Bush’s Hypocrisy on Mixed Signals
Bush’s Hypocrisy on Mixed Signals
Today, President Bush visited the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado where this month 32 employees were laid off due to a $28 million budget cut. Given the political embarrassment that would result from Bush’s trip to the lab, the Secretary of Energy announced just a day before Bush’s visit that all the jobs would be restored.
The NREL employees were fired seven days after Bush’s State of the Union address in which he stated that we need to break our oil addiction through technology. NREL, according to the Department of Energy, is the “premier laboratory for renewable energy research and development and a leading laboratory for energy efficiency R&D.” Given his flip-floppish actions, many were anxious to hear what Bush would tell the staffers at NREL. From the AP:
President Bush on Tuesday acknowledged that Washington has sent “mixed signals” to one of the nation’s premiere labs studying renewable energies — by first laying off, then reinstating, 32 workers just before his visit.
Mixed signals? That’s exactly what Bush promised he wouldn’t do if he were re-elected.
I understand the consequence of sending mixed signals. [10/26/04]
Mixed signals are the wrong signals for the American President to send. [10/30/04]
Mixed signals have become the hallmark of this administration’s energy policy. After stating that he would cut our addiction to oil in the State of the Union, Bush then sent a budget to Congress that included cuts for research in fuel efficiency. After saying that he would replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East, the administration then said the President’s words should not be taken literally.
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And hey, let’s not forget the ‘royalty free’ gift to the oil companies! More here.
And they called Clinton ’slick’…
February 21st, 2006 at 1:32 pmIf 32 employees make $28,000,000 send me an application. For that kind of money even I will become a Bush crony.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:33 pmI got $50 that those same employees will be laid off again within 6 months. This is a PR stunt, like bringing in the lights and generators for the “Return to New Orleans” Bush appearance. They’ll pack up afterwards and leave behind cobwebs.
I think I might take off from work and moon the Farce Parade route here in Denver.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:34 pmDoes the guy ever practice what he preaches?
February 21st, 2006 at 1:35 pmSo the president was against the scientists before he was for the scientists.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:40 pmThe entire Bush presidency reminds one of those Western film sets (especially the one used in Blazing Saddles at the end)… George W Bush – all hat and no cattle.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:44 pmAfter King George leaves the lab, for his photo shoot press event, the employees will be fired again! He just needed them for show!
February 21st, 2006 at 1:47 pmwow, does anyone believe that these jobs will still be there in six months? What a fuckup this administration is. I’m quite certain that the elections have been faked, no one could have voted for this asshat except seriously deranged dangerous people. I’m so mad I spit all over my table upon reading this. George W. Bushit is trying, and succeeding, to destroy the once great United States. No one seems to give a damn except those who have no power or say. What has happened to my country? I literally hate these people who run this country. There are no words to desribe how low an esteem I have for them, may they rot in hell forever.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:49 pmBush was for the decreased dependence on Middle Eastern oil before he was against it…
February 21st, 2006 at 1:50 pmHay Terry, good one, how about, old pig farm but only two footed pigs and a lot of bushes…..Blessings
February 21st, 2006 at 1:51 pm#3 I got $50 that those same employees will be laid off again within 6 months.
YES! That says it all. You are exactly correct. And not only will those employees be laid off, if they write an opinion piece exposing this nonsense that gets published, they will be subject to Rovian character assasination.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:52 pmWonder how much press those employees will get when they’re let go again? I’m betting none.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:53 pmHands up – how many are surprised by this?
February 21st, 2006 at 1:54 pmRove-Bush-Cheney are piety whores who will say whatever it takes at the moment to look good. They don’t mean it and they know they don’t mean it and we should all stop pretending that they mean it and stop being surprised when we find out they don’t mean it. It is 100% spin with 0% substance.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:54 pmIf the rehired employees shake Dubya’s hand, and smile for the press pics, then they deserve being used and fired again?! Every event Bush goes to is staged by Karl Rove! The worst one was the so-called food station, after Hurricane Katrina hit Miss., and after Bush left the food was removed and anyone who needed it was told to f-off!
February 21st, 2006 at 1:57 pmFaiz/Judd/Amanda,
The Economist had a *great* article on this (two weeks ago?). The thrust of the article is that Bush is actually choosing to invest in RISKY alternatives that will only be developed in the long run (think: the grotesque funding of the DoE’s nuclear reprocessing – the technology does not exist, estimates are 25 years before fuel is reprocessed).
Instead of investing in technologies that are proven, Bush is choosing to invest in things that will end up getting dumped in the end because of poor results. I’d imagine that’s what he wants.
He eliminated funding for hybrid vehicle research FYI (well in his proposed budget).
He’s not interested in immediate results and is probably not in long term results either.
The DoE program is probably liked by the administration because of its uses for nonpoliferation, etc. I doubt it has anything to do with energy.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:57 pmIf we had a real press in this country, this would be more than front page at Think Progress. This would be the key headline on the front page of the New York Times, the Washington Post, and everywhere else. Instead, it’s mentioned in passing on to all the other spoon-fed press points from Bush/Rove.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:59 pmis Shrub the “dealer” getting ready to turn us on to a better energy high? It’ll cost just a litle bit more you say? Good stuff,& worth it? He’s promoting a new technology? His Father on the board you say? and they will block out my direct sunlight from space if I don’t pay?
February 21st, 2006 at 2:01 pmJames, what are you talking about?! The technology exists (and is used regularly) currently in Europe to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, and it used to exist in the U.S. It was dumped about 25 years ago because of proliferation concerns THEN. Bush is choosing to invest, as you basically say, in things that don’t matter or that will never be followed up. It’s all just cover to avoid actually addressing demand in the form of higher CAFE standards. The U.S. had working prototypes from the Big Three of diesel/electric family sedans, equivalent to the Ford Taurus or Chrysler Concorde, getting 60-80 mpg that Bush then THREW AWAY in 2000.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:05 pmJudd,
Why no story on Greenspan? The man whored himself out to Lehman Brothers what two days after leaving the fed? The guys he talked to, all senior executives for trading firms, used his speech to make profits in the bond markets.
And he was paid 250k…his ‘usual’ speeches will cost 150k. This stuff is truly a revolving door. At least reps have a 1 year prohibition on lobbying. With the fed, Greenspan speaking, in private, to people interest in trading profits is an example of a quid pro quo. E.G. Lehman brothers invited something like a dozen people to the dinner/speech. A DOZEN. For a man with intimate knowledge of the path of future interest rates, so soon after leaving, it smacks of unethical behavior.
Plus it’s fun to bash a guy I’d blame for first failing to ‘lean against the wind’ during the stock market bubble (it’s not a ‘pricking’ of it, it’s to slow the growth rate to reduce the recessionary consequences) and then covered up his error by making interest rates so low that the asset inflation moved into the housing market. That inflation, in the form of rising house prices, allowed consumers to take equity out of their house. That, in turn, is a major factor in America’s negative savings rate. If the housing markets were to sour, consumption would definately drop off, and a nice recession would follow.
Yah, I never was quite a fan of a man who used liquidity to coverup his failures.
His ‘irrational exuberance’ speech, btw, was in 96. After that he became a ‘new economy’ cheerleader. Had he raised interest rates at the time of his speech a mild recession could have occured either 1. making Bill not reappoint him or 2. make Bill lose.
Yep yep. The profit motive from our ‘independent’ central bank.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:05 pmCREATING CONFUSION IS JUST ANOTHER TACTIC OF THE CRIMINALS IN THE WHITE HOUSE. Keep the little citizens busy trying to untangle it all. While doing that, the “leaders” can be laying the ground work for their next power grab.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:06 pmWow all these mixed signals are really getting my mixed signals mixed up.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:11 pmThe part that is missing here is that Bush magically found $5 million dollars to give to this company to hire back those employees just before his speech. I heard that on NPR this morning.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:15 pm#19
The DoE program is new. I’m very much aware that there is conventional nuclear reprocessing occuring.
This new program is not conventional. The aim is to take nuclear waste that is currently destined for Yucca (b/c it cannot currently be reprocessed) and to turn it into MOX. MOX is made by converting waste plutonium and uranium into plutonion-uranium (Mixed OXide (MOX)). In case you have forgotten, the US suspended reprocessing a long time ago (govt, not civilians). This initiative would be run by the govt at two formerly military sites.
This fuel is capable of being used, to a degree, currently. Mostly, though, it would involve the construction of new reactors. Indeed, that is the aim of this program. The idea is to give this wonderful fuel to countries who accept a bunch of conditions from us.
““GNEP brings the promise of virtually limitless energy to emerging economies around the globe, in an environmentally friendly manner while reducing the threat of nuclear proliferation. If we can make GNEP a reality, we can make the world a better, cleaner, safer place to live,†Secretary Sam Bodman said.”
“The GNEP strategy includes seven elements, outlined by Secretary Bodman today:
Building of a new generation of nuclear power plants in the United States.
Developing and deploying new nuclear recycling technologies.
Working to effectively manage and eventually store spent nuclear fuel in the United States.
Designing Advance Burner Reactors that would produce energy from recycled nuclear fuel.
Establishing a fuel services program that would allow developing nations to acquire and use nuclear energy economically while minimizing the risk of nuclear proliferation.
Developing and constructing small scale reactors designed for the needs of developing countries.
Improving nuclear safeguards to enhance the proliferation-resistance and safety of expanded nuclear power.
”
This IS NOT some form of an existing program. This is a brand new initiative (February 6th) to push nuclear reactors on developing countries.
Read the article, it’s a good read. Especially the part about how the sole aim is to ‘help developing countries’ and be ‘environmentally friendly’.
http://www.energy.gov/news/3161.htm
February 21st, 2006 at 2:16 pmLike Bush said, you can’t lead if you send mexed missages.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:16 pmBush’s Hypocracy on . . . . . Just About Everything.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:21 pmSomehow I don’t think that the DoE making the fuel, designing the reactors, and then presumably GE building them – is such a great idea. It’s a leverage tool and rather than reduce the risk of nuclear pilfering/terrorism, I’d say it looks like it would increase it. Remember, it’s new reactors here and abroad they are after. MOX is still capable of a meltdown.
The reactors they are talking about, for the most part, do not exist. MOX is best used when it’s put inside ‘foil’ to make a kind of pellet. They basically create a pile of these pellets and start a chain reaction. They are thought to be safer because no ‘rods’ are not part of the reactor design.
Most reactors run on either LEU or HEU, not a plutonium mix. Plutonium is a HEU reactor’s byproduct (think: Iran’s Russian reactor or the N Koreans). Plutonium is not currently useful as a fuel, Uranium is. Plutonium – in conventional reprocessing systems – is seperated and dumped (not turned into bombs). The ‘clean’ uranium is then stuck through a centrifuge until the mixture is the right concentration. Then it’s shipped.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:23 pmOh, I mentioned the ‘pellet’ MOX reactor. They don’t exist – it’s the next generation reactor. DoE is going to design one.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:24 pmJames, thanks for clarifying. I thought for a second that you had lost it. Of course Bush knows nothing of this stuff. He just thinks of these things as “wonder tech” that will allow him and his buddies to do the same-old same-old: Wage war and make money.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:31 pmEven though technology has come a long way in Vehicles the Fuel Efficiency has increased only about 10%.
In effort to Conserve I bought a used Honda from an Auction that benefits Children (Cars for Kids) The Car needed some Work, but no big deal, It was only 400 bucks and its paid for. people can Donate older or unused Cars to The Cause as well.
Last week I used all of 5 bucks in Gas.
Take that Exxon!
February 21st, 2006 at 2:36 pmInteresting that Bush has a fascination for futuristic pie-in-the-sky projects > Hitler was also fascinated by “Wonder Weapons” and other crap too! Someday we might discover that those 2 men share the same soul?!
February 21st, 2006 at 2:37 pmListen to The “Cowardly Cowboy” talk technology and energy is like listenig to William “The Frig” Perry talk about makeup and figure skating. He does not have a clue. It just make you sick.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:43 pmI see we have trained Physics people here. Whats your Take on this, or Similiar type technology?
http://www.getinet.org/news/Wcdadf8ae3dc8a.htm
The project targets are to integrate the MEMS Rotary Engine and Integrated Power Generator Chipset, Power Conditioning, Logic, and Engine Control, Manual Compressed Air Starter, Electrical Power Output Contacts, and Fuel Reservoir in a 200mm x 180mm x 30mm package and generate electrical power from liquid hydrocarbon fuels. To test the research idea, a 10 mm diameter Wankel engine was fabricated to demonstrate the feasibility of a small-scale engine capable of generating 10-100W of power. When the 10 mm Wankel engine was published in 1998, it became controversial in the combustion community because the combustion chamber was considered too small for combustion to occur and that the quenching distance was much too small. However, the 10 mm engine successfully generated 4 W of power at 9300 rpm
February 21st, 2006 at 2:44 pmI think that 28 million was cut from the budget, and only 5 million was restored (for the jobs). Actual research has been placed on hold. There is no mention of the original money that was slashed from renewables research in 2000 after the coal and oil clan stole the election. Why can Bush get away with this? The lying corporate media, who are owned by the same investment banks as the major international oil companies, won’t report heavily on stories that will hurt vested oil interests. An expanding renewables market means a shrinking fossil fuel martket, as do regulations intended to slow global warming. The only bright spot in this morass is that the administration is still forced to lie constantly about their actual intentions to the American people. This story will, of course, be swept under the rug in favor of in-depth hourly updates on the case of Entwhistle the Brit. More fun times in Disneyland coming up! Oh, and here’s another half billion for uh, reconstruction in Afghanistan. Or something. Chuckle chuckle chuckle. Let’s get drunk and go shoot some wing-clipped birds! Oops! Oh yes, Miss Moneypenny, oh yes!
February 21st, 2006 at 2:46 pmBush lies so much we just expect him to mislead us at this point and that’s a sad commentary on our “democracy.”
February 21st, 2006 at 2:54 pmI used to think up was up but now up is down and lies are truth
corruption is good and freedom is Bad democracy used to be sowed and grown with great care now it comes from the end of a Gun all men of earth are related but its Ok to kill them because of skin color or religious bias tho we are all related and children of this earth galaxy and universe and we are all composed of the Same quanta.
Perhaps what Orwell meant was this;
The Elites will continue to create wars. The Proles, whom have wised up to the Game, started ignoring the Bombs and the Attacks on the Country and went on with life as usual knowing that they arent the cause of the Conflicts and they simply refused to take part in the War madness Any longer.
We are Approaching that Point in Time.
The Lies, the Hegelian Philosophy, the Misleads of Officials
bring us into a very Dark Age.
The Problem Lies not in the Masses but in the Elites and the Managed Wars that keeps them in Power. The Synarchists.
In other words its Pisastratus.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:54 pmBush, his lies, his flip-flops, his hypocrisy — they are all so predictable — even the Rightwingnuts should be able to see the sham.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:56 pmIf he had any character, he would be so embarrassed at these friendly photo-ops, the cheerleading audiences, and the make-the-facts-fit-the-speech approach — but then again this is GWBush, the biggest phony we have ever seen in the White House. He has no character — he is a shell — nothing in there but air.
I’m all set with my “alternative style” fuel and W approves. My car works on hampster power. Oooogahhh, oops… got one stuck in the tail pipe.
February 21st, 2006 at 3:04 pmDid you all see Doofus on his filmed visit today?
February 21st, 2006 at 3:17 pmIf all of this wasn’t so G-damned serious, I would be ROFLOL.
Off topic, latest news on my local right winged broad cast. Rep’s and Dem’s trying to block port sales with legislation. Let’s see how far this goes..Blessings…Of course they caught a wolverene in our state and that got just as much coverage….Geesssss
February 21st, 2006 at 3:17 pmThe good news is that an Iranian company has won the contact to run the new reactors.
February 21st, 2006 at 3:26 pmApropos of this discussion, a great poem by William Stafford, with added emphasis at the crucial line:
A Ritual to Read to Each Other
William Stafford
If you don’t know the kind of person I am
and I don’t know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and followig the wrong god home we miss our star.
For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
storming out to play through the broken dike.
And as elephants parade holding each elephant’s tail,
but if one wanders the circus won’t find the park,
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
to know what occurs but not recognise the fact.
And so I appeal to a voice, to smething shadowy,
a remote important region in all who talk:
though we could fool each other, we should consider-
lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.
For it is important that awake people be awake,
February 21st, 2006 at 3:27 pmor a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give-yes or no, or maybe-
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.
Latest off topic…..Bush the king says he will veto any legislation to stop the sale of the ports…Blessings
February 21st, 2006 at 3:48 pmIn the past five years, the United States has executed 13 juvenile offenders. Eight of these executions took place in the state of Texas. The rest of the world combined carried out five such executions. The United States accounts for four of the last five known juvenile offender executions in the last two years.
the death penalty in Europe was abolished because it could be used by rouge goverments ………In America it is being used by a Nut Case
February 21st, 2006 at 4:00 pmsharon – you listening to randi rhodes too?
February 21st, 2006 at 4:06 pmwe posted that same info, on different threads, just a few minutes apart…
curious……and where are you, by the way ?
So, will these recently fired, recently re-hired workers obtain the status of recently fired again after Bush’s visit?
February 21st, 2006 at 4:11 pmComment by Smeg — February 21, 2006 @ 4:00 pm
Texans love to be “tough”, especially on those who it is easy to be tough on….
February 21st, 2006 at 4:12 pmLatest off topic…..Bush the king says he will veto any legislation to stop the sale of the ports…Blessings
Comment by Sharon Cox — February 21, 2006 @ 3:48 pm
I wonder if this will get through to the average American, of it they will continue to sleep walk as we move closer and closer to a fascist regime….?
February 21st, 2006 at 4:21 pmThis reminds me of the time where bush’s minions put made in USA stickers over made in china stickers before a bush speech.
February 21st, 2006 at 4:22 pmHands up – how many are surprised by this?
Comment by Monkeypants
So, I raised my hand…
Can I put it down now? People around me are looking at me funny.
February 21st, 2006 at 4:37 pmwhat does it take to get rid of this criminal?
February 21st, 2006 at 4:45 pmLast nightI saw a video(have no idea what I was watching) of bush talking about alternative energy as if he was quite informed & then he did his usual trying to collect his thoughts & stumbling before he got the last words out. Anyone see it & where I can find it? It was another classic.
February 21st, 2006 at 4:57 pmHay Katy, and Unbelievable, I live in Washington state, no caught the news at noon. It got as much coverage as a wolverene being caught in our state.Geeeees! Between channel surfing to C-span and back to regular right winged garbage was suprised to even hear it. Then read about the veto on Truth out I think. Could of been Op ed. Did you all catch lieing Gonzales talking about the arrests of some guy’s here in the states trying to bump off the Pres. and them being terrorests.? Only got a bit of that news. Catch some miss some and a whole lot get rained out.. Blessings from your bleeding heart libral.
February 21st, 2006 at 7:13 pmFuel Savings? Reinstate the 55 mile per hour national speed limit agin. We know Bush won’t do it,out here in the Heartland we call him “CATFISH” All mouth and no brains.
February 22nd, 2006 at 10:40 amThe CAFE standards are a joke. Studies indicate the EPA mileage estimates are way off. That is, the actual fuel economy is far below the fuel economy projected by the EPA. So, manufacturers have a fleet of cars purported to be within the CAFE standards based on flawed estimates by the EPA. What’s wrong with this picture?
February 22nd, 2006 at 11:26 amWE HAVE A SQUIRREL SELECTED AS PRESIDENT AND NUTS ALL AROUND AND IN BOTH HOUSES,SO NOTHING WILL CHANGE UNTIL 06 ELECTIONS.THEN WE CAN THROW OUT ALL [ THE FRUIT CAKE ]
February 22nd, 2006 at 11:30 amI wonder if this will get through to the average American, of it they will continue to sleep walk as we move closer and closer to a fascist regime….?
Comment by unbelievable #48
unbelievable,
Better make that a Carlyle Group Sponsored…”facist regime”…
February 22nd, 2006 at 12:46 pmBetter make that a Carlyle Group Sponsored…â€facist regimeâ€â€¦
Comment by big papa — February 22, 2006 @ 12:46 pm
Yes indeed…
February 22nd, 2006 at 12:58 pm[...] Colbert just had a wickedly good segment with the author of the new book, “Talking Right,” riffing on the sound-bite-cum-slogans that substitute for real dialog today. Much of this comes from the right — flip-flop, cut and run, support the troops, death tax, stay the course. All by design take subtle and complicated ideas and reduce them to the most inane and oversimplified — please don’t let me say “essence” — more like an anti-essence that negates any real meaning. [...]
August 22nd, 2006 at 12:20 amSampson
Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.
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