Release the Hounds!
Since everybody is throwing everybody in prison these days for civil offenses, I think we should jail Eugene Robinson for the ridiculous first paragraph of this article.
Apparently, you can’t disagree with a damage recovery strategy and remain Obama-compliant pissed off at BP. Choose one of the above. If you don’t think we should hit them in the knees with a crowbar, then whose side are you on, exactly?
The article ends with a middle-fingered dare to try this philosophy out on the American people. Unfortunately, this threat rings more accurate than anything in the article.
All Barton’s situation shows me is that we are now completely incapable of holding a dialogue on anything. Our banana republic factions keep decrying the fact that other Republicans shared Barton’s view. Fitting with the conventions of our political theater, he only took it back because he got caught saying something too unpopular at too important of a time. You think he doesn’t believe in what he said?
I personally take a more pragmatic view of the situation, and given $20 billion will likely not cover the tab, the ends seem reasonable while failing to justify the means.
Of course, now that they’ve set aside the funds they should not be persecuted for issuing their dividends on schedule for the rest of the year.
You only have so many knees to bash in, after all.