Rep. Joe Barton shows he's a real-life Pat Geary

There is a character in the movie The Godfather, Part II. His name is Pat Geary. He's a fictional U.S. senator from Nevada. And he is in the hip pocket of the Corleone crime family.

During a congressional hearing investigating the head of the mafia, the corrupt politician apologizes to Michael Corleone (the godfather) and defends the Corleone family and all Italian immigrants. The other politicians, not knowing of his association with Corleone, look at Sen. Geary with a degree of bewilderment. Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, sits across from the panel with a subtle but satisfied look on his face.

Geary did his part. He spoke on behalf of a known liar and criminal.

Today, real life in Washington imitated fiction as Rep. Joe Barton, a Republican from Texas, spoke up in defense of BP. He apologized to company CEO, Tony Hayward, for what he called a "shakedown" that the oil officials received in the White House on Wednesday. It was truly a stunning moment in American politics. It was as if Barton was Geary and Hayward was Corleone.

Later in the afternoon, Barton had to issue an apology for the apology. It was clear that someone in the Republican Party had gotten to him during a recess. But what is also clear is that this is how many Republicans feel. They want no government interference. They want big companies to do as they please, without penalties. Barton's only mistake was in speaking his mind.

You can bet there are plenty of right-wingers who dislike President Obama -- who orchestrated the request for the $20 billion BP cleanup fund -- so much that they would defend Lucifer before inflicting pain on a large corporation. It's just the way modern-day Republicans roll, particularly Tea Party types who are in the ironic position of having to defend something British (BP).

If Sen. Jim Bunning's (R) recent attack on folks desperately seeking jobs isn't revealing enough, Barton's antics today should paint a clear picture of what festers in the dark hearts of many right-wing extremists. The Tea Party isn't what it appears to be. These aren't patriots anymore than Sean Hannity is about country first. These Rush Limbaugh followers believe in a survival of the fittest approach to building a society. If brown pelicans can't survive a little oil, tough. If a fisherman loses his job because of a toxic spill, too bad.

I might add that Democrats aren't a whole lot better, but at least they seem to be able to tell the difference between victims and criminals.

Here's the kicker to what happened today. Rep. Barton, as it turns out, is a former oil insider who rakes in more campaign contributions from big oil than anyone else in Congress. He sold out his country in attacking the president today. He sold out residents in the Gulf states. Barton is essentially the Pat Geary character in The Godfather, Part II. He should be reprimanded and investigated for his comments today.