster?

mark