Democrats Seize on Barton’s BP Apology

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Well, that was fast. 

After Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) apologized to BP this morning for Obama’s “shake-down” of the company, the Democratic Congressional Campaign committee hasn’t wasted any time in going on the offensive. The DCCC has already launched Facebook ads and a petition demanding that the Texas Republican retract his comments. “The DCCC will hold these out-of-touch House Republicans accountable who have no shame when it comes to jumping to the defense of Big Oil,” said DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer. Here’s the DCCC’s attack line:

GOP Congressman Joe Barton had the nerve to apologize to BP CEO Tony Hayward for the “tragedy” of holding the oil giant accountable for the devastation caused by the Gulf oil disaster. The American people must respond to this shameful display with a strong and unified voice. Add your name to the petition below:

Congressman Barton: The real tragedy is happening in the Gulf of Mexico and the communities along the Gulf Coast. Instead of apologizing to BP, we are calling on you to retract your shameful statement and apologize for standing with Big Oil at the expense of the American people.

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In "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," we explain, as matter-of-factly as we can, what exactly our finances look like, how brutal it is to sustain quality journalism right now, what makes Mother Jones different than most of the news out there, and why support from readers is the only thing that keeps us going. Despite the challenges, we're optimistic we can increase the share of online readers who decide to donate—starting with hitting an ambitious $300,000 goal in just three weeks to make sure we can finish our fiscal year break-even in the coming months.

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