McConnell: 'I couldn't disagree with Joe Barton more'

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that Dems would use the spill to push cap-and-trade.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) was wrong to apologize to BP CEO Tony Hayward during an Energy and Commerce hearing Thursday.

"I couldn't disagree with Joe Barton more," McConnell said, calling it "nonsense" for Democrats to link Barton's comments to Republicans and the oil industry. McConnell said it was "important to remember" that Obama "was the biggest recipient" of BP contributions when he ran.

The point was that the White House wasn't doing enough to stop the spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the minority leader said.

"We know there are skimmers around the world that could be sent here -- where are they?" McConnell said.

When asked about Hayward's yachting competition and Obama's golf excursion on Saturday, he said, "These guys could use a better P.R. adviser but the point is we need to get this oil stopped."

"If you're going to advocate expansion of government it doesn't look very good when the government you're already in charge of doesn't function so well," McConnell added.

McConnell accused the administration of seizing on the oil spill crisis to pass its cap-and-trade "national energy tax."

"The first thing we need to do is see if we need to pass legislation related to oil spills," he said, noting that legislation geared toward better prevention, inspections and cleanup technology is something that could be passed on a bipartisan basis.

McConnell said Senate Democrats would try to push cap-and-trade after the Fourth of July recess, "no question about it."