GOP congressman Barton apologizes for nude selfie

[GennGreymane]

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/...-selfie-259442

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) admitted that a nude picture of him circulating online is authentic and apologized to his constituents.

“While separated from my second wife, prior to the divorce, I had sexual relationships with other mature adult women,” Barton, 68, said in a statement first reported by the Texas Tribune. “Each was consensual. Those relationships have ended. I am sorry I did not use better judgment during those days. I am sorry that I let my constituents down.”

The longtime congressman, the ninth most-senior member of the House, told the Tribune he is considering his political future, after announcing plans to seek reelection just three weeks ago. His suggestion that he is rethinking his reelection bid is sure to reverberate through the Capitol, though a spokesman later told the Dallas Morning News that he has no plans to step down.

Barton, one of the House’s most conservative members, began representing the Dallas suburbs in 1985. Barton’s statement came just days after the Dallas Morning News ran an upbeat profile under the headline “Why Rep. Joe Barton sticks around as other Texans kiss Congress goodbye.”

“I’m the odd duck who didn’t quit,” he told the newspaper just weeks after a handful of other veteran Texas lawmakers announced their retirements. “Shows how much sense I have.”

In a reelection announcement in early November, Barton, a former chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, said he hoped to continue to work on the issues he’s pursued throughout his career.

“Much work remains in Washington and I hope to carry on the torch for the 6th District,” he said.

Barton's uncertain future follows a Texas exodus that began when GOP Reps. Jeb Hensarling and Lamar Smith announced plans to exit at the end of their terms. Smith, like Barton, started his congressional career in the 1980s; Hensarling started serving in 2003. Rep. Ted Poe, another Texas Republican who's been in Congress since 2005, also announced his retirement earlier this month.

Barton is one of just 10 remaining House Republicans who began his tenure in the 1980s, and he’s the fifth-longest-serving Republican overall. He’s been a leading conservative voice on energy policy and is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Over the years, Barton has infuriated critics with his skepticism of climate science and his swipe at the Obama administration in 2010 for what he called a “shakedown” of oil giant BP after its massive Gulf of Mexico spill.

The Texas lawmaker and two of his four children were also on the field of a congressional GOP baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia in June when a gunman opened fire, wounding House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and sending dozens of lawmakers, aides and friends scurrying for safety. Barton’s 10-year-old son Jack hid under a nearby truck until Capitol Police rushed the shooter, and then was shielded by lawmakers and aides in the first-base dugout until the gunman was taken down.

If Barton retires, his district, one of the most reliably red in the country, is likely to remain in Republican hands. Since 1984, Barton has never earned less than 56 percent of the vote and has earned more than 60 percent in 13 of his 17 elections.

[Belize]

Man the cat's really out of the bag so to speak.

Good.

[Gestopft]

I for one am very happy that the article does not contain said selfies.

[Spectral]

I'm amused by the idea of a "conservative" with his divorce and sexual history. What's the fucking point in calling yourself "conservative" if staying married to your second wife, who you still have child-aged children with, is too tall an order? At least the Democrat Party doesn't pretend that its politicians would bother to give a shit about personal morality and responsibility.

[Wyrt]

If it was consensual then who cares? He doesn't need to apologize for it.

[Lenonis]

If it was consensual then who cares? He doesn't need to apologize for it.

although true in part the rampant hypocrisy of being a member of the GOP and doing this is worth questioning.

[Wyrt]

although true in part the rampant hypocrisy of being a member of the GOP and doing this is worth questioning.

They're always hypocrites and the GOP would only care if he was sending the nudes to men.

[PACOX]

TLDR but he sent consensual nudes?

No harm no foul I guess.

[Crissi]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...krx?li=BBnb7Kz

i hate Barton, but sounds like the woman is an ass seeking high stature of the highest degree. Not really surprised immoral hypocrites attract gold digging psychos.

The pictures may have been SENT consentually, but they weren't released consentually, and she even admits it was to damage him.

We cant blast regular people for posting revenge porn if we're ok with it when the victim is an asshole.

[Endus]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...krx?li=BBnb7Kz

i hate Barton, but sounds like the woman is an ass seeking high stature of the highest degree. Not really surprised immoral hypocrites attract gold digging psychos.

The pictures may have been SENT consentually, but they weren't released consentually, and she even admits it was to damage him.

We cant blast regular people for posting revenge porn if we're ok with it when the victim is an asshole.

Makes me kind of wish the USA had a "revenge porn" law on the books. If the images were sent consensually to someone who wanted to see them, they had no business sharing them (a distinction I make because I don't think exposing someone for tossing out "dick pics" to random women is the same thing).

He shouldn't have apologized. He wasn't the one who did wrong.

[Underverse]

I don't see any wrong here. At least on his part.

[Draco-Onis]

I don't see any wrong here. At least on his part.

You mean aside from him being a strong "family values" conservative?

[Heladys]

Makes me kind of wish the USA had a "revenge porn" law on the books. If the images were sent consensually to someone who wanted to see them, they had no business sharing them (a distinction I make because I don't think exposing someone for tossing out "dick pics" to random women is the same thing).

He shouldn't have apologized. He wasn't the one who did wrong.

He's not apologizing because he's in the wrong in regards the photo releases.

He's apologizing because his batshit-crazy evangelical "values voters" supporters are currently in avid support of underage sexual misconduct, not extramarital sex.

[Underverse]

You mean aside from him being a strong "family values" conservative?

You're right, that's a moral wrong he should be apologizing for.

[Endus]

He's not apologizing because he's in the wrong in regards the photo releases.

He's apologizing because his batshit-crazy evangelical "values voters" supporters are currently in avid support of underage sexual misconduct, not extramarital sex.

Right, which makes me think a hell of a lot less of him. But he's still the victim, here.

[Heladys]

Right, which makes me think a hell of a lot less of him. But he's still the victim, here.

He's still the rudderless hypocritical sack of shit, and it's great seeing that weigh uncomfortably upon him regardless of the mechanism (for which the woman should be prosecuted, I'd agree. Separate matter.)

[Crissi]

Makes me kind of wish the USA had a "revenge porn" law on the books. If the images were sent consensually to someone who wanted to see them, they had no business sharing them (a distinction I make because I don't think exposing someone for tossing out "dick pics" to random women is the same thing).

He shouldn't have apologized. He wasn't the one who did wrong.

Texas law has revenge porn. Not sure if it applies though despite being a Texas rep

[Levelfive]

He's still the rudderless hypocritical sack of shit, and it's great seeing that weigh uncomfortably upon him regardless of the mechanism (for which the woman should be prosecuted, I'd agree. Separate matter.)

I do appreciate that he was careful to stipulate, "mature adult women."

[Thekri]

It doesn't really bother me what he was doing, the hypocrisy is a problem though. I hope they can prosecute the person releasing images of him without his permission, that is wrong no matter who is doing it.

[Ripster42]

Makes me kind of wish the USA had a "revenge porn" law on the books. If the images were sent consensually to someone who wanted to see them, they had no business sharing them (a distinction I make because I don't think exposing someone for tossing out "dick pics" to random women is the same thing).

He shouldn't have apologized. He wasn't the one who did wrong.

Texas SB 1135.

If it was consensual then who cares? He doesn't need to apologize for it.

He doesn't, but the woman should be prosecuted.