GOP Rep Franks: Obama's treatment of BP was "arrogant"

[sabra]

Source: WP - The Plum Line

Here's another one that Dems will jump on to continue making the case that Joe Barton's apology to BP represents a commonly held view among Republicans.

GOP Rep Trent Franks, in a quote buried in a Politico piece, appeared to say that Obama was "arrogant" in demanding the $20 billion escrow fund from BP:

"It's my opinion that Mr. Barton and Mr. Price's comments were more of a reaction to the arrogance in President Obama's speech, where he said he was going to 'inform' BP that they would set aside this separate compensation fund to be controlled by a third party," said Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.). "Under our laws and Constitution, the president does not possess the power or authority to make such an arrogant command to a private company."

Franks is going further here than merely refusing to condemn Barton's apology. He's basically offering a justification for it: Obama's "arrogance" in using the White House to leverage BP in order to hold it accountable for the disaster.

Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/06/gop_rep_franks_obamas_treatmen.html

[sakabatou]

1. Hey Franks, you might need to look into a mirror

[madokie]

14. That sob is blind as a bat

and as crazy as a loon is thought to be
Who elects these aholes anyway, ES&S maybe,

[msongs]

2. BP loved that PR stunt, made em look really good to pretend to hand over $20 billion nt

[JuniperLea]

3. He's too arrogant! He's too wimpy and needs to get mad!

I'm getting whiplash.

[breadandwine]

35. JuniperLea, the correct answer is door #2 - he's too wimpy.

If Obama scratched his nose the GOP would say he was a spawn of demons. They will call him commie and arrogant, ruthless or whatever REGARDLESS of what he does ANYWAY. So WHY DOESN'T PRESIDENT OBAMA JUST GET HIS MONEY'S WORTH AND KICK ASS????? Because he's a wimp. You watch. The relief wells are going to fail. They should have succeeded, but they won't. And do you know why? Because everything BP does is half-assed. The relief wells also have blowout preventers. Anybody want to take bets that those blowout preventers are ALSO faulty just like everything ELSE BP has cut corners on? It's their corporate culture, a culture of laziness, endemic greedy corner cutting, arrogant disregard for everyone else and living high off the hog. Until Obama cracks the whip and puts a legal and political gun to their head, which he refuses to do, BP isn't going to get ANYTHING right. It's called leadership. It's called being President. When John Kennedy was president he had a fight with the steel industry. It was called "The Steel Crisis." During that crisis Kennedy remarked, "My daddy always said businessmen were bastards, but I never believed it until now." Obama doesn't believe it either. He trusts BP too much. He is letting them run the show too much. He is being too much of a triangulator and too much of a DLCer. He's not leading - being PRESIDENT. If President Obama doesn't want to be president, why doesn't he just resign along with Biden and let Pelosi become president? She's next in line of succession. It could be done. Here's how it would work. Leading Democrats on Capitol Hill "take the walk." They walk over to the White House. They sit down with the President. They explain to him that he has lost the confidence of Capitol Hill. Obama and Biden resign, Pelosi becomes president, she appoints a vice president such as Al Gore, then she resigns the presidency and goes back to being Speaker of the House. Al Gore becomes president. At least HE won his Nobel Prize for environmentalism, instead of giving a speech in Cairo.

Look. Obama doesn't HAVE to be president. If he doesn't WANT to be president, there are plenty of other Democrats who would gladly take his job. Now, I can understand what a lousy job it is to be president. What with having all your meals cooked for you just to your liking, the maids, the butlers, the servants, Air Force One, Chopper One, the exquisite security, the secretaries answering the phones, the staff, a federal work force that takes your orders that comprises FOUR MILLION PEOPLE all of them required to do what you want. Who could live with such a miserable existence? Obama must be sitting awake at night thinking, "I am SICK of this! I am sick of being president! I am just SICK AND TIRED of living in the lap of luxury and having all my family's needs taken care of. I want to go back to Chicago and sing around the campfire!"

It's okay, Mr. President, if you don't want to lead, if you don't want to be president, let some other Democrat be president.......

Do you know how the government finally nailed Al Capone? On tax evasion. There are thousands and thousands of regulations that affect oil companies. All Obama has to do is PICK one, and use it to screw BP and I guarantee BP will stop playing hookey and fix the well. Obama needs to make BP dance like in those westerns where a gunslinger shoots at the floor and the victim has to keep jumping. Only making BP dance, putting a legal and political gun to their head at every moment, will make these lazy pieces of human garbage get off their FAT ASSES and do something RIGHT for a change.

Will Obama do that? Not likely. He's too busy putting his finger in the wind and being DLC.

Ask yourself this question: Why are the relief wells so far ahead of schedule? ALMOST CERTAINLY BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING DUG WITH THE SAME BRAZEN RISK TAKING AND COST CUTTING THAT CHARACTERIZES EVERYTHING ELSE BP DOES. Almost certainly these relief wells won't work. They COULD have, if only THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES had kicked ass and put a gun to their heads legally.

[Chulanowa]

4. Arrogant?

Here I would have thought the GOP used "uppity"

[POAS]

29. Same same...dog whistles! n/t

[MineralMan]

5. Ah, more campaign ad fodder. You keep on with it GOOPers!

Listen to the teabaggers who are advising you. They're the true representatives of "The Merkin Peeple." Yes, indeed.

[Ignis]

39. "Don't throw me in the briar patch!"

:rofl:

Every so often, I grow concerned about this Fall's election cycle. Then a Republican opens his mouth.

[Catshrink]

6. Franks is a birther.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/trent-franks-obama-should_n_302337.html

[jody]

7. I agree Obama was "arrogant". He should have tyrannical and ruthless. n/t

[daligirl519]

22. I like that!

And wholeheartedly agree!

[Ian David]

8. He only said that because "uppity" would have been too obvious. n/t

[mzmolly]

18. Absolutely.

Transparent as hell.

[Historic NY]

25. exactly.

[librechik]

9. Translation: Uppity

of course, someone like Obama can never be a legitimate CIC. If you know what he means.

[winstars]

27. You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth!!!!

Hey man, I grew up in Brooklyn and Staten Island, not known as liberal bastions. But these fucking rednecks are unbelievable....

[Zorra]

10. To republicans, anyone that does not kneel and grovel before corporate kings

is considered rebellious and arrogant.

[No Elephants]

38. the time to not kneel or grovel was when BP asked permission for this well,

Also as it racked up violations.

[pezDispenser]

11. Franks is a worhtless piece of shit

For 8 years his entire platform has been pro-life. That son of a bitch can't point to 1 thing he has done to further the pro-life cause, yet every time he opens his mouth abortion rhetoric spews out.

I don't understand these idiot voters who aren't looking at his results, just his stance and keep reelecting him.

I suppose being pro-choice I should be happy this ineffectual turd keeps getting elected, otherwise the voters in that heavily republican district might fall ass backwards into electing someone who can actually get shit done.

Also, for anyone interested look up his dumbass partner in crime, Steve Montenegro. He is a real fucking retard.

[Mimosa]

12. 'Arrogant' is the Republican euphemism for 'uppity' n/t

[cliffordu]

13. Yep - Uppity.

The hate never ends.

[superconnected]

15. I believe public opinion wants President Obama to get a lot MORE arrogant with BP.

BP is getting off way too light. Criminal charges should be pressed since they've even lied about the disaster.

[mzmolly]

16. There's that buzzword again. Ever since Luntz found an "independent" in a focus group

who described Obama as "arrogant" the memo went out. :eyes: Gee, do you think they might be a bit cultish?

[Hissyspit]

17. To these fuckers, the Bush administration never happened.

[BlueJazz]

19. Damn....Looks we're gonna' have to put a muzzle on our President.

Next thing, you know, he'll be wanting to consume H2O out of the same Water Fountain that Republicans use.

:sarcasm:

[Unvanguard]

20. GOP Rep Franks: "[Why is that black guy bossing those white people around?]"

:eyes:

[jillan]

21. Let me tell you about Franks - he's in the paper alot!.....

After he graduated Hi School, he moved to Texas and BOUGHT AN OIL RIG and drilled baby drill.

He was a cabinet member for Mecham, (just another batshit crazy Rep Guv from Az)
In April 1988, after Mecham was impeached and removed from office, Franks and other appointees resigned their positions. Franks had been under investigation following an Associated Press report about his decision to spend nearly $60,000, without getting bids, for a conference at a former campaign contributor's hotel.<11>. Later in 1988, Franks ran again for a legislative seat, moving to District 18 shortly before the filing deadline.<12>. He was successful in the Republican primary but lost in the November general election.

Franks worked for and later became president of Liberty Petroleum Corporation,<16> a small oil exploration company established in 1996

In a 2010 interview, discussing the legacy of slavery which Franks denounced and described as a "crushing mark on America's soul", the congressman stated "Half of all black children are aborted. Far more of the African American community is being devastated by the policies of today than were being devastated by the policies of slavery."<31> In reaction to Rep. Trent Frank's remarks, a spokeswoman from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee responded, "To compare the horrors and inhumane treatment of millions of African Americans during slavery as a better way of life for African Americans today is beyond repulsive

There's more - he's awful!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trent_Franks

His comments fit right in with who he is.

[unblock]

23. shrub once said that as president he would "jawbone" the saudis.

into selling more oil. i don't imagine he had the legal authority to mandate a private corporation sell us oil, but that couldn't have been arrogance, because shrub told us all he was humble.

:sarcasm:

[Chulanowa]

31. Maybe he thought "jawbone" was a euphemism for cocksucking?

:shrug:

[unblock]

36. thanks, now there's an image that will haunt me all day....

:puke:

[and-justice-for-all]

24. Republicans, the original Corperate whores...nt

[cascadiance]

26. Franks... Kettle meet Pot you arrogant SOB!!!

[indepat]

28. We (the GOP) don't want no black man getting uppity to those we are beholden to

is what they are really saying. :P

[fascisthunter]

30. so far removed he now openly defends a corporate criminal enterprise

total fascists....

[truthisfreedom]

32. Good. Get cranky about it. Show your colors, repukes. All of you.

Defend BP to the hilt as they completely destroy our coastline and our fishing waters. "It was an accident." Right.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

33. Translation in Republican Speak: "Obama's treatment of BP was "being a Negro out of his place!"

That's all. :puke:

[saigon68]

34. Yep you know those uppity and pesky Negroes

Are out of control

</sarcasm>

[No Elephants]

37. BP's treatment of Planet Earth and its own employees was arrogant.

So are politicians who treat our air and water as though they were their own personal property/bargaining chips.

[w4rma]

40. Awesome. (nt)

[AlienGirl]

41. "Arrogant" is dog-whistle for "uppity." nt

[Arkana]

42. Hahahaha

Sorry, guys, he's the President--he makes the decisions, not you.

And by the way--"arrogant" is becoming too obvious as a code word for "uppity". You might want to find a new word.

[Arugula Latte]

43. They have so much compassion for giant corporations, and absolutely NONE for the little people.

[Jacobin]

44. Yeah! who does he think he is? the president of the US or something