Thread: "an administration that is limping out of town, slashing and burning as they go"

^^As quoted from OR Rep Earl Blumenauer.

Shrub adding to his legacy:

Bush officials plan to dial back environmental protections
By RENEE SCHOOF McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: November 09, 2008 12:15:24 AM
WASHINGTON -- ]

In the next few weeks, the Bush administration is expected to relax environmental-protection rules on power plants near national parks, uranium mining near the Grand Canyon and more mountaintop-removal coal mining in Appalachia.
The administration is widely expected to try to get some of the rules into final form by the week before Thanksgiving because, in some cases, there's a 60-day delay before new regulations take effect. And once the rules are in place, undoing them generally would be a more time-consuming job for the next Congress and administration.
The regulations already have had periods of public comment, and no further comments are being taken. The administration has proposed the rules and final approval is considered likely.
It's common for administrations to issue a spate of regulations just before leaving office. The Bush administration's changes are in keeping with President Bush's overall support of deregulation.
Here's a look at some changes that are likely to go into effect before the inauguration.
GRAND CANYON
Higher prices for uranium, driven by expanded interest in nuclear power, have resulted in thousands of mining claims being filed on land within three miles of the Grand Canyon.
The House of Representatives and Senate natural resources committees have the authority under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to order emergency withdrawals of federal land from future mining claims for three years, while Congress decides whether a permanent ban is needed. The House committee issued such a withdrawal order in June for about 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon, including the land the claims were filed on.
Now the Department of Interior has proposed scrapping its own rule that puts such orders from the congressional committees into practice.
The Interior Department could decide to use its own power to halt new claims, but it doesn't see any emergency that would prompt such action, department spokesman Chris Paolino said. The department would require environmental impact studies before it approved any mining on the claims, he added.
One of the main hazards from uranium mining is seepage from tailings piles that poisons water. A report for the Arizona Department of Game and Fish said people would be at risk if they ingested radium-226, arsenic and other hazardous substances from water and tainted fish.
Environmental groups say the government must consider the possible danger of uranium leaching into the Colorado River, a source of drinking water for Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano in March urged Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to halt new claims and order a study of uranium mining near the canyon.
MOUNTAINTOP-REMOVAL COAL MINING
Another proposed rule change from the Department of Interior would change rules on dumping the earth removed for mining into nearby streams.
The current rule, dating from the Reagan administration, says that no surface mining may occur within 100 feet of a stream unless there'd be no harm to water quality or quantity. The rule change essentially would eliminate the buffer by allowing the government to grant waivers so that mining companies can dump the rubble from mountaintops into valleys, burying streams.
The new rule would let companies explain why they can't avoid dumping into streams and how they intend to minimize harm. A September report on the proposal by the department's Office of Surface Mining said that environmental concerns would be taken into account "to the extent possible, using the best technology currently available."
The government and mining companies have been ignoring the buffer since the 1990s, said Joan Mulhern, an attorney with Earthjustice, a nonprofit law firm for environmental protection.
Before the rule can be changed, however, the Department of Interior must get written approval from Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson.
"In order to concur, the EPA would have to find that the activities authorized by the rule would not violate water-quality standards, and all the evidence is to the contrary," Mulhern said.
AIR POLLUTION
Two rule changes would apply to electric power plants and other stationary sources of air pollution.
The first mainly concerns older power plants. Under the Clean Air Act, plants that are updated must install pollution-control technology if they'll produce more emissions. The rule change would allow plants to measure emissions on an hourly basis, rather than their total yearly output. This way, plants could run for more hours and increase overall emissions without exceeding the threshold that would require additional pollution controls.
The other change would make it easier for companies to build polluting facilities near national parks and wilderness areas. It also would change the way that companies must measure the impact of their pollution.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
The Endangered Species Act prohibits any federal actions that would jeopardize the existence of a listed species or "adversely modify" critical habitats. The 1973 law has helped save species such as the bald eagle from extinction.
Bush administration officials have argued that the act can't be used to protect animals and habitats from climate change by regulating specific sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
A proposed rule change would allow federal agencies to decide for themselves whether timber sales, new dams or other projects harm wildlife protected under the act. In many cases, they'd no longer have to consult the agencies that are charged with administering the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

He's padding his resume for worst President in history.

Obama's on it already...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/...ion/index.html

Is this the tour where Bush tells Obama he can retire in riches by ass raping the American people into slavery if Obama will simply sign in blood on the dotted line?

Originally Posted by Arty50

Obama's on it already...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/...ion/index.html

this transition period is key. Hopefully it is smooth.

Some ideas as to what Bush and Republicans in congress can do to help..


*Appoint U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzpatrick as a special prosecutor so he can pursue his investigation of Tony Rezko and his corrupt dealings with Illinois's governor and other creatures and spoilsmen of the Daley Machine. This will make it politically difficult for a President Obama to pardon Mr. Rezko and impossible for him to terminate Mr. Fitzpatrick as a federal officer come January 21 as a way of de-railing this investigation.

* Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate ACORN's voter registration methods and its dealings with the Obama campaign.

* Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Obama campaign's on-line fundraising operation, including its disabling of the credit card security software on its on-line donations system. File a complaint with the Federal Election Commission regarding same.

* Appoint a bipartisan (love that word!) presidential commission to review the candidates' fundraising in this election cycle and to recommend changes in federal election laws.

File ethics complaints against Sen. Chris Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank for their relationship with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Countrywide Mortgage.

Be it noted that, in his day, this is probably what Newt Gingrich would have done, too. It was then-Congressman Gingrich's persistent filing of ethics complaints against then-House Speaker Jim Wright, D Texas, which eventually brought Speaker Wright down and made possible the Republicans' re-taking of Congress in 1994 on the platform of the Contract with America.



nothing to hamper the transition, just some long range torpedoes to chip away at the Dem majority in congress.

Originally Posted by mr_gyptian

this transition period is key. Hopefully it is smooth.

Some ideas as to what Bush and Republicans in congress can do to help..


*Appoint U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzpatrick as a special prosecutor so he can pursue his investigation of Tony Rezko and his corrupt dealings with Illinois's governor and other creatures and spoilsmen of the Daley Machine. This will make it politically difficult for a President Obama to pardon Mr. Rezko and impossible for him to terminate Mr. Fitzpatrick as a federal officer come January 21 as a way of de-railing this investigation.

* Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate ACORN's voter registration methods and its dealings with the Obama campaign.

* Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Obama campaign's on-line fundraising operation, including its disabling of the credit card security software on its on-line donations system. File a complaint with the Federal Election Commission regarding same.

* Appoint a bipartisan (love that word!) presidential commission to review the candidates' fundraising in this election cycle and to recommend changes in federal election laws.

File ethics complaints against Sen. Chris Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank for their relationship with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Countrywide Mortgage.

Be it noted that, in his day, this is probably what Newt Gingrich would have done, too. It was then-Congressman Gingrich's persistent filing of ethics complaints against then-House Speaker Jim Wright, D Texas, which eventually brought Speaker Wright down and made possible the Republicans' re-taking of Congress in 1994 on the platform of the Contract with America.



nothing to hamper the transition, just some long range torpedoes to chip away at the Dem majority in congress.

Sorry mr_G... But this ^^^ is a perfect explanation/example of why the Republicans are going to be mostly sitting out the next 2 years as it stands now. Their first inclination is to try and play politics, instead of govern for the benefit of the people. To have a chance to make a come back in 2 years, they'll have to put this partisan crap away and work on the business of restoring the economy.

Think it's funny to see the batshit crazy Republicans now coming out and stating they think the party wasn\\\'t right wing religious enough, and that moving more toward those values will fix their ills.

Since you took the time to type that out, I'll at least humor you with some thoughts;

-Why do you think Obama has any desire to pardon Mr. Rezko? Obama is very likely to leave a number of the existing GOP cabinet in place. I've seen 3 or 4 being listed as likely. On Fitz, any investigation would continue even if the US attorney was replaced. It is the Republicans who have the demonstrated history of replacing US Attorneys mid-term for purely political purposes.

-By the actions at the polls, or lack of any reports of even modest fraudulent voting... the ACORN fraud thing has been shown to be the naked political play. I'm sure there will be attempts by both sides to adjust rules to limit cheating by the registration hires. Simply prosecuting those who tried to cheat ACORN by filling out fraudulent registrations would be a good first step. IMHO a much more important step would be to investigate the frenzied work by GOP secretaries of state to remove legitimate voters from the voting roles within the 90 window of the primary and general elections as expressly prohibited by Federal law.

-Fine... investigate BOTH the Democratic and Republican systems. No problem with finding out where improvements can be made. Combine this with next point.

-Whatever?

If they tack to the religous right, then they deserve sitting on the bench for the next decade.

however, Rep's like Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor seem to be gaining sway in the Party. This is good for everyone, not just Republicans.

Welcome to the sidelines, Mr. G. Enjoy the view, and don't whine yourself hoarse.

If gyptian wants investigators appointed for such right wing fairy tales as ACORN (are you shitting me? That story was discredited within a day of it being broken--ACORN itself reported the problem) maybe we can go in order and get Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, etc. investigated for perjury, suborning perjury, and high crimes and misdemeanors? What Bush did with Libby and Gonzalez alone merits impeachment, to say nothing of his manipulation of intelligence to trick Congress and the country into war.

It would be easy enough to prosecute WH criminals--but the only ones who would be convicted are those already there. gyptian is crazy.

Originally Posted by mr_gyptian

*Appoint U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzpatrick as a special prosecutor so he can pursue his investigation of Tony Rezko and his corrupt dealings with Illinois's governor and other creatures and spoilsmen of the Daley Machine. This will make it politically difficult for a President Obama to pardon Mr. Rezko and impossible for him to terminate Mr. Fitzpatrick as a federal officer come January 21 as a way of de-railing this investigation.

* Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate ACORN's voter registration methods and its dealings with the Obama campaign.

You've been listening to talk radio too much.

Who cares if the first thing happens? The Rezko issue can't bring Obama down. It would have happened already if it could. So why would he care what happens here, and why would a pardon happen either. It won't. At this point, you're just grasping at straws.

If you're going to investigate ACORN then someone should investigate what happened in Nevada in 04. Same shit, different smell. Except that case was a little different. ACORN tried to register Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, etc. In 04, Voter Outreach of American registered both Republicans and Democrats. Allegedly, the Republican registrations got turned in and the Democrat registrations were sent to the landfill. What's worse, trying (and failing) to register cartoon characters or tossing out valid registrations for people who actually intended to vote and probably were greeted with a rude surpise when they went to the polls.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/....registration/

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt...rce=rss&feed=1

nice fairy tale.


Rezko is something that will testify to Obama's Chicago Machine connections. Also, Emanual's connections to the same machine.

also, the main point of these actions will be to clean up our voting process. really the foundation of any democracy/republic etc. Ours is shameful at this point. secondly, members of congress both dem and republican need to be held accountable for their relations with corporations like Countrywide.

it just so happens more Democrats have engaged in shady dealings with the likes of Angelo Mozillo.

Do you guys have any problems with the head of the House appropriations committee being a serial tax evader?

Rangel in September said he would hire a "forensic accountant" (think: "CSI: Charlie") to untangle a 20-year morass of tax returns and to determine just how much money he's made and how much in unpaid taxes he may still owe.

(Reminder: Rangel's committee writes the nation's tax laws.)

But as The Post's Isabel Vincent reported, two months later Rangel's lawyers claim they can't locate a single qualified firm that hasn't contributed to Rangel's campaigns or has no pending business before Ways & Means.

The same lawyers, incidentally, have already been paid more than $121,000 from Rangel's campaign committee.

Typical sophmoric debate approach: when losing badly, change the topic.

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

Typical sophmoric debate approach: when losing badly, change the topic.

half of my last post was directly related to the topic.

whereas your post has exactly nothing to do with the topic at hand.

also very typical.

Originally Posted by mr_gyptian

nice fairy tale.

"It's the old Potomac two step, Jack; and now you have a chip in the game." Except there's no Jack Ryan here and the world doesn't work like that fairy tale ending.

Do you still fail to realize just how good Obama is at playing the game? Keep underestimating him; everyone else has up to this point. The guy is a political genius; just look at what he's done in such a short time. The Rezko thing is peanuts and always will be. If Whitewater didn't take down the Clintons, how the hell do you think this is going to play out especially given the fact that it's a relatively trivial situation compared to that? The guy is now POTUS and he's got both houses of Congress behind him. This will go nowhere.

Quoting Tom Clancy, well done.

I'm not underestimating Obama at all. Meanwhile, everyone that voted for him is completely over estimating him. That's why I'm talking about employing these tactics. His political calculation will make the Clinton Era look like an after school special. He's gotten ahead in the most cutthroat of American cities. I don't pretend to think it's because he's had the audacity to hope.

Originally Posted by mr_gyptian

half of my last post was directly related to the topic.

You are clearly delusional. Your posts have nothing to do with the continued failure of the Bush administratrion and their lack of ability to respect the electorate.

whereas your post has exactly nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Again, you're completely delusional.

also very typical.

If you had ever conceded even the tiniest amount regarding what a complete disaster this administration has been, from condoning torture to the economy, maybe we could have a debate or discussion. But over the years, it's been pretty clear that we don't even begin to talk the same language.

But the point is that the thread elucidates the Bush administrations continued bungling.

While there are obviously turds in Obama's cupcakes, the approach of directing attention away from the topic at hand only serves to illuminate your inability to converse.

Mr. G's plan is basically the DNC's wet dream: continue to hysterically pimp concerns that the electorate just overwhelmingly rejected and look to creepy ultra-partisan republicans that make everyone's gaydar go off, like Eric Cantor.

If the GOP goes that way, it does nothing but make them look worse and the Dems better, while also providing a handy scapegoat.

The only way that Nixon/Rove-style shit works is when you control the media narrative; that time is over.

When you run the whole show for six-eight years and you can't point to one single accomplishment that most Americans (including Republicans) would call "good", it might be time to do a little reflection on what being a Republican actually means. Right now, in the eyes of most Americans, it means failure, corruption, incompetence, un-trusworthiness, and the reflexive compulsion to resort to red-herring shit-slinging when cornered, as demonstrated above.

Originally Posted by mr_gyptian

Meanwhile, everyone that voted for him is completely over estimating him.

Everyone?

That's just a touch sweeping don't you think?

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Everyone?

That's just a touch sweeping don't you think?

no, I really don't think so.



Planning under way for Obama holiday
The Capital-Journal
Published Sunday, November 09, 2008
Plans are being made to promote a national holiday for Barack Obama, who will become the nation's 44th president when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20.

"Yes We Can" planning rallies will be at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the downtown McDonald's restaurant, 1100 Kansas Ave., until Jan. 13. The goals are to secure a national holiday in Obama's honor, to organize celebrations around his inauguration and to celebrate the 200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln, who was born on Feb. 12 1809.

At 7:30 a.m. on Inauguration Day, Obama Cake will be served at the downtown McDonald's, and a celebration is scheduled for 8 p.m. to midnight Jan. 20 at the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center, 420 S.E. 6th.

For more information, contact Sonny Scroggins, (785) 232-3761, 845-6148 or at biasbustersofkansas@yahoo.com; Lamont Lassiter, McDonald's general manager, 608-2739; Ava Chander-Beard, (785) 234-9138, ava.beard@sbcglobal.net

Originally Posted by mr_gyptian

no, I really don't think so.

Oh, Sorry.

I thought it was just something you'd pulled out of your ass.

If I'd realized that you really thought so I would have just been scornful.

glad we cleared that up.

Originally Posted by mr_gyptian

this transition period is key. Hopefully it is smooth.

Some ideas as to what Bush and Republicans in congress can do to help..


*Appoint U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzpatrick as a special prosecutor so he can pursue his investigation of Tony Rezko and his corrupt dealings with Illinois's governor and other creatures and spoilsmen of the Daley Machine. This will make it politically difficult for a President Obama to pardon Mr. Rezko and impossible for him to terminate Mr. Fitzpatrick as a federal officer come January 21 as a way of de-railing this investigation.

* Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate ACORN's voter registration methods and its dealings with the Obama campaign.

* Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the Obama campaign's on-line fundraising operation, including its disabling of the credit card security software on its on-line donations system. File a complaint with the Federal Election Commission regarding same.

* Appoint a bipartisan (love that word!) presidential commission to review the candidates' fundraising in this election cycle and to recommend changes in federal election laws.

File ethics complaints against Sen. Chris Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank for their relationship with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Countrywide Mortgage.

Be it noted that, in his day, this is probably what Newt Gingrich would have done, too. It was then-Congressman Gingrich's persistent filing of ethics complaints against then-House Speaker Jim Wright, D Texas, which eventually brought Speaker Wright down and made possible the Republicans' re-taking of Congress in 1994 on the platform of the Contract with America.



nothing to hamper the transition, just some long range torpedoes to chip away at the Dem majority in congress.

Listen to Yoda Mr. G.

Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will

Originally Posted by H-wood

Mr. G's plan is basically the DNC's wet dream: continue to hysterically pimp concerns that the electorate just overwhelmingly rejected and look to creepy ultra-partisan republicans that make everyone's gaydar go off, like Eric Cantor.

If the GOP goes that way, it does nothing but make them look worse and the Dems better, while also providing a handy scapegoat.

The only way that Nixon/Rove-style shit works is when you control the media narrative; that time is over.

When you run the whole show for six-eight years and you can't point to one single accomplishment that most Americans (including Republicans) would call "good", it might be time to do a little reflection on what being a Republican actually means. Right now, in the eyes of most Americans, it means failure, corruption, incompetence, un-trusworthiness, and the reflexive compulsion to resort to red-herring shit-slinging when cornered, as demonstrated above.

Yo. FKNA.

I love how proactive Obama is, letting Bush know, right before their little meeting, that he will reverse all the last minute bulllshit Bush pulls as he runs out of town.

Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki

(are you shitting me? That story was discredited within a day of it being broken--ACORN itself reported the problem)

I seem to remember a place in Iraq called Abu Ghraib that was over, done with, and in the process of being investigated by the military before you even knew it existed. In fact, it was a leak about the investigation(independent of any public knowledge or outcry) that lead to the story making the papers in the first place. That didn't stop your whiny ass from complaining about it for years afterward.

Originally Posted by Rubicon

I seem to remember a place in Iraq called Abu Ghraib that was over, done with, and in the process of being investigated by the military before you even knew it existed. In fact, it was a leak about the investigation(independent of any public knowledge or outcry) that lead to the story making the papers in the first place. That didn't stop your whiny ass from complaining about it for years afterward.

Equating Abu Ghraib to Acorn...wow.