Same Old Song And Dance

Texas Republican Congressman Joe Barton apologizes to poor, put-upon British Petroleum for the mean way they've been treated by the White House:

"I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday," Barton said. "I think 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 shakedown."

"I apologize," Barton told Hayward. "I do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong is subject to some sort of political pressure that is -- again, in my words, amounts to a shakedown. So I apologize."

Then, when other GOP lawmakers suggest that maybe taking the side of the people that poisoned the Gulf of Mexico and ruined countless lives doesn't make for good visuals, the good old fashioned sidestep begins. First, the old "I didn't really say what I said" dodge:

"I think BP is responsible for this accident, should be held responsible," Barton said, before adding that he also thinks the company should pay for costs of the spill. "If anything I have said this morning has been misconstrued to an opposite effect, I want to apologize for that misconstruction," he added.

Then the "okay, forget what I just said, I actually did say what I said I didn't say, but now I'm sorry I said it":

"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," he said. "...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."

I mean they do this every freakin' time. Horrible statement, claims of being misquoted or misconstrued, then the apology, and suddenly all the bullshit is forgiven. How long are people going to let them get away with this crap?