As I mentioned below, Rep. Boehner’s office is trying to walk back his suggestion that taxpayers should help foot the bill for the Gulf clean up. His spokesman says he misunderstood the question and believes “BP is responsible for the cost of the cleanup.”
But this started with comments from Tom Donohue, head of the US Chamber of Commerce who said he doesn’t think the government should force BP, a member of the Chamber, to foot the whole bill. Boehner was asked whether he agreed and said he did. When our reporter pressed Boehner’s spokesman on whether he was saying he disagreed with Donohue’s position, he wouldn’t bite, but just stuck with his statement.
Now the spokesman is calling Beutler a “numbnut” and claiming he mumbled. So Boehner couldn’t hear him.