America’s newest GOP douche – Rep. Joe Barton

Sometimes I wonder how much more freaky Republicans can get in their lust of Big Corporations, then we get comments by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) apologizing to BP for the treatment it got from the White House when it agreed to a $20 billion fund to pay for the damage their oil leak caused and will cause along the Gulf coast. What a douche!

“I’m speaking totally for myself and I’m not speaking for the Republican Party and I’m not speaking for anybody in the House of Representatives but myself, but I’m ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday. I think it’s 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 $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 interests of the American people participating in what amounts to a $20 billion slush fund that’s unprecedented in our nation’s history that’s got no legal standing and what I think sets a terrible precedent for the future,” said Barton.

“I’m only speaking for myself. I’m not speaking for anybody else, but I apologize. I do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong and is subject to some sort of political pressure that is, again, in my words, amounts to a shakedown. So I apologize,” he said.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) on June 17th 2010 hearing about BP Oil spill

Here is a video clip:

But it’s not a surprise since Barton is in the oil industry pocket:

(Nicole): Does it surprise you that Joe Barton’s largest campaign contributors come from the oil & gas industries? It shouldn’t. Nice that he so blatantly shows his bias against Americans and the worst environmental disaster to hit this country and for his own craven interests. Frankly, I think Nancy Pelosi should make him apologize to Americans on the House floor since he was also the chief architect of the Cheney Oil Act that deregulated oil industry, waived EIRs and allowed this travesty to happen.

GOP congressman apologizes to BP for $20 billion ‘shakedown’

Like I said the guy is a douche and anyone who holds his view on this issue shouldn’t be an elected official because they are too stupid to hold office.

Massive Damage in Haiti

Expert say that the Earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday was 200 years worth of stored energy erupting at once. The initial pictures and video show massive damage. It has brought the good side of humanity and the douche bags.

For a country that has little to nothing to begin with the Earthquake is not welcome to say the least.

On the good side many countries are sending aid and people to help the injured. If you are looking for a place to donate money check out the American Red Cross or just do a search on Haiti earthquake to find other groups to donate to.

On the bad side Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh decided to be douche bags about the event.

Limbaugh said:

[Paraphrased via Media Matters] I want you to remember, it took [Obama] three days — three days! — to respond to the Christmas Day fruit of ka-boom bomber … He comes out here in less than 24 hours to speak about Haiti … [later in same program] … they’ll use this to burnish ahhh their, ahhh shall we say, ahhh credibility with the black community, both the light skinned and, ahhh, hmmm … dark skinned black community … 

And Rev Robertson put his “spin” on things:

PAT ROBERTSON: And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.” True story. And so, the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.”

And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti; on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people, and the suffering is unimaginable. 

Hopefully the good side wins out and the douche bags STFU.

Flooding brings back memories

I woke on Tuesday morning (8/22/07) to news of nasty flooding in Wyandot county and Richland county. We had some nasty storms come through the day before and I noticed overnight the areas north of Columbus getting hit with a lot a rain again. So when the news was getting bad I knew my home town of Findlay would have trouble.

The Blanchard River runs from around Kenton north before turning a sharp left, then west, through Findlay and Ottawa then it empties into the Auglaize River which in turns empties into the Maumee then Lake Erie.

Then I heard the news that Carey and Arlington were evacuating people. The count down was on.

Soon flash flooding was happening in Findlay hitting areas that rarely get wet. Then the big water hit causing the river to rise to 18.5 feet matching the record 1913 flood.

Needless to say this flood was huge. Not everyday the Coast Guard is patrolling Main Street in an air-boat.

The recent flooding reminded me of other times when the Blanchard flooded. The last major flood was in 1981. Rawson Park was a large lake, most county roads were closed, and a car dealer moved his inventory to overpass on Central Parkway to escape the water.

Other times there has been minor flooding. Lye Creek that runs through the fairgrounds seems to flood every fair cutting off the northside of the fairgrounds from the southside. River St and Howard Street flood just past I-75. Miller’s Luncheonette has been flooded so many times that this time the owner didn’t even rush downtown – he knew it would be bad and there was nothing to do until the water went down.

City of Findlay aiming for long-term fixes