Last Thursday, a subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives opened what many hailed as “landmark” congressional testimony into the exact actions of BP involving the Gulf oil spill. Every major news organization was in attendance, each reporter ready to record the action. All the cameras were hoisted as the pompous flair of a House committee was set to unleash its collective anger – and the anger of the nation – on the BP brass.
Within 10 minutes the credibility of the subcommittee, its investigation and the federal government was as tainted as the water in the Gulf and southern Atlantic.
The Associated Press called it the apology heard ’round the world. Republicans went into damage control as Democrats went on the attack. Pundits hit the airwaves in an attempt to wax poetic on the meaning of it all. No slander was too verbose, no defense too unjustifiable.
“I am ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday. 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 twenty billion dollar shakedown,” Representative Joe Barton of Texas told BP CEO Tony Hayward.
He then apologized to the embattled executive for the federal government’s criticism of BP and creation of a $20 billion fund for claims arising from the worst environmental disaster in the nation’s history.
But the issue brought to light from this political suicide isn’t simply Barton’s, the GOP’s, or even the House of Representatives. The cause of Barton’s mindless mitigation goes far beyond the words of one congressman on that humid day in Washington. It goes instead to the very heart of why our elected officials vote, speak, and act the way they do.
Barton has received over $1.4 million from oil and gas companies in his congressional career according to OpenSecrets.com, which tracks such figures. He also worked as a consultant to Atlantic Richfield Oil and Gas Company prior to his time in Congress. While it should shock no one that a Texas congressman has taken money from the oil industry, Barton’s position as a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee raises the question of where his loyalty lies: with the people of his district or “Big Oil.” His comments Thursday appear to answer that.
Of course, corruption does not reside in any one party or branch of government. As Democrats went on the offensive following Barton’s comments, they conveniently failed to mention their own ties to oil interests. The single largest recipient of campaign donations from BP in 2008 was President Obama who raked in $77,000 from the oil giant. And who is the leading beneficiary of gas and oil company contributions this year? Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas with $286,000 in “donations.”
The result is Congress attempting to be bipolar: to play the role of hard-hitting critic that its constituents want in addition to the benevolent puppet the oil industry needs it to be. Consider Congressman Charlie Melancon and Senator Mary Landrieu, both Democrats from Louisiana. While both have rhetorically lambasted BP and called for restitution, they have simultaneously sought to rescind a moratorium placed on offshore drilling.
So what are we to make of Barton’s unexpected apology to BP’s executives? While politically destructive and incredibly moronic considering his well-known ties to the country’s oil giants, his openness towards his true constituents – those that pay for him to remain in office – should be applauded. After all, according to his spokeswoman, Barton is a hardened critic of “Big Oil.”
“How he feels about BP is not related obviously to his campaign contributions because he is extremely critical of BP,” Barton said.
Yes, extremely critical, even apologetically so.