[Assam] A Joe Barton of Our Own?

[Chan Mahanta]

Words of extraordinary significance, duplicity, retraction etc. often  
finds its
way into the American lexicon as phrases on their own, namely:

*** To be Borked  came from Reagan's Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork  
who was rejected
by the Senate after a highly charged hearing.

*** To be doing a Cheney came from exaggerated fear-mongering to  
political ends.

*** So on and so forth.


Yesterday,  Congressman Joe Barton ( R-Tex) , an ex Oil Co. Executive  
and the one Congressman
who has received the highest amount of money ( campaign donations)  
from oil companies,
who was the ranking minority representative in the Congressional  
hearing that took testimony from
BP CEO, Tony Howard made an unprecedented apology to BP, for his  
perceived crime of the US Govt.
and President Obama in 'shaking down BP' ( in his words) for the $ 20  
Billion to be kept aside in trust
for compensation to people and companies who are hurt by the oil  
spill. Among other things he said that
he does not want to live in a country that does such things.

The same Joe Barton made a complete about face, later in the day,  
after a national outcry and having
been taken to task by his own party leaders and apologized to the  
American people for his apology
to BP earlier in the day.

This has the potential to find a way into the American lexicon as  
well, as "To do a Joe Barton", meaning doing an
ignominious about face shortly after making a seriously controversial  
statement.

Did our distinguished netter KJD of Texas do a Joe Barton in the last  
couple of days, right here in assamnet
by making the following two statements, one shortly after the other?


	"All these drivels  ( sic) with respect to human/humanity/humanism  
are nothing but hackneyed
	slogans. "

Followed by:

	"As a normal human being,who DEEPLY BELIEVES IN HUMANITY ,my heart  
goes out to the family of the victim of this terrible tragedy."


You decide :-).


**** Personally, I  never taunt people who change their minds after  
seeing reason. It is a sign of maturity
to correct oneself, even after making a spectacular blunder.  If that  
was so in KJD's case, instead of making him a target
of public ridicule, I would commend him for his courage to stand  
corrected.

Was it?


cm