Smokey Joe Changing His Tune, Now Trying To Distance Himself From His Own Words!

"Smokey" Joe Barton (R-TX), is backpedaling as fast as he can after apologizing to BP for the White House forcing them to set up a $20 billion escrow fund to repay for damages they caused.  I have the video in a previous post and he absolutely does this.  Now, he has drastically changed his tune.

In his own words this afternoon after his little grandstand play didn't go over so well with the American public Joe says:

"I want the record to be absolutely clear that I think BP is responsible for this accident, should be held responsible, and should in every way do everything possible to make good on the consequences that have resulted from this accident. And if anything I said this morning has been misconstrued in an opposite effect, I want to apologize for that misconstruction."

Oh yea?  Well Mr. Barton here is a transcript of what you said, and let me know how it was "misconstructed"?  He was speaking to Tony Hayward CEO of BP.

"I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday, I think it is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $20 billion shakedown -- with the attorney general of the United States, who is legitimately conducting a criminal investigation and has every right to do so to protect the American people, participating in what amounts to a $20 billion slush fund that's unprecedented in our nation's history, which has no legal standing, which I think sets a terrible precedent for our nation's future. I'm only speaking for myself. I'm not speaking for anyone else, but I apologize...."