After defending and apologizing to BP for the government's actions against the oil company, Joe Barton retracts his statement after pressure from his party.

After making an apology to BP, Joe Barton was threatened by his party to be stripped of his seniority unless he immediately issued a statement retracting that comment.

Joe Barton apologized to BP for fund that the government asked them to set aside to compensate the victims of the disaster

That's Joe Barton, the Republican congressman from Texas who leads his party on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, explaining the folly of regulating CO2 emissions. We've chronicled Mr Barton's stupidity (there really is no other word for it) before. Anyone looking for exhibit A in what's wrong with the Republican Party should start with the good congressman. Think of that Gallup poll from earlier today, then think of the type of person who is likely to find Mr Barton's arguments convincing.