BP's Man in Washington Loses Light Bulb Fight
While the rest of Washington squabbles over the debt ceiling, one man has been fighting for your right to buy real lightbulbs. Republican Congressman Joe Barton — of BP "shakedown" fame — has been trying to overturn the 2007 law that requires lightbulbs to operate 30 percent more efficiently by 2012. Barton lost last night after failing to get two-thirds support in the House.
He's down, but not out! Barton said afterwards, "We can put it on an appropriations bill. We can back it under a rule. I can try and go to some of the Democrats who didn't vote for it and figure out a way to get them to consider voting for it in a little bit of a different format." Rest easy knowing that your representatives are handling the important things, America.