Posted on 06/20/2010 5:37:09 PM PDT by Qbert
Democrats sought to bunch together House Republican members of a committee critical of a $20 billion oil spill relief account funded by BP, labeling them "The BP 114."
Democrats are trying to explicitly tie the 114-member Republican Study Committee (RSC) to a top Republican's apology to BP this week for the government's actions to compel BP to create the $20 billion fund to pay out claims to victims of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) took steps this weekend to cast RSC members as in agreement with Rep. Joe Barton's (R-Texas) apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward during a hearing this past week through its extensive email list and an online ad buy.
At issue are remarks similar in tone by Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), the chairman of the group of House conservatives, along some other members of the group, that were critical of the fund. Price said the creation of the fund was a result of "Chicago-style shakedown politics" by President Barack Obama and his administration, which pressured BP into creating the relief fund.
(Barton called the account a "slush fund," and echoed the "shakedown" claim.)
Many RSC members have been sharply critical of Barton's apologetic remarks to Hayward on Thursday. Reps. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and Joe Bonner (R-Ala.) have demanded Barton's resignation as ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Two other members of the study committee who also serve as members of leadership, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) and Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.), have also called Barton's remarks "wrong."
Still, Democrats have gone to great lengths to portray RSC members' views as in lockstep with Barton's sentiments.
"While a Republicans criticized Barton once he became a PR problem, not a single member disagreed with the RSC attack on the accountability fund which happened the day before Barton's comments," noted DNC national press secretary Hari Sevugan.
To that end, the DNC sent out emails to the districts of the 114 members of the committee, which included tools allowing recipients to easily call local radio stations and express opinions on the members. The DNC also started running Google ads redirecting users who search for members of the committee to a Democratic-hosted page criticizing RSC members for their views on the oil spill.
"Rep. Price stated from the very beginning that BP should be held fully responsible for this tragedy. Rather than focus on responding competently to this crisis, Democrats are focused entirely on playing politics to cover up their lack of leadership," said Price spokesman Ryan Murphy. "The American people are looking for solutions not the same, tired political games. Republicans have solutions and that is why the Democrats are now grasping at political straws."
The "BP 114" effort is part of a broader political push by Democrats in Congress and the White House to capitalize on Barton's remarks, which the DNC claimed was a "pivot point" in the debate over the oil spill. President Barack Obama had been suffering from flagging approval ratings over his handling of the ecological crisis, but Democrats seized on Barton's controversial statement in an effort to get traction on the spill as an issue.
McCarthy wasn’t wrong, neither is Barton,
but just watch the rat machine at work.
Clockwork rat, you can see the gears turning.
The RATs haven’t figured out that We The People aren’t buying their BS. TOAST time.
“RahmEmanuel= as shallow/narrowminded/political/irresponsible as they come,to falsely claim Barton’s BP comment is “GOP philosophy”Rahm,u lie”
Nice!
I can just picture little Lib heads exploding...
Pathetic. The BP 114. That’s as effective as naming a western film “The Magnificent 435”, or a thriller “Estuary’s 11”.
But instead, they wet their pants, piled on poor honest Joe Barton, and (again) gave away the game without a fight to the street trash.
This "BP 114" deal is pretty clumsy but it will work in some districts simply because the GOP will fail to defend themselves.
Nor will the GOP spend money telling the truth about Obama and BP any more than they told the truth in 2008 about his socialist totalitarian leanings. Call it the Bush/McCain Syndrome.
The law REQUIRES HUSSEIN TO CLEAN THE OIL SPILL! Any problems with BP/Oil are BECAUSE OF HUSSEIN.
So good luck trying that, you jerkwad Demonrats.
Attn: RATs
DLTDHYAOTWO.
Which is why we have to elect more Bartons. We need people who when they accuse us of hurting the people we double down and say no we are trying to protect them.
Our elected girls have no clue the Tea Party exists or why.
Pray for America
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