Source:
Dallas Morning NewsAUSTIN -- Speaking at a Democratic fund-raiser this afternoon, President Barack Obama slapped at two well-known Texas Republicans without mentioning either by name: George W. Bush, Obama's predecessor in the White House, and Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, who could chair the House energy committee if Republicans regain control of the House.
Obama addressed more than 200 supporters crowded into a ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel.He said tauntingly that only idea Republicans have to fix the economy is to extend Bush-era tax cuts. “They know they messed up," he said. "And they know that we
pulled the country out of the problems we were in. But they figure, 'He’s been in office long enough. ... Maybe they’ll forget that actually, this was the result of our economic policies.' ” He added: “We have spent the last 20 months governing. They have spent the last 20 months politicking. We can politick for three months. They’ve forgotten I can politick pretty good.”
As for Barton, Obama said, “He apologized to BP. Said I’m sorry. I’m sorry the president shook you down. I think he may have added in there `Chicago’ shakedown. ... Apologized to BP, because we decided we needed to hold a company accountable for the environmental devastation and the economic devastation. I don’t think he was even thinking about the next election. I don’t know what he was thinking about.”
Obama was referring to a roundly criticized statement that Barton made (and later retracted) in June. The Texas Republican said Obama's push for BP to establish a $20 billion escrow account for damages related to the Gulf Coast oil spill amounted to a "shakedown" and a "slush fund." He apologized to the British oil giant for the president's action...
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/080910dnmetobamahere.38eed0ad.html