Politics

Apologies

By Karina

According to news reports, the Energy and Commerce Committee?s top Republican who publicly apologized to BP has now apologized to his fellow Republican Members of Congress in a behind-closed-doors meeting this morning. As described by Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH):

Joe has done the right thing by apologizing ? it?s time to move on,? Boehner told his Republican colleagues, according to multiple sources in the room.

Boehner, speaking in the lobby of the Republican National Committee?s Washington headquarters, said that Barton apologized to his colleagues and Democrats are trying to make his apology a distraction. The issue is closed, Boehner said.

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), this morning on FOX News, explains:

Joe Barton retracted his statements, he retracted his apology for BP, he was clearly misstating I assume his intentions. He admitted the mistake, he apologized, he apologized to the members of the Republican Conference today in a meeting we just came out of.

The Dallas Morning News further describes the apology to House Republicans:

Senior GOP aides said lawmakers received Barton warmly and with applause.

Barton declined to talk about what exactly he said, saying his remarks were between him and his colleagues and that he “made a statement from the heart.”

So Rep. Barton has now apologized to BP for the President’s efforts in establishing a fund to protect American taxpayers and to his Republican colleagues for creating a political distraction. At what point do he and other Congressional Republicans…

? apologize to Gulf Coast residents and businesses for opposing a fund to protect them?

? apologize to Americans for opposing legislation to hold BP accountable?

? apologize to Gulf Coast residents and businesses and all Americans for Congressman Barton chairing a committee for years that allowed Big Oil to write our nation?s energy policy and the lax rules for offshore drilling?

Full post as published by The Gavel on June 23, 2010 (boomark / email).