Written by Brent Budowsky for smirkingchimp.cm
If Republicans were still in control, they would favor a BP bailout for the oil spill, as the last Republican president created the bailout for the banks. And the Tea Party people should demand a Republican apology, or they are simply Republican hacks wearing Tea Party costumes. Where President Obama went wrong on the oil spill was that he didn’t move fast enough to reverse Republican policies. Where Obama went right was to realize that BP, not taxpayers, should pay for the oil spill. Where Republicans keep going wrong is that by attacking the president for his plan to get BP to pay, they prove their real intent is to again shake down taxpayers.
If BP does not pay through the fund that Republicans oppose, taxpayers will pay through a bailout of BP. It’s that simple.
The political blunder of Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton was that he revealed the true position of many Republicans. He reminded voters that the oil spill was the inevitable result of Republican philosophy.
Get this straight, folks. Listen to Republicans, you get the BP bailout. Here’s the smoking gun that convicts the guilty GOP party. It was not one member, but the House of Republicans, who attacked President Obama for his success creating a $20 billion fund, financed by BP, to help those harmed by BP’s oil spill.
Good grief. If House Republicans oppose the BP-financed escrow fund, the alternative they must favor is that taxpayers, not BP, would finance the fund. In short, the inevitable result of Republican policy is that if BP does not pay for the fund, the taxpayers must pay for the fund. By opposing what they call a shakedown of BP, Republicans leave only one option: a shakedown of taxpayers. This is the smoking gun.
It was Republican philosophy of deregulating offshore drilling that planted the seeds that caused the spill. It was Republican philosophy that opposed government protecting the people and the environment on drilling. Now we know, the environmentalists and liberals were right all along.
It was a Republican president, George W. Bush, who fathered the bailout of the banks. During his administration, the corruption of mining regulation became worse than ever.
It was a Republican vice president, Dick Cheney, who held secret energy meetings in the White House.
Republicans should apologize to the people living near the Gulf. They should apologize to the American people. They should apologize to taxpayers. Their philosophy caused the crises. Their leaders mismanaged the drilling for eight long years. Their policies would lead to a BP bailout today. The Democrats are not perfect, but the Republicans were dead wrong for decades. They are dead wrong today. They should apologize to the nation and learn from their mistakes.
[Please crosspost your comments to The Hill, where this blog entry also appears.]
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About author
Brent Budowsky served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, responsible for commerce and intelligence matters, including one of the core drafters of the CIA Identities Law. Served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives. Currently a member of the International Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit. Left goverment in 1990 for marketing and public affairs business including major corporate entertainment and talent management. He can be reached at brentbbi@webtv.net.