Voting Station

Joe Barton

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U.S. Congressman

The Resume

    (September 15, 1949- )
    Born in Waco, Texas
    Represents the 5th District of Texas (January 3, 1985-January 3, 2019)
    Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (2004-07)
    Republican
    Apologized after a nude selfie of himself (originally sent to a woman he was conducting an extramarital affair with) was posted to social media (November 22, 2017)

Why he might be annoying:

    His wife was paid $57,759 in salary and his daughter was paid $12,622 from his 2006 campaign funds.
    He launched an investigation into global warming studies that asked for not just details on the studies but significant information about the personal lives of the authors, a move described by the Washington Post as a 'witch hunt.'
    He declared that we should not worry about carbon dioxide because, 'It's in your Coca-Cola, your Dr. Pepper and your Perrier water.'
    'The Economist' commented, 'We've chronicled Mr Barton's stupidity (there really is no other word for it) before. Anyone looking for exhibit A in what's wrong with the Republican Party should start with the good congressman... '
    He apologized to British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward for the Obama administration's '$20 billion shakedown' after the Gulf oil spill (June 17, 2010).
    Coincidentally, his biggest campaign contributor, Anadarko Petroleum, owns a 25% stake in the oil field where the disaster occurred.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He co-authored an anti-spyware bill (2005).
    He favors a college football playoff and suggested that the Bowl Championship Series should drop its middle initial and call itself 'the BS system.'
    Under pressure from Minority Leader John Boehner and Minority Whip Eric Cantor, he apologized for using the term 'shakedown' and withdrew his apology to BP.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 20 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 37 Votes: 37.84% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 22 Votes: 59.09% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 115 Votes: 46.09% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 62 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 38 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 136 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 40 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 28 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 46 Votes: 54.35% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 73 Votes: 52.05% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 165 Votes: 47.27% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 320 Votes: 50.0% Annoying