Rep. Barton’s Containment Campaign

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has spawned a whole mess of sideshows, not the least of which is the kerfuffle around Republican Rep. Joe L. Barton’s concerted attempt at containing the spread of bad press following his apology to BP on Thursday. –KA

The New York Times:

In the four hours between his televised apology to BP — for what he called a $20 billion “shakedown” by President Obama for loss claims in the gulf oil spill — and his apology for that apology, Mr. Barton, a Republican from Texas, had been pummeled in the blogosphere, assailed by Democratic Party operatives and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., and, in the blow that landed, threatened by Republican leaders with being yanked from the party’s top seat on the powerful House energy committee.

By day’s end, the Barton sideshow had become the main show in Congress, eclipsing the much-anticipated grilling of BP’s chief executive, Tony Hayward, by members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Read more