So do you know what I do when I have made deadline and I have quit caffeine? I torture myself by watching congressional hearings. Â For instance, today I’m listening to the House Energy Subcommittee’s hootenanny with BP CEO Tony Hayward.
Pretty much right now it’s a shame fest. Except for the 9:11 a.m. mark, when Texas Rep. Joe Barton proceeds to apologize to Hayward for the incident from yesterday. What incident? Well, the one where the U.S., in Barton’s words, proceeded to “shake down” BP for $20B. He then proceeded to say he doesn’t want to live in a country that does something like that.
Really, Joe? Asking BP to put money into a fund that will clean up this is grifting poor British Petroleum? Have you seen this? Or maybe this (look through all the pictures, Joe, for some real heartbreak)? Or even this? But this is interesting, yes?
UPDATE: Here’s video of the apology. As CNN’s anchor said, we got the “first ‘Wow!’ of the day.”
