White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sees a pattern in Rep. Joe Barton's (R-TX) apology to BP. "That is a philosophy," Emanuel told ABC' Jake Tapper Sunday.

"You can say it's a political gift for [Democrats], and it is. But it's dangerous for the American people because while the ranking Republican who would have oversight into the energy industry, and if the Republicans were in the majority would have actually the gavel on the chairmanship, that's not a political gaffe. Those were prepared remarks. That is a philosophy," said Emanuel.

"That is an approach -- they see the aggrieved party here as BP, not the fishermen. Remember, this is not just one person. Rand Paul running for Senate in Kentucky. What did he say? He said, the way BP was being treated was un-American. Other members of the Republican leadership have come to the defense of BP and attacked the administration for forcing them to set up an escrow account and fund it to the level of $20 billion. These aren't political gaffes," Emanuel continued.

"The approach here expressed and supported by other voices in the Republican Party, sees the aggrieved party as BP. Not the fishermen and communities down there effected and that would be the governing philosophy. And I think what Joe Barton did is remind the American people, in case they forgot, this is how Republicans would govern," he said.