Barton Will Fix College Football (And Ignore The Country's Problems)

The toad-like fellow pictured above is Rep. "Smokey" Joe Barton (R-Texas).   Now that the Republicans have taken over the House of Representatives, Barton would like to be named chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.   That's because Barton never met a polluter he didn't love, and he would like to pay them back for the millions they've dumped into his campaign coffers.

Some politicians would want a committee chairmanship so they could accomplish something great or do something to help their country -- not Smokey Joe.   Barton wants to be chairman so he can make sure nothing gets changed.   He wants to leave the giant energy companies (oil, gas, electric, etc.) in charge of America's energy policies, and make sure they don't have to stop polluting the world (or have to pay for that pollution).   And he wants to let the corporations go on paying little or no taxes while they keep on exporting American jobs to Third World countries.

Well, he wants to keep most things just like they are, but there is one thing he wants to change.   He wants to use the enormous power of Congress to change college football -- specifically the Bowl Championship Series (BCS).   While Barton is fine with the recession, the lack of jobs, pollution, and corporate greed, he is upset with the BCS and he thinks what America needs most is to reform it.

Here's what Barton has to say about the BCS,   "It's a cartel.   It is extremely hypocritical.   It claims to be about a championship.   It is about maximizing revenue for a few entrenched, elite schools, and to heck with everybody else. . .This is all about control.   It's a playtoy for these college presidents.   They get wined and dined.   They have big parties.   It is not about the fans or the student-athletes."   Barton promises if he gets the House committee chairmanship that change is "going to happen."

Don't get me wrong.   Barton is right about the BCS, and I generally think it should be changed (or eliminated in favor of a play-off system).   But is this really what we want our Congress to be doing?   With the country mired in a deep recession and millions of people out of work, with the richest Americans amassing most of the country's wealth and income and leaving next to nothing for the rest of us, with two endless wars being fought and too many American soldiers dying, with racism and bigotry still affecting far too many people, can't our Congress find more important work than college football?

What a jerk!   Barton either doesn't understand or doesn't care why he was elected to represent the people in Congress.   It certainly wasn't to legislate college football (or any of his other personal peccadillos).   Any other Republican probably won't be much (or any) better, but it is obvious that Barton would be a disaster as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.   I hope he doesn't get the job.