Angle joins long list of BP-defending Republicans

Cross-posted from MyDD.

Nevada Repub Senate nominee Sharron Angle agreed with Joe Barton on a call-in radio show yesterday, echoing his claim that its escrow fund for spill victims is a government “slush fund.”

A caller said that Obama had "basically extorted $20 billion from a private company," and asked Angle what she thought of "the $20 billion slush fund."

"Government shouldn't be doing that to a private company," Angle replied. "And I think you named it clearly: It's a slush fund… They're actually using this crisis if you will, because they never waste one -- Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals -- they are using this crisis now to get in cap and trade, and every crime and penalty, and slush fund.”

Angle tried to clarify herself today, claiming that her actual position on the issue is the complete opposite of yesterday’s remarks. She’s been doing a lot of that lately. She just doesn’t get that voters can sense authenticity. A candidate who makes a gaffe can pull a 30 or even a 45, but they can’t pull a 180. This flap isn’t going to end well for Angle.

And yet boy does she ever have friends. Let’s review which Republicans have claimed either that BP shouldn’t have to set up a fund for its victims or shouldn’t pay for the Gulf clean-up:

• House Leader John Boehner
  
• Former VP Nominee Sarah Palin
  
• Former House Leader Newt Gingrich
  
• Former House Leader Dick Armey
  
• Energy Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton
  
• The 100+ Members of the House Republican Study Committee
  
• Rep. Michelle Bachman
  
• Rep. Steve King
  
• Rep. John Fleming
  
• Rep. Jim Jordan
  
• Rep. Devin Nunes
  
• Senator John Cornyn
  
• Senate nominee Rand Paul
  
• Senate nominee Sharron Angle
  
• Talking Head and de facto party chair Rush Limbaugh
  
• Talking Head and tea party deity Glenn Beck
  
• Talking Head Pat Buchanan
  
• Talking Head Laura Ingraham

Yup. This is definitely turning into a party philosophy and mindset.