Sen. Whitehouse On EPA Politicization: ‘It Looks Like Déjà Vu All Over Again’
Sen. Whitehouse On EPA Politicization: ‘It Looks Like Déjà Vu All Over Again’
The Wonk Room’s Brad Johnson noted recently that the Environmental Protection Agency under current Administrator Stephen Johnson has been operating a lot like the Department of Justice under former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The EPA’s willingness to place loyalty to Bush above country has resulted in widespread political interference throughout the Agency.
Yesterday – in an event that bears stunning similarities to the U.S. Attorney scandal – a top EPA regional administrator, Mary Gade, revealed that she was fired after political appointees at the EPA disagreed with her push to regulate dioxin contamination in the Midwest. Former EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Sussman called Gade’s firing “unprecedented and highly irregular.”
In 2000, Gade said, “I’m a Republican and a supporter of Texas Governor George W. Bush.” Moreover, when she was appointed in 2006, the EPA Administrator praised her qualifications; Michigan Environmental Council President Lana Pollack called Gade a “woman of unquestioned credentials.”
Today on the Senate floor, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) – who aggressively pursued the politicization at the DoJ under Gonzales – said he sees a recurring pattern:
Well, here we go again, perhaps. … We do not yet know all the details of Ms. Gade’s firing, or everything that may have gone on between her office and Dow Chemical. But from everything that we’ve heard and seen so far, it looks like déjà vu all over again.
Watch it:
Sen. Whitehouse will be leading an oversight hearing into the politicization of the EPA and the circumstances surrounding Gade’s dismissal next Wednesday.
Even after the sordid revelations of cronyism and corruption unraveled the Department of Justice, the White House appears undeterred in its efforts to politicize the entire federal government.
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Well here we go again, INDEED!
strongly worded letter to follow…
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:23 pmMore proof that the Bush/Cheney cabal are equal opportunity destroyers. How can even a quarter of the populace approve of the wreckage and carnage they have wrought? That twenty-something percent must be deaf, dumb, blind, and extremely stupid.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:25 pmP.S. I was forgetting that of course they are not dumb. Instead they are extremely vociferous, a la Mr. Limbaugh and his project of poisoning the wells of thought and discourse.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:29 pmI see a sternly worded letter… being tossed into someone’s circular file…
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:30 pmThe MSM ignores the real news. The closer we get to November the more injustaces we are going to expose to the public. The Republicans don’t give a crap about our inviroment as well as the people of the US, unless of course your a Republican.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:42 pmWatch the cockroaches scatter as the light is finally shed on the Culture of Corruption.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:43 pmWhen and IF a democrat takes the White House, they are going to have a heck of a time flushing out all the rats that have infested the government.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:50 pmEverything republicans touch turns to sh*t. They are an infantile, incompetent subspecies of hillbilly that cannot survive outside of cliched and trite redneck personae.
They tend to rely on weaponry and bullying to project their flagging manhoods.
republicanism is a corrupt, viral mutation.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:53 pmThe failure to take strong action against the president and his minions will unfortunately further weaken democracy in this country. I have posted before on the adverse impact after Nixon was pardoned (probably justifiable since it was so unique) and then the subsequent failure to act strongly in response to Iran Contra. It established an arrogance on the part of the president. The scandals that we have seen under this administration well deserved impeachment. Yet, no real action has been taken. Now we have the wholesale marketing of government agencies to corporate and industry special interest groups with nary an action taken in response. The bar is being set low. Corporate interests have been given a precedent that will well set their expectations and contributing patterns.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:04 pmJMOHR: excellent post!
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:25 pmAppears to me this fits with the earlier story about Monsanto & GMO. (Genetically Modified Organisms.)
Has Dow been discharging or leaking Dioxin into Chicago’s water?
Has Monsanto been sending out ‘goons’ to intimidate farmers?
Think about that.
This is why corporate America worships the Bushies & want McCain to perpetuate their gravy train…no rules, no oversight, tax breaks, increased profit margins, etc.
Many countries still refuse to buy GMO staples. I don’t blame them. Some theorize the Bee Colony Collapse Disorder may be due to GMO. The bees ingest it or carry it back to the hive and reproduction is reduced or eliminated due to modified genetics.
Dow. Monsanto. Cargill. ADM…
Not just for breakfast anymore!
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:32 pmSen. Whitehouse for Attorney General
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:07 pmThe junior Senator is marking his territory. Good on him.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:16 pmBuckie Boy Says:
When and IF a democrat takes the White House, they are going to have a heck of a time flushing out all the rats that have infested the government.
Actually, I don’t think this will be as difficult as it appears now. The removal of Bush administration political appointees, especially at the top of each agency, will remediate quite alot.
I’m very impressed with Senator Whitehouse. He beats Harry Reid hands down as a leader and a man of principle.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm