Rep. Barton on Obama’s Shakedown of BP (UPDATED)
UPDATED: Barton caves under pressure from republican leadership and retracts his apology to BP CEO Tony Hayward. Joe Barton retracts apology to BP Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is apologizing for his apology. After infuriating Democrats and Republicans alike with his public apology to BP and suggesting that a $20 billion escrow fund was a “shakedown” by the White House, Barton is now “retracting” his statement, made at a hearing with BP CEO Tony Hayward. “I apologize for using the term ‘shakedown’ with regard to yesterday’s actions at the White House in my opening statement this morning, and I retract my…