Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), who apologized to BP at the hearings this morning for what he called a “$20 billion shakedown,” has now offered a non-apology apology for his original apology.
After posing several questions to BP CEO Tony Hayward this afternoon, Barton took a moment of “personal privilege” to address his earlier comment.
I want the record to be absolutely clear that I think BP is responsible for this accident, should be held responsible, and should in every way do everything possible to make good on the consequences that have resulted from this accident. And if anything I said this morning has been misconstrued in an opposite effect, I want to apologize for that misconstruction.
Barton has come under fire from the White House for his statements. Vice President Joe Biden called them “outrageous” and “insensitive,” while White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that President Obama had been baffled by Barton’s words.
Late Update: According to The Dallas Morning News, Barton’s office has now issued a statement that walks his comments back further. “I apologize for using the term ‘shakedown’ with regard to yesterday’s actions at the White House in my opening statement this morning, and I retract my apology to BP,” Barton said.
As I told my colleagues yesterday and said again this morning, BP should bear the full financial responsibility for the accident on their lease in the Gulf of Mexico. BP should fully compensate those families and businesses that have been hurt by this accident. BP and the federal government need to stop the leak, clean up the damage, and take whatever steps necessary to prevent a similar accident in the future.
I regret the impact that my statement this morning implied that BP should not pay for the consequences of their decisions and actions in this incident.
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