US Representative apologizes to BP

[Darius11 12]

So your for allowing foreign companies to LITEARLY destroy are land and water without being held accountable? and let me guess that’s the patriotic thing in your world right?


WOW
Don’t agree on much ever but cant see how anyone can be on BPs side on this one.


Again I ask does your hate for Obama eclipse your love for your country?

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[rushmc 18]

Quote

So your for allowing foreign companies to LITEARLY destroy are land and water without being held accountable? and let me guess that’s the patriotic thing in your world right?


WOW
Don’t agree on much ever but cant see how anyone can be on BPs side on this one.


Again I ask does your hate for Obama eclipse your love for your country?

Go read up thread my friend
You missed my position so bad I can only think of a Forest Gump famous quote

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[TrophyHusband 0]

Quote

Quote

i've heard the apology on fow news on more than one occasion yesterday.

Which means that once their splice-job was outed publicly, they "fixed" it. Presto change-o! Doesn't change that they did it and tried to get away with it.

I'm sure that they'll try to pretend it didn't happen; but if really pressed, they'll just claim they were just editing for space. But with Fox's existing history of deliberate distortions, they simply have no credibility.

try again. i heard the apology yesterday starting shortly after the hearing was over. you can say what you want, some website can say what they want, but i fucking heard it.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[futuredivot 0]

Quote

Does any one think BP should not be held responsible for the damage they caused if they are proven to be negligent?

Has anybody said that? Yes BP has the liability for their actions-But the Prez shouldn't have tried to hide 2 months of inactivity and indecision by slamming the company and quite possibly damaging their ability to pay the obligation. It wasn't leadership, it was petulance, a politically motivated hissy fit. An attempt to appear strong because everyone except the FAR left leaning reality deniers are starting to ask "What the hell has he actually done...ever" and there is no answer.

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[billvon 2,446]

> Yes, hold BP accountable. But that is not congress's job.

Uh, actually, it is. For example, there is currently a loophole that caps an oil company's liability at $75 million. That's a law that may have to be changed - and that's the job of Congress.

>What was the purpose of dragging them in front of Congress other
>than political grand standing?

Well, for one, to determine how it happened. Once they know how it happened they can determine how to pass laws (which is their job, for those of you who never opened a civics textbook) to help prevent this in the future.

Also political grandstanding, of course. Which is what politicians do best, next to getting votes and kissing babies. After all, they're mostly hot air most of the time. Fortunately, most don't apologize to companies that cause catastrophes.

[billvon 2,446]

>Many have assumed here that my supporting Barton indicates that
>I must some how think bp should be not held responsible for the mess.
>That is NOT the case.

Fair enough. Do you agree with Barton's apology to BP?

[rushmc 18]

Quote

>Many have assumed here that my supporting Barton indicates that
>I must some how think bp should be not held responsible for the mess.
>That is NOT the case.

Fair enough. Do you agree with Barton's apology to BP?

Yes

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[Remster 24]

Quote

Quote

>Many have assumed here that my supporting Barton indicates that
>I must some how think bp should be not held responsible for the mess.
>That is NOT the case.

Fair enough. Do you agree with Barton's apology to BP?

Yes

Must feel pretty lonely in your house...

Remster

[skyrider 0]

That Apoligy was the biggest crock is shit I have ever witnessed....he obviously no longer needs a job!

[rushmc 18]

Quote

Quote

Quote

>Many have assumed here that my supporting Barton indicates that
>I must some how think bp should be not held responsible for the mess.
>That is NOT the case.

Fair enough. Do you agree with Barton's apology to BP?

Yes

Must feel pretty lonely in your house...

I do not base my opinions on what others think of my opinions (unlike the left, media and politicians)

Try it some time

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[airdvr 200]

Quote

Fair enough. Do you agree with Barton's apology to BP?

Last time I checked we live under the rule of law. We have laws to deal with these incidents. I too would like to apologize to BP for being dragged in front of an absolutley useless dog and pony show while there is work to be done.

I know you progressives hate it but this is where capitalism is self healing. You think BP would have a snowball's chance in hell of continuing to operate in the US if they didn't attend to these problems? Now we're in bed with them. Excellent.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[ChangoLanzao 0]

Quote

That Apoligy was the biggest crock is shit I have ever witnessed....he obviously no longer needs a job!

Which one? The apology, the apology for the apology, or the retraction of the apology?

[ryoder 1,403]

Well, there is a strong precedent for this sort of apology:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/6047

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[billvon 2,446]

>Last time I checked we live under the rule of law.

Indeed we do. And sometimes when people violate our laws they are held responsible. Sometimes they have to appear before Congress to explain themselves; sometimes (gasp!) they even have to appear in court.

>I too would like to apologize to BP for being dragged in front of an
>absolutley useless dog and pony show while there is work to be done.

And if the shoe were on the other foot, and it was Greenpeace that accidentally rammed a tanker and caused a spill - would you apologize to them, too? After all, they could be out there stopping other people from drilling instead of sitting in a stupid dog and pony show.

There are a strangely large number of people willing to defend a foreign company that has caused an unprecedented environmental and economic catastrophe here in the US. The most charitable rationalization I can imagine them using is "well, if it hurts Obama, it's got to be a good thing." Which is a piss-poor attitude to take on one of the worst catastrophes the Gulf has ever seen, IMO.

> You think BP would have a snowball's chance in hell of continuing to
> operate in the US if they didn't attend to these problems?

If people like Barton remain in charge? You bet your ass. They'll get an apology, a bunch of environmental and regulatory laws will be repealed to "help get them back on their feet" and "help Americans deal with the oil shortage" or whatever - and the next spill will be that much worse.

In 1979, Ixtoc 1 suffered a blowout and a fire when they were drilling in the Gulf. They tried to activate the BOP valve but it failed. It was spilling an estimated 30,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf. They tried a top kill; it failed. They tried pumping ball bearings, steel balls and other debris into the well; that failed too. They then started drilling relief wells.

Is any of this starting to sound familiar yet?

It took several relief wells to stop the flow, nine months later. It ended up being the third largest oil spill in history.

So the answer to your question is not just "you bet your ass" the answer is also "We DID have this happen before, and drilling DID continue in the Gulf without attending to these problems."

We didn't learn from our last mistake, and we won't learn from this one if people like Barton remain in charge.

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Quote

Quote

i've heard the apology on fow news on more than one occasion yesterday.

Which means that once their splice-job was outed publicly, they "fixed" it. Presto change-o! Doesn't change that they did it and tried to get away with it.

I'm sure that they'll try to pretend it didn't happen; but if really pressed, they'll just claim they were just editing for space. But with Fox's existing history of deliberate distortions, they simply have no credibility.

try again. i heard the apology yesterday starting shortly after the hearing was over. you can say what you want, some website can say what they want, but i fucking heard it.

Why are you being an apologist's apologist's apologist? You should apologize.

[airdvr 200]

Quote

Sometimes they have to appear before Congress to explain themselves

Let me know when that happens. Maybe Thursday? That proceeding was useful how?

Quote

Greenpeace that accidentally rammed

Greenpeace wouldn't accidentally ram anything.

Quote

Which is a piss-poor attitude to take on one of the worst catastrophes the Gulf has ever seen,

Kinda like when Oblamer seized upon the spill to advance his energy policy?

Quote

the answer is also "We DID have this happen before, and drilling DID continue in the Gulf without attending to these problems."

Convenient that you left out who owned and operated the rig.

Quote

We didn't learn from our last mistake, and we won't learn from this one if people like Barton remain in charge.

Tell me again what it was that we learned yesterday.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[billvon 2,446]

>Greenpeace wouldn't accidentally ram anything.

You're pretty much proving my point, here.

>Kinda like when Oblamer . . .

Yep, kind of like when Obama made an energy policy decision that would help end the need for new oil platforms and their associated spills. I agree with that decision.

Just as a side note, you guys have got to come up with a better slur. I mean, Odumbo, Obamer, Obushma, Oblamer . . . the constant changing makes it seem like you can't even agree on how to best belittle him.

>Convenient that you left out who owned and operated the rig.

Pemex. And that means - nothing. If the next spill occurs because an Exxon rig has a blowout due to cost-cutting, and the BOP fails because the shear rams hit a tool joint again, and a top-kill attempt fails, will people say "oh well, never could have seen this one coming; the last one was BP?"

>Tell me again what it was that we learned yesterday.

Yesterday? That we should not apologize to the people who are responsible for catastrophes. Over the past month? That BP is sorta lying about stuff. Over the past three months? That oil companies probably can't be trusted to prevent massive spills.

[TrophyHusband 0]

Quote

Why are you being an apologist's apologist's apologist? You should apologize.

i'm sorry, i just can't apologize. for that i owe you an apology.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[Lucky... 0]

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote

>Many have assumed here that my supporting Barton indicates that
>I must some how think bp should be not held responsible for the mess.
>That is NOT the case.

Fair enough. Do you agree with Barton's apology to BP?

Yes

Must feel pretty lonely in your house...

I do not base my opinions on what others think of my opinions (unlike the left, media and politicians)

Try it some time

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/worldonthemove/reports/the-cuckoo-chorus/

[Gawain 0]

Quote

Quote

While we don't know how the discussions off camera have been, the rhetoric out of President Obama since he decided to get involved a couple weeks ago has done nothing to help. BPs value has shrunk by 50%. 1 in 7 investing Americans and 1 in 6 investing British have a connection to BP. Pension plans that require their holdings to offer a dividend may have to offload BP further.

Wow.....just WOW.....an American conservative talking like a communist. Insinuating that the state is responsible to uphold the value of a company because it impacts the populace.

Oh please. I insinuated no such thing. I stated clearly that the rhetoric and action of the Administration was artificially pushing BP share values down. In fact, you can see their stock chart and time the dips to the President's remarks. Up until the first remarks, the sell-off/value was in an orderly readjustment. BP was still going to pay its dividend while owning up to their full responsibility to the Gulf.

Enter the community organizer - BP announces a freeze on their dividend payments for the balance of the year. Sell off. More rhetoric from the White House, another dip. The Oval Office address, down again. Fully half of the devaluation since the explosion started on May 25-28 time-frame to now. That was not a market correction, that was direction action as a result of shady pressure from Chicago politics in action.

Quote

Quote

Meanwhile, the children in the administration are demanding billions that BP no longer has because their market cap is half of what it used to be, and on the coattails of what BP has already publicly stated it would do time and again in addition to full mitigation of the affected area.

Markets love certainty. stock is up now that an amount has been established. BP's legal liability is capped at $75 million. I wonder what they were promised or told to blow that far past that amount.

Ooooh...a whole $0.05 cents! And no dividend! Pension plans and mutual funds are going to kill the stock as they sell off to meet their commitment to the investors/pensioners. The restitution fund is $5B/year for the next four years. Certainly, BP will pay more than that. However, now that they have committed what is a full 20% of their current market cap (basically eliminating their ROE).

I've exonerated BP of nothing, but this administration is not leading squat. The first response was to send in the lawyers, reject help citing the Jones Act (which could have been waived in seconds and was waived by President Bush following Katrina) and now we have a fund that I guarantee you will get f**ked by the lawyers on the back-side in one way or another.

There should be one priority while the relief wells are being drilled: contain the spill/gush with any and all means available.

Once that's done, create a team to do an after action report, reign in the affected parties for relief/recovery, and have the Justice Dept assess criminal/civil action.

[Amazon 7]

Quote

Quote

Seems to be a really large one based on the campaign contributions he has recieved.... ... I wonder how many more they have bought and paid for to Texican politicians.

how big can it be based on 27k over 20 years? As two of us have tried to correct - the 1.4M number is a lie.

HMMM looks like he has done ok from the energy peeps after all.. I would even say he has some bona fide interest in keeping them VERY HAPPY

Will the Real Joe Barton please stand up?

Quote

Following college Barton entered private industry until 1981 when he became a White House Fellow and served under United States Secretary of Energy James B. Edwards. Later, he began consulting for Atlantic Richfield Oil and Gas Co. before being elected to the United States Congress in 1984.[3]

Things that make ya go HMMMMMMMM

Quote

Former Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee,[4][5] primary House author of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and chairman of the House-Senate energy conference committee.[citation needed]
Both initiated and eliminated "safe harbor" provision for MTBE (in Energy Policy Act of 2005).[6][7]

Quote

Committee on Energy and Commerce (Ranking Member)

No wonder Marc LOVES this guy so much

Quote

In 2005, prompted by a February 2005 Wall Street Journal article,[10] Rep. Barton launched an investigation into two climate change studies from 1998 and 1999.[4] In his letters to the authors of the studies, he requested not just details on the studies themselves but significant information about their entire lives and previous studies. Some view it as a normal exercise of the committee's responsibility and an effort to make possible scientific debate on a subject within its jurisdiction [11] The Washington Post condemned Barton's investigation as a "witch-hunt".[12

Quote

In 2006, Barton earned two "environmental harm demerits" from Republicans for Environmental Protection, the first "for derailing floor passage of a sense of the House resolution ... acknowledging climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions"; the second, "for holding hearings, in his role as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, designed to intimidate climate scientists and raise doubt about the impacts and causes of climate change."[13

OH MY what have we here

Quote

Campaign funding
During his political career, the industries that have been Barton's largest contributors were oil and gas ($1.4 million donated), electric utilities ($1.3 million) and health professionals ($1.1 million)[26] He is ranked first among members of the United States House of Representatives for the most contributions received from the oil and gas industry, and number five among all members of Congress.[27] His largest corporate contributor, Anadarko Petroleum, owns a 25 percent share in the Macondo Prospect, the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.[28]

Quote

The Barton Family Foundation was established to support charities within the congressman's district. His daughter-in-law, Amy Barton, is the Foundation's Executive Director. Major energy corporations, such as the Chicago-based nuclear energy producer, Exelon Corporation, make major gifts to the Foundation. In June 2008, at a time when Barton had introduced legislation to assist corporations with the recycling of spent nuclear fuel, the corporation donated $25,000 to the Foundation. Exelon has also donated $80,000 to Barton's campaign funds. 29]

Gee I dont know what YOU consider being in bed with BIG ENERGY

[kelpdiver 2]

Oh, no doubt he's an oil man. He's a Texas legislator, for christ's sake. But saying he apologized to BP because they gave him 1.4M is a lie on two different fronts.

[pirana 0]

Ever notice that the head of most regulatory bodies are basically a rotating job passed around to executives of the industry being regulated?

Is this the first time someone has noticed that legislators almost always come down firmly supoporting their biggest campaign contributors?

Do people here understand what "pork" means in politics?

It's quite laughable watching the two sides here defend their chosen party and deride the other. They all engage in the same BS behavior. They are all scum. They are all whores to whoever can get them elected, and you are all whores for selling out to the party you perceive to be in support of your "causes."

Obama looked to have promise as a principled leader - and has totally crapped out. He has engaged in the same game as the rest - just a different flavor of the same 2 shit sandwiches we choose between every 4 years.

Can I be a moderator now?

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[Amazon 7]

Quote

Oh, no doubt he's an oil man. He's a Texas legislator, for christ's sake. But saying he apologized to BP because they gave him 1.4M is a lie on two different fronts.

Actually I would say he was BOUGHT AND PAID for during his whole life since college by the oil industry.

[dgskydive 0]

Quote

And you can go ahead and support the presidents thuggery
should make you proud

Just when I thought I liked you

Someone in Govt makes BP some what accountable and he is a bad guy for doing it?

I would have done more then make them set up a relief fund. I would charge them with gross negligence and throw them all in jail.

I am proud of him for at least doing that. Not that it is enough, but at least he did something.

Dom