Sweet Home Alabama

But it's so beautiful!
Photographer: Dave Martin/AP

US Rep Joe Barton said today:

"I'm speaking now totally for myself, I'm not speaking for the Republican Party, I'm not speaking for anybody in the House of Representatives, but myself. But I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday.

I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown, in this case a $20 billion shakedown, with the Attorney General of the United States, who is legitimately conducting a criminal investigation and has every right to do so to protect the interests of the American people, participating in what amounts to a $20 billion slush fund that's unprecedented in our nation's history, that's got not legal standing, and which sets I think a terrible precedent for the future."

Gosh Joe, you say you aren't speaking for the Rethugs!?

Say it ain't so Joe, because in your prepared remarks you echoed exactly the talking points prepared for you by the Republican Study Committee!

So make up your dammed minds rethugs; either the government isn't doing enough or it's doing too much.

It's sure easy for Barton (R-TX_BP) to say, his Gulf coast is up wind and tides and his biggest contributor is the oily industry.

Even rethuglicans disagree:

"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," House GOP leaders John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence said in a statement.

Now, what do you own the world?

Any sane person should find this despicable:

BP’s long-term credibility was at stake last night as its chief executive fought to halt a headlong slide in its stock price and the Obama Administration announced a criminal investigation into the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.

After losing a third of its value in six weeks, BP is expected to promise shareholders this week that their annual dividend — more than $10 billion last year — will be maintained.

More than £12 billion was wiped off the company’s value yesterday as President Obama vowed to bring to justice those responsible for what he called “the greatest environmental disaster of its kind in our history”.

Eric Holder, the US Attorney-General, announced a criminal and civil investigation, to be conducted by the FBI and other federal agencies, after meeting local officials in New Orleans. “If we find evidence of illegal behaviour we will be forceful in our response,” he said after BP shares endured their worst day’s trading in more than two decades, dragging down the FTSE 100 and with it the value of dozens of leading pension funds.

$10 billion dividend?

This takes tone deaf to a new level. Seriously, Tony Hayward is asking to be hurt. While I doubt he will be, he should talk with security folks before appearing in public anytime soon.

Of course, Holder could simply arrest him . . .

Bastard.


I looked for a good song with "hurt", "die" or "kill" in the lyrics, came up short. This will have to do (ignore the short commercial please):