Democrats target Tom Price and his BP ’shakedown’ comments
Now that U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) has backpedaled – faster than Lester Maddox and his bicycle – on his apology to BP for what the congressman called a White House “shakedown,” Democrats are turning their sights on U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-Roswell).
U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-Roswell)/AJC
Price is chairman of the House Study Committee, the policy arm of the GOP. Barton may have picked up his “shakedown” language from an HSC press release issued on Wednesday:
“BP’s reported willingness to go along with the White House’s new fund suggests that the Obama Administration is hard at work exerting its brand of Chicago-style shakedown politics.
“These actions are emblematic of a politicization of our economy that has been borne out of this Administration’s drive for greater power and control. It is the same mentality that believes an economic crisis or an disaster is the best opportunity to pursue a failed liberal agenda. The American people know much better.”
Price and his committee, says the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee:
“…are mounting an outrageous defense of BP at the expense of taxpayers and opposing efforts to hold BP accountable for their economic and environmental devastation,” said Jesse Ferguson of the DCCC. “It’s past time that Tom Price come forward, apologize and make clear that he and his group are ready to stand up to Big Oil and not for Big Oil.”
The Democratic National Committee is also trying to wrap in Georgia Republicans Paul Broun, John Linder, Phil Gingrey, and Jack Kingston, who are also members of the House Study Committee.
Do not expect Price & Co. to backtrack. A poor choice of words in a press release compares not at all with the same words spoken in front of an army of TV cameras.
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158 comments Add your comment
T-Bone
June 18th, 2010
11:57 am
To be fair, Price was simply staying on message with GOP talking points.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/say-what-gopers-slam-white-house-over-bp-gulf-spill-fund.php
Rural Education
June 18th, 2010
12:01 pm
The truth is Price is not that important.
Joey
June 18th, 2010
12:13 pm
GOP talking points sure, but Rep. Tom Price authored the the “shakedown” phrase in a statement released by his committee: “BP’s reported willingness to go along with the White House’s new fund suggests that the Obama Administration is hard at work exerting its brand of Chicago-style shakedown politics.” Tom Price continues to be unapologetic for his support of a disfunctional corporation (which absolutely put profits ahead of risk),over the interests of the people living in the Gulf states.
steve
June 18th, 2010
12:14 pm
GOP talking points are the issue here – not Price or Barton. The fact that anyone is defending BP shows the influence the oil industry has in our political process. One second everyone is ‘outraged’ at the damage and now all they have t odo is all say the same thing and the public will eventually start repeating the mantra “shakedown shakedown”. Cmon people, let’s get mad and let politicians know they can’t get corporations out of trouble by blaming the other side.
Matt
June 18th, 2010
12:15 pm
So by making them set up a $20 BN fund to ensure these people who have lost their livlihood is not holding them accountable? Priceless.
dagnabit
June 18th, 2010
12:24 pm
Tom Price deserves oil all over his front yard.
Nancy
June 18th, 2010
12:26 pm
This is another shakedown take over by the administration. No one is saying that BP is not to blame for this accident, But what the Obama Administration is doing is nothing but a Chicago style shakedown.
Gus
June 18th, 2010
12:26 pm
GOBP
Michael
June 18th, 2010
12:31 pm
What’s wrong with calling it like you see it? It is a shame that the GOP leadership came down on Rep. Barton the way they did. This indicates yet again the split between the GOP Leadership and the grass root supporter they love to talk about. The GOP leadership might want to phone home and take a pulse otherwise the great gains that many of them expect may not materialize in the November elections.
David S
June 18th, 2010
12:33 pm
It was a shakedown. The Federal Government already passed legislation in 1990 limiting BP’s and other companies liability in situations like this. They acted accordingly and now Obama is trying to shake them down for more money when they have no legal standing.
Government is a failure at everything it does. Why not cover that in the news for a change?
Midwayman
June 18th, 2010
12:38 pm
No one is trying to exonerate BP. They have stepped up and taken responsibility, which they should. I don’t know if the word “shakedown” applies because BP agreed in advance to set aside funds for recovery. But what the Obama administration and some in Congress are doing is just as bad. They are demonizing BP for no other reason than to deflect responsibility and blame from themselves. Maybe “shakedown” is not appropriate, but “Chicago Style Thug Politics” certainly is.
Let's Be Real
June 18th, 2010
12:39 pm
Tom Price is educated white trash.
dane
June 18th, 2010
12:41 pm
The sad think is most of money’s oing to go into the pockets of sleezy lawyers.
T-Bone
June 18th, 2010
12:44 pm
Good job, Nancy! Did you cut and paste that from a Boehner press release?
@David S: Everyone in 1990 knew that $75 million was a pitifully inadequate amount for a cap on economic damages in the event of a spill. Who do you think lobbied Congress for that low ceiling?
dane
June 18th, 2010
12:48 pm
Sounds like “Lets be Real”is a typical Awinsky deciple.If you don’t have an inteligent argument,call names n demonize
DannyX
June 18th, 2010
12:49 pm
“Government is a failure at everything it does. Why not cover that in the news for a change?”
Government Motors, (GM) posted a $1.2 billion operating profit in the first quarter. Government Motors once worthless stock is now worth billions.
How’s that for news?
Dekalb Neighbor
June 18th, 2010
12:49 pm
I am glad he said it because he’s right! Let the free market work. If those who are negatively affected by the oil spill want/deserve compensation, they can go to court. There are plenty of lawyers just waiting to sue BP on behalf of these alleged victims.
Instead we have the national nanny getting involved.
Way to call it like you see it Tom! Keep up the good work!
Brett
June 18th, 2010
12:55 pm
Well Ole Tom knows how to spot a shakedown when he sees one:
AJC’s Bob Keefe in Washington has collected more details on what has prompted an ethics investigation into the fund-raising activities of U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-Roswell):
A day before voting against financial industry reform legislation, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Roswell held a luncheon where he sought up to $2,500 in campaign donations from political action committees and lobbyists representing banks and other financial companies, records show.
The fund-raiser, held at the Washington insider restaurant Capitol Hill Club, came in a month in which Price received tens of thousands in campaign contributions from banking groups and other political action committees that had a stake in the legislation.
T-Bone
June 18th, 2010
12:57 pm
Delkalb Neighbor: Don’t you get it? There’s a $75 million cap on economic damages for the spill victims. That amount will not even begin to cover the damages suffered. The same politicians championing the free market are the first ones to want to protect their corporate pals with caps. Caps are anti-free market.
Sam
June 18th, 2010
1:00 pm
DeKalb Neighbor, suing people in court is ‘letting the free market work’? Does that mean the politicians that try to limit a patient’s ability to sue his doctor for malpractice are anti-free market?
Let's Be Real
June 18th, 2010
1:00 pm
Dane,
Please defend BP and Tom Price’s remarks.
dane
June 18th, 2010
1:01 pm
Where is all the concern about getting the well caped and minimizing the damage,not how our corrupt politicians n all their lawyer n banker friends can stuff their pockets.Believe me they’ll all make out vary well over this and we’ll all slill be payin for it for generations
about time
June 18th, 2010
1:01 pm
tom price should be removed from office. he and his ilk are so out of touch that he is an embarassment to the people of georgia. call it what you will but President Obama was brilliant to secure that 20B fund. It was one of his shining moments. And of coarse the people affected by this disaster (negligent acts by BP)can go to court but that takes a very long time and these people are living hand to mouth.
professional skeptic
June 18th, 2010
1:04 pm
David S
June 18th, 2010
12:33 pm
Also, Nancy too: Give it up already. BP agreed to this. If they had wanted to challenge the legality of agreeing to set up a relief fund, they could have.
They didn’t.
GET OVER IT.
TP4U
June 18th, 2010
1:06 pm
Hopefully, Price’s constituents will send him home this November. He is unapologetic and could care less about the people that have lost everything. Human life, our fisheries and our environment mean nothing to Tom Price. Voters this November should show Congressman Price the door and see if he can find somewhere to go fishing.
about time
June 18th, 2010
1:07 pm
do you not understand that because of BP’s greed that the gulf of mexico has been destroyed forever! imageine the millions of jobs that might be lost once that oil hits florida. BP should be shook down than boiled in hot oil for their actions.
professional skeptic
June 18th, 2010
1:08 pm
Dekalb Neighbor
June 18th, 2010
12:49 pm
Oh, Dekalb Neighbor. I know you must be falling apart a the seams with anger over the fact that a bunch of slick lawyers won’t be getting to skim 40% off the top of the relief fund. It’s just tearing you up, isn’t it? Imagine the audacity of hardworking American victims getting their due compensation without 40% of it going to a buncha lawyers.
Oh, the humanity!
dane
June 18th, 2010
1:09 pm
why doesn’t the oil companys offer to buy the recovered crude for market price from fishermen or whoever could pump it off.With the proper incentive the free market system would clean it up a lot faster and get the grandstanding buracrates out of the f–kin way
Joey
June 18th, 2010
1:15 pm
Exxon appealed the case against them stemming from the Exxon Valdez spill almost two dozen times. In 2008 it reached the U.S. Supreme Court where a 5-3 majority finally set punitive damages at $500 million. Yeah that million with an “m”. 20 years later!!
about time
June 18th, 2010
1:15 pm
Pissed off at Tom. Why not give his Marietta office a call and let them know how you feel. 770-565-4990
MiltonMan
June 18th, 2010
1:24 pm
Dekalb – please tell us who is your elected representative? Is it none other than Hank Johnson of “Guam is going to capsize because of the marines” fame. Hank makes Tom look like Einstein. You can keep Hank we will stick with Tom.
To you DemoRats who think you have a chance of knocking Tom off – good luck with that one. His district is one of the most conservative in the whole USA.
The Truth
June 18th, 2010
1:27 pm
I live in Cherokee and I am one of his constituents and will not vote for him ever again. He is the biggest bandwagon jumper in the Congress…whenever there is a hot issue that Fox and their cronies pop out, he shows his face like he is accomplishing something. He has done nothing for us but Cherokee is solidly Republican, they will probably put this nut back in there. Remember him standing in an empty chamber saying we need to drill baby drill? That the oil companies are not making any mistakes??? What a complete tool!
about time
June 18th, 2010
1:28 pm
MiltonMan- why would you want to keep someone like tom price? it’s hard to believe that anyone could support a man after making comments like that? I’d take Hank anyday over Tom.
Silent Jay
June 18th, 2010
1:28 pm
“Where is all the concern about getting the well caped and minimizing the damage,not how our corrupt politicians n all their lawyer n banker friends can stuff their pockets.Believe me they’ll all make out vary well over this and we’ll all slill be payin for it for generations”
Dane, you’re a great argument for closing public schools.
Williebkind
June 18th, 2010
1:30 pm
The Price is Right! Come on down BP!
Well Price is right about the liberals however, BP had already agreed to give the 20b. Obama just stepped in to take credit for it to avert attention from his dismal approval rating.
Williebkind
June 18th, 2010
1:31 pm
Repeat! BP had previously agreed to give the money for the oil spill!
Obama jumped on the band wagon. Liberals can you hear me!!!
Williebkind
June 18th, 2010
1:32 pm
about time
June 18th, 2010
1:28 pm
Not me! I am for Price!
Williebkind
June 18th, 2010
1:33 pm
Why are you giving Obama credit for the 20b? Because he is from Chicago!
about time
June 18th, 2010
1:33 pm
Willie: I’m glad that you’re in on the meetings that are taking place at the white house.
khc
June 18th, 2010
1:35 pm
what a panty waste dip wad price is…….nobody in their right mind believes bp shouldn’t get its arse handed to them….is that capitalism repubs…they screwed up big time so they should pay big time…barton, limpbaugh, hannity what a crowd of coporate whiners.
about time
June 18th, 2010
1:36 pm
Willie: Price said that it was a shakedown from the white house that produced the 20B fund. Why would he say that if BP had already agreed to put up the money?
Why would you support this man? His actions are disgusting.
Twisted into knots
June 18th, 2010
1:37 pm
You GOP’ers are something special. You complain and complain that Obama isn’t doing enough for the Gulf, then when he does something really good, it’s too much. You all need to get a grip on reality. Making those adversely affected by the spill go to court is a recipe for disaster and delay. As Joey noted above, it was 20 years before the Exxon Valdez spill was resolved. Why put the people of the gulf through that? Your argument is nonsensical. And please, do tell, what exactly is a “Chicago-style shakedown”?
JoeD
June 18th, 2010
1:39 pm
Price is my rep and he’s an idiot. He sends out weekly “reports” that are nothing more than political attacks on Democrats. He has done nothing positive in his time in office. It is time to get rid of him, but I don’t even know who the Dems are running against him. He will probably get reelected by default.
Will Jones - Atlanta Jeffersonian Exegesis
June 18th, 2010
1:50 pm
Better to vote for an “out” gay or lesbian with integrity than for an effeminate scheming pansy like Price.
Hayden Zeke
June 18th, 2010
2:03 pm
Obama was looking for a butt to kick. Price and his ilk were looking for a butt to kiss.
The Truth
June 18th, 2010
2:07 pm
JoeD, you speak with much wisdom. But unfortunately, you are right, the mindless zombies in our district will vote for “Tool” Price again. It is truly a sad state of affairs.
rightofcenter
June 18th, 2010
2:12 pm
I’m sorry, where in the press release does it say that BP shouldn’t be held accountable or that they shouldn’t be forced to pay? You guys are as big a bunch of clowns as the Democrats in Congress.
It's Hard Work!
June 18th, 2010
2:27 pm
So let me get this straight! The GOP believes in a free market approach, our energy independence begins with more off shore drilling and attacked the President because of his environmental concerns to that solution. So the drilling takes place, the high risks result in a catastrophy and the President is blamed for not “doing something sooner.” Now, the Gulf States are facing perhaps generations of economic recovery and the President makes BP commit to a relief fund that is more appropriate than the paultry 75M cap and it’s a “shakedown”!!
Let’s not be so committed to our party affiliation that we appear bi-polar!! Tom Price and the rest of the GOP are desparate to keep up the anti-Obama movement no matter what and it’s going to blow up in their face in November. You can’t continue to be Corporate America’s “b#@ch and at the same time be for the “american people.”
Madison
June 18th, 2010
2:29 pm
Just wait and see how much of that 20B goes to people in Chicago that have suffered from the oil spill!
JoeBob
June 18th, 2010
2:33 pm
Joe Barton really needs to engage his brain before his mouth. I say we set up a meeting with Bob Etheridge so Bob can slap some sense into him.