Alternate Reality Version of Joe Barton's Statement

"I am gravely worried about the President's decision to strike deals with BP behind the public's back.

"The President does not act for himself. The President acts for the People of the United States of America, and the People have a right to know what BP was threatened with -- and, perhaps more importantly, what BP was promised.

"And what BP promised back. Not the $20 billion we know about -- but promises we don't know about.

"It was widely reported that during the health care negotiations, which were famously promised to be conducted entirely on CSPAN, President Obama secretly limited to limit the bite the government would take out of Big Pharmacy's promise -- in exchange for Big Pharmacy running ninety million dollar's worth of political advertisements in support of Barack Obama's plan.

"It is extremely dangerous to let a President, invested with the full power of prosecution of the United States of America, meet secretly with corporations to work out side-deals.

"Perhaps these arrangements were above-board. Perhaps nothing untoward here. If that is the case, I'm sure President Obama and BP will not object to making the notes of their meetings, and written communications between them, subject for the People's inspection.

"This is too large a power to be left in the hands of one man, with none of the checks and balances our Constitution created to restrain the executive.

"In our court system, prosecutors do work out plea arrangements with defendants -- but those arrangements are scrutinized by a third-party judge, who only approves him if he determines the prosecutor hasn't abused his power to give the defendant treatment too harsh... or treatment too lenient, either.

"In this case, President Obama stands as prosecutor. But the People stand as judge.

"I am hereby submitting this letter to President Obama, asking him to release all documentary evidence in his possession about his dealings with BP."

posted by Ace at 08:26 PM

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