Republican Rep. Joe Barton apologizes to BP

CBS quotes Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) from today's hearings on Capitol Hill:

"I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday," Barton said. "I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown, in this case, a $20 billion shakedown."

The public flogging of oblivious corporate morons like Hayward might be pointless political theater, but at least you know who owns who in Texas. [CBS]