Robinson: “A GOP chorus of Joe Bartons on the BP oil spill”
MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann has created a great new logo for the Grand Oil Party. If someone is good at cleaning up such images, send me a better version, and I’ll repost it — thank you DGaines.
I’m not sure if GOBP or GObP is better — what do you think? Either way, “Joe Barton reflects the philosophy of over 115 Republicans.”
That’s the same point Eugene Robinson makes today in a Washington Post column, “The Texas congressman’s lavish sympathy for BP — which he sees not as perpetrator of a preventable disaster but as victim of a White House “shakedown” — is actually what passes for mainstream opinion among conservative Republicans today”
Here is more of that column (followed by the full image from MSNBC):
Barton was only echoing a statement that Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) had issued a day earlier in the name of the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of House conservatives whose Web site claims 115 members. The statement groused that there is “no legal authority for the president to compel a private company to set up or contribute to an escrow account” and accused the Obama administration of “Chicago-style shakedown politics.” Just to review: A group constituting roughly two-thirds of all Republicans in the House takes the position that President Obama was wrong to demand that BP set aside money to guarantee that those whose livelihoods are being ruined by the oil spill will be compensated. In other words, it’s more important to kneel at the altar of radical conservative ideology than to feel any sense of compassion for one’s fellow Americans. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how today’s GOP rolls….
While the party leadership has managed to squelch members of Congress who might have been tempted to weigh in on Barton’s side, the conservative amen chorus can’t help itself. Rush Limbaugh called the agreement on the $20 billion escrow fund “unconstitutional” and accused the administration of acting like “a branch of organized crime.” Newt Gingrich said the White House was “extorting money from a company.” Stuart Varney of Fox News claimed — falsely — that Obama had moved to “seize a private company’s assets” and complained that the action was “Hugo Chavez-like.” Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol said that “I have no sympathy for BP,” but then proceeded to be sympathetic, offering that “it’s not helpful for the country, for the economy as a whole, for the president to bully different companies and different industries.” I’d advise these people to get a grip, but they’re just saying what they believe. It just happens that what they believe is absurd.
What they believe is absurd, which is why the BP apologists in the GOP deserve their own logo. Kudos to MSNBC for putting one together:
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Language Intelligence: Lessons on persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga
You’d think the GOBP would be more concerned about keeping their jobs. I guess the people who vote for them aren’t as bright as they should be.
What’s bad for BP is also bad for Corporatism. Anyone defending BP is defending Corporatism.
(It would be bad for Corporatism if BP actually makes good on cleaning up the Gulf, because Americans would expect the same from other corporate powers.)
Americans must never doubt for an instant:
“What’s good for BP is good for America”
(Insert any corporate name or brand for BP)
The Republicans are defending ALL their Corporatist masters.
gobp logo…
files.me.com/davegaines/1zy1lk
[JR: Thanks. Though the MSNBC image has an oily background.]
nice!
I think an all capital GOBP is better, since that’s what we’re used to seeing with both BP and GOP. Other than that, Olbermann’s version is great.
Updated logo
files.me.com/davegaines/ivfrs7
Observed event -
In Fujian and Guangdong, precipitation has been three times the annual average for this period in the rainy season, with up to 100cm (40in) of rain falling over the past few days. …………… Torrential rains were expected to continue for 10 days, according to the National Meteorological Centre.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/22/china-flooding-deaths-rise-rain
Brazil floods: Dozens dead, 100,000 homeless
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/06/22/brazil.floods/?hpt=C1
———
Like many of these stories from overseas rainfall numbers are hard to find. I have yet to see just how much rain has fallen in this event.
Good news for climate scientists and weather watchers:
(but we have to wait until 2012 and 2016, if we can)
Europe’s next-gen polar weather satellites twin up
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10378791.stm
In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, front right, clears away ruins with rescuers in Shuangshang village in Cangwu County of southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,
Torrential rain had caused floods and landslides that affected more than 29 million people in the 10 southern regions, the national disaster relief office and Ministry of Civil Affairs said.
Other reports said the floods in parts of Fujian province, which borders Jiangxi, were the worst in 100 years.
The floods nationwide destroyed some 195,000 houses, damaged 568,000 others and caused estimated direct economic losses of 42.1 billion yuan (6.17 billion dollars), the ministry said.
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/international/article480768.ece
maybe a space “GO BP!”
Joe,
catman306 brought indirectly brought up something I been wanting to ask. Since that last aborted attempt to launch the orbiting carbon observatory (OCO), when is the next scheduled date to get another OCO launched to get an idea of how much ir radiation is not being reflected back into space?
Great. So maybe Keith could also do a decent parody of Joe Barton wailing “Leave BP alone!” (Like the “girl” whose “Leave Britney alone!” video went viral a couple of years ago.)
Rick, interesting.
A quick google gives
However, in December 2009, the Congressional Conference committee directed NASA to allocate no less than $50M in FY10 for the initial costs associated with an OCO replacement. Released on 01 February 2010, the President’s Budget, provides for adequate funding to support a launch of the OCO re-flight mission (now known as OCO-2) no later than February 2013.
http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/
It strikes me that all drilling leases in the Gulf that mention Walruses in their paperwork are deficient and fraudulent and must be revoked without compensation immediately pending criminal action.
Good article about location and risc assessment – or lack of.
The Dwarves dug too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum… shadow and flame. — Saruman, The Lord of the Rings
http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/what-bp-isnt-saying/1185
I can make any further changes to the logo.. just let me know.
Judge who overturned drilling moratorium holds stock in drilling companies
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100622/ts_ynews/ynews_ts2771
Profit rules security …
Sidenote – How long till we stop dispersant use, specially in the wake of a tropical depression? This is a major scenario component.
Not sure why you want to give msnbc an invasive vine…could it have been kudos? :)
Republican Governance: Researchers Could Tell You Where Oil Was Headed – IF Their Funding Hadn’t Been Slashed
http://bluewavenews.com/2010/06/16/republican-governance-researchers-could-tell-you-where-oil-was-headed-if-their-funding-hadnt-been-slashed/
Would like a T-shirt with that for election 2010 purposes. As a clean energy proponant, I know 2010 is not the year to be silent. 2010 is not the year to let myths and dirty energy lies win the ballot box
Get BP Parody logo t-shirts at http://www.idtees.org .. they have some really strong ones that definitely send a message.. and they are donating 15%of all sales to oil spill relief… i joined their facebook group Boycott BP