Ashamed’ GOPer apologizes to BP, decries ‘shakedown’ for victims’ trust fund

Conservatives usually at least talk the talk when it comes to protecting the American people, even if they don’t walk it.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas/Big Oil) took a decidedly different tack during BP CEO Tony Hayward’s hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday morning.

Barton said he was “ashamed” of President Obama’s actions to hold BP accountable for their role in the worst environmental catastrophe in American history and even apologized to Hayward for President Obama’s efforts to get BP to set aside $20 billion dollars in an independently administered escrow account to pay for damages to victims of the BP oil gusher in the Gulf.

“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 dollar shakedown,” Barton said.

Stunner. Since when did seeking recourse for the American people against a FOREIGN corporation become a shameful act? But I guess I’m not shocked. Barton’s campaign finance report is littered with Big Oil money – the oil and gas industry gave Barton over $100k during 2009-2010, and almost $220k during 2008-2009.

Money trumps justice, I guess. Just a little shocking to see the American people so blatantly sold out to foreign corporate interests.