Cowardly, maybe, but also predictable and entirely in character.

There’s never a shortage of outrage to manufacture if you’re a republican. Ever.

“It’s cowardly for Republicans to scapegoat him for it.”
Nope; it’s just another SOP for Republicans; it’s called ‘being thrown under the bus.”

Frank Rich is on it also here (today’s NYT):

When Joe Barton, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, revived Rand Paul’s defense of BP last week by apologizing on camera to Hayward for the “tragedy” of the White House’s “$20 billion shakedown,” the G.O.P. establishment had to shut him down because he was revealing the party’s true loyalties, not because it disagreed with him. Barton was merely echoing Michele Bachmann, who labeled the $20 billion for gulf victims a “redistribution-of-wealth fund,” and the 100-plus other House members whose Republican Study Committee had labeled the $20 billion a “Chicago-style shakedown” only a day before Barton did.

Barton will probably start donating heavily to other Rethug election PAC’s as a kiss-up.

Wow. Blatant Republican hypocrisy.

In other news, the sun rose this morning.

But BT is dead on right about calling them cowards. Wish more would point that out. They are nothing but a bunch of hypocritical, crying, whining, cowards.

And assholes.

This is sort of off topic but I just had a revelation while I was reading about Bloody Bill Kristol once again jumping acrobatically through the hoops of reality. The reason that the media continues to use people like Kristol who are always, constantly totally and disastrously wrong is because they are good at making statements that are entirely inconsistent with reality and their own previously stated positions that sound reasonable, at least to an intellectually vapid audience. Want to criticize a Democrat for doing the same thing that they were just recently praising a Republican for? Call in Kristol or Brooks or Krauthammer. They don’t need a history of being right or even credible, just one of an ability to bullsh*t successfully.

Remember that Barton is also unpopular within some factions of the GOP. He was head of the Energy Committee when the Reps were in charge, and ran the comm in a dictatorial and obnoxious fashion. Then he made a run at Bohner as Minority Leader.

It’s a little like the downfall of Trent Lott. I am sure everyone will recall that it was the Republicans, not the Democrats, who forced him from his Senate leadership spot in the wake of his Strom Thurmond gaffe.

Well, Freud’s formulation for this would be the psychological defense mechanism of “projection.” It would be laughable were it not for the fact so many folk will buy into this nonsense.

It’s cowardly for Republicans to scapegoat him for it.

Oh come on now, that’s just unfair. It is what they do every time there is a public backlash against someone publicly stating the official party line.

Repugs can change their position at any moment and back again the next. Scary part is they seem to get away with it all. They can say the most outrageous things (like Angle in Nevada or this guy) and their base never grows weary of it. In fact, the crazies are coming out of the woodwork seeing a big victory in November. If they get control of congress you can be sure they will run impeachment up the flag pole.

Looks like I owe EDP and TobyWollin a beverage of their choice.

Barton — just like Rand Paul — is only in trouble because he belched up GOP articles of faith when everyone was looking.

I almost spewed my coffee when I came upon on that visual.

Yea, the song and dance just ain’t workin’ anymore: “The Muppet Show. Gilda Radner – Tap Your Troubles Away

Ever see a Corporate Feedlot?
Before they are slaughtered, the animals get a short while to play a game.
It’s a game that could be called Kings of the Shitpiles

Even though it’s just a Shitpile, that’s the spot the top specemins want’s to occupy.

Joe barton was just doing the normal Repug thing —
…He was aiming to occupy the Top of one of the Shitpiles,,,
problem is he piled it too high & just got pushed off by the real Kings of the Shitpiles.

Can’t you just see the future? President Palin with her cabinet of Carly, Witman, Angle and Paul and Limbaugh calling the shots. And the old joke McCain, along with Libermann and Wolfowitz,looking for a war with Iran.

Makes us all happy, just buy a round for the house!

Hypocritters.

This fear mongering for D votes might work better if there were actually some material difference between that future you envision and the one we envision with Obama, Ben Nelson, and Lieberman running things. But since they’re basically the same, this tactic of trying to scare folks into voting for D’s simply because they’re not R’s is likely not to work as well. But good luck with it.

And as for your remark of an R Congress likely running impeachment up the flagpole, just wondering how many times in the past you called for the impeachment of W and how fast you would’ve called for impeachment if W had announced that he had authority to order the assassination of American citizens on foreign soil with no due process? Cause I’m betting it would’ve been right quick.

Hypocrisy is still hypocrisy, even when it’s D’s doing it.

Rep. Joe Barton Likes BP — and the Company Likes Him Back with …Jun 17, 2010 … Joe Barton (R-Texas), today issued an apology to Hayward for his harsh … p.m.:) Barton’s biggest single corporate contributor, Anadarko …
http://www.opensecrets.org/…/barton-likes-bp-and-they-like-him-b-1.html – Cached

NOTE: “Its hard to get a man to understand something when his (paycheck) campaign contributions depend upon him NOT understanding it.”HL Mencken

Actually, the quote is from Upton Sinclair. It is on my office door.

He better keep his $ for his own campaign.

He came in 2002 with ~70% and 2006 with ~60% of the votes.
In the presidential election years he got in 2004 – 66% & 2008 – 62%
At 60% McCain trailed GWB’s numbers by 6%

As can be seen, the district was already trending (yes it still has a long way to go) but this candidate is down & bleeding, metaphorically speaking.

normally Traitor Joe Barton would have won reelection.

What is a possible game changer however;
now it’s clear he is bound by allegiances foreign to America’s interest,
and is therefore unqualified to serve in Government in any official capacity.

His non-apology is crap. He is unfit for office.
If the dems let this asshole back up to fight again they r crazy.
There is a good chance he can be defeated at the polls if all goes a certain way,,,
But -
Traitor Joe Barton’s impeachment is the only worthy remedy.

Ya know, yer spelling sux, but I have seen many a stockyard, and I think your analogy is fucking way smart. I wish everybody had seen corp stockyards, cuz, it really is a good analogy.

The Barton misdirection was clearly necessary. When the course lead to the single message from the likes of Palin and Rush earlier that day, the folks that coordinate these kinds of on message attacks thought they were doing OK. Then Barton comes on and takes the groveling too far. The message then clearly got big billing on the MSM, instead of simply the the faithful, so Barton was cut loose to save the rest of the message insiders. Palin, Rush and North live to slander another day.

Book Salon a couple of flights upstairs with Joseph Romm’s Straight Up: America’s Fiercest Climate Blogger Takes on the Status Quo Media, Politicians, and Clean Energy Solutions hosted by Josh Nelson

TY,Dr. Dick.

For some reason I continue to confuse those two.

LoL.. TY for the “fucking way smart.”
Could be a button.

But except for my shortcuts (dems = democrats; r = are; etc.) I can’t figure what u mean by my “spelling sux”

Cheers

Oh yea, I C Specimins & want’s is I guess, also eh-eh eh-eh.

Funny though, at first I had spelled Specimens correctly but went back & fuck’d it up.

Good post, and no offense intended but my response is:

Annnnnnd you’re suprised by this why?

Figures. Barton managed to get busted for saying exactly what the Republicans think/feel/do/behave, but it was an inconvenient truth at the wrong moment. Hence: under the bus with Barton.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Republican about-face when they all lock-step together and start bitching about how unfaaaaaair it is to poor beleagured BP. Hypocritcal much? Sure. And as Dick Cheney would say: SO????

Clearly the serfs – whether Republican or Democratic – aren’t really paying much attention; aren’t bothered (really) by Republican hypocrisy and double-standards; so what? Who cares? Next???

Minor point: I really hate it when liars like Barton try to put the blame on the listener by purporting to apologize because his remarks were “misconstrued”! No one misconstrued his very clear, abject, grovelling, and seditious apology.

I don’t think that Mr. Barton should have apologized for what he said. He was only protecting his interests!

As far as those who made him apologize, well, they are just keeping their nose clean, or should I say seats.

But at least now we all know were the Republicans stand, including those constituents who follow the party. As well as the blogs, Fox News, Talk Radio, and everyone else that says that BP shouldn’t pay for the clean-up, and those hardworking stiffs on the Gulf Coast.

The more the oil keeps spewing the more the Republicans are going to F*ck-up.

Republicans stand for Corporations instead of People!!!