Joe Barton

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, has become that kid in the back of your junior high class everyone makes fun of and no one wants to sit next to at lunch. My question is, is that justified?

I understand the political reasons. I wasn’t thrilled by his defense of BP in a committee hearing, when he apologized to BP for what he considered a “shakedown” by the White House, which got the company to put $20 billion in an escrow account so the government can distribute restitution for damages caused by the Gulf oil leak. BP is ultimately responsible for the mess the spill has caused, even though government regulators obviously didn’t do their job, either. And who decided on $20 billion? Did that number just come off the top of someone’s head?
Barton has received $1.4 million in campaign funding from oil and gas companies since 1989, as this New York Times story notes.
But he represents the Texas oil patch. A good portion of the jobs his constituents hold are related to oil. Isn’t the idea behind representative government that each district in this vast nation will have its own unique characteristics and concerns?
Republicans say Barton will retain his position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He has apologized for his apology to BP.
Politics being what it is, Barton has become somewhat a liability to Republicans even as Democrats plan to use him to their benefit (Read this story.
But I doubt Americans are as upset about this as the Democrats would hope. This is especially true when Barton’s comments are weighed against President Obama’s perceived lack of leadership on this issue. What do you think?