They Made Him Apologize For His Apology

Photo from Reuters' Jonathan Ernst

The damage control has been quite phenomenal .

The story may not be over for GOP Rep Joe Barton. Even though he has now issued a statement retracting his apology to BP, House GOP leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor privately warned him that if he screws up again, he'll lose his slot as ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, a senior GOP aide tells me.

"This may not be the end of the story," the aide says, adding that if he starts making similar noises about BP, he's out. "Boehner and Cantor told him he came within a centimeter of losing his seat, and to strongly keep that in mind."

I'm also told that Barton's retraction came after Boehner and Cantor exerted heavy pressure on him, and that there was wrangling over Barton's final statement -- another sign that GOP leaders knew just how lethal Barton's apology to BP was for the party.

The damage control continues.

Update: And I completely forgot these classic moments from this idiot: