Bush Waves Goodbye With One Finger
And guess which one? Picking up on what has previously been written about midnight regulations, Rolling Stone details “Bush’s Final F.U.”These are laws that will be locked-in and hard to undo by the incoming administration. While every president has done some last-minute legal housekeeping, these wingnuts are doing it at a record pace.
“The administration is handing out final favors to its friends,” says Véronique de Rugy, a scholar at George Mason University who has tracked six decades of midnight regulations. “They couldn’t do it earlier – there would have been too many political repercussions. But with the Republicans having lost seats in Congress and the presidency changing parties, Bush has nothing left to lose.”
The most jaw-dropping of Bush’s rule changes is his effort to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act. Under a rule submitted in November, federal agencies would no longer be required to have government scientists assess the impact on imperiled species before giving the go-ahead to logging, mining, drilling, highway building or other development. The rule would also prohibit federal agencies from taking climate change into account in weighing the impact of projects that increase greenhouse emissions – effectively dooming polar bears to death-by-global-warming. According to Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, “They’ve taken the single biggest threat to wildlife and said, ‘We’re going to pretend it doesn’t exist, for regulatory purposes.’”
There’s more about what they’re doing to the environment, health care, and domestic spying:
Under midnight regulations, the administration is seeking to lock in the domestic spying it began even before 9/11. One rule under consideration would roll back Watergate-era prohibitions barring state and local law enforcement from spying on Americans and sharing that information with U.S. intelligence agencies. “If the federal government announced tomorrow that it was creating a new domestic intelligence agency of more than 800,000 operatives reporting on even the most mundane everyday activities, Americans would be outraged,” says Michael German, a former FBI agent who now serves as national security policy counsel for the ACLU. “This proposed rule change is the final step in creating an America we no longer recognize – an America where everyone is a suspect.”
And here is the best hope to undo what Bush is doing:
The best option for overturning the rules, ironically, may be a gift bestowed on Obama by Newt Gingrich. Known as the Congressional Review Act, it was passed in 1996 to give Congress the option of overriding what GOP leaders viewed at the time as excessive regulation by Bill Clinton. The CRA allows Congress to not only kill a new rule within 60 days, but to do so with a simple, filibuster-immune majority. De Rugy, the George Mason scholar, expects Democrats in the House and Senate to make “very active use of the Congressional Review Act.”
The Endangered Species Act could certainly use some revision. I care about animals, but I care more about humanity. That’s not to say tha I don’t recognize that we must all coexist. And it’s not to say that I don’t recognize the many health benefits of animals and plants. (Interesting side note- did you know that squirrels are immune to rattlesnake venom, and scientists are working with their DNA to develop better antidotes for us?)
What I’m saying is that there must be a balance between the relations of our species.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:52 am
“…the administration is seeking to lock in the domestic spying it began even before 9/11.”
I’m so sick of hearing conservative pundits say that Obama is going to destroy the Constitution. Interesting that they rarely mention the loss of privacy our people have sustained during 8 years of Bushism.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:58 am
I think the picture of Bush shredding the constitution says it all. Thats how he really feels. He did whatever he wanted in office despite how the American people including the minority that elected him the first place felt. Conservative wackos claim Obama wants to “change the constitution” when in reality he knows more about the constitution than any President since the ones who ratified it….
December 14th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I’m so sick of hearing conservative pundits say that Obama is going to destroy the Constitution. Interesting that they rarely mention the loss of privacy our people have sustained during 8 years of Bushism.
Posted by CherylCarroll
………………………………
Isn’t this STILL just part of the Newt Gingrich’s 1996 GOPAC memo:
“Language: A Key Mechanism of Control”?
You count on the idea that if you repeat something enough, ALWAYS using the same words, people tend to accept it as truth.
Hence, those whose personal fortunes are tied up in the very foreign policies they make, call their opponents “ELITES”.
Those who have multiple broken marriages claim to represent ‘family values’.
Those who never served, in wars they support, trash their opponents who did and call them unpatriotic.
Those who are critical of the policies of Democrats are looking out for America, while those who are critical of Republicans are “ANTI AMERICAN”.
A lot of time, money and effort has gone into this strategy.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:54 am
I think we ought to care about our fine feathered and furry friends, BUT not to the degree of putting thousands of hard working, decent people out of work. That is the biggest problem about the endangered species act. They seem to care way to much about the animale, etc. then their fellow man. Their creed seems to be “lets save this animal and screw the hundreds of families who will lose their jobs, their homes. The families are not important.”
God has given us dominion over the animals, birds, fish, etc. We are to care for His creation but we are not to become subserviant to them.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Alan, thanks for continuing to bring this subject to light. Not content with the amount of damage he has done to the country, Bush has been doing as much as he can to work against the interests of the American people in terms of health care, labor, the environment and civil liberties.
For those who are interested, here’s a post of mine on the administration’s denial of collective bargaining to thousands of federal employees:
http://www.theliberalcurmudgeon.com/2008/12/bushs-destructive-endgame-continues.html
Here’s another on the administration’s efforts to endanger workers’ health:
http://www.theliberalcurmudgeon.com/2008/12/outgoing-bush-administration-working.html
I hope that January 20th comes as soon as possible. Bush has left enough of a mess with Iraq and the economy for Obama to inherit. Now the incoming president must also spend his time reversing Bush’s endgame of destruction.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Hey Willy that sounds like Southern Republican Senators position on the auto bailout…..
December 14th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Willy, get a new tune…your notes are a bit sour on that one.
There are a multitude of ways for us to do both..protect the environment, the animal population, and still employ people
HP gave us the responsibility to care for the thing he made…not for us to mess up….and, by the way…clean your room.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Thanks Robert for the advice but my room is clean.
You mean like the owl in the northwest? They put hundreds of families out of work and by golly if the owl is still dwindling in numbers. I think the environmentalists are too powerful and a little wacky.
Where is the balance with the eniro-weinies? Why do environmental impact studies take 7 to 10 years? Is it because most companies will withdraw their attempt to build because of the loooooogg delay? That is a tactic of the EPA.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Sorry Ike, not talking about the bailout.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Yea, Willy, you’re sooooo concerned about the American workers, as long as they don’t live in Detroit?
December 14th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
How many owls working does it take to feed your family TDRO?
December 14th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
One giant owl standing in the road at midnight staring you down.
(Um, you can take what you want from that)
Bush is ****ing this country like a dirty five dollar *****. This man obviously cares nothing for this birth nation and only cares to kiss the butt of crazed right wing groups and his yuppie golf buddies. If a Dem was doing things like this the media would be calling him a treasonous scoundrel. Long live unbiased media!
December 14th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Of course, as usual you make no sense, Willy. You have no answers so you respond with a questions.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
don’t forget about the internet poker law,he jamed that up for us also.I’m GLAD HE’S GOING !
December 14th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
This will be a test of the new congress. If they don’t use the Congressional Review Act to kill this gunk, we will know it is all politics as usual.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Free Willy! Free Shamu! Save Ferris!
December 15th, 2008 at 3:42 am
WILLY,the big 3 my man. Lets help the big 3. Seems me you are stuck in quicksand right now.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Steve, I’m all for helping the Big 3. The top brass must give some, the unions must give some, and Congress must get off their backs some also.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:11 am
TDRO,
Response to your comment yesterday afternoon at 5:09.
What was the question I had no answer to?
December 15th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Hey Alan Colmes, are you going to be a regular guest on the Hannity and Whoever show? I think Bob Beckel would be a great replacement.
I know this isn’t related to anything posted here but I thought I would mix it up a little.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:04 am
The problem with Bush’s latest environmental oversight is simple and I can’t believe it’s being overlooked. On the most basic level, environmentalists are not looking out for the animal as much as they are realizing that protecting animals ultimately sustains human existence. It’s called the food chain, or something. The rate of extinction is currently higher than at any point since the extinction of the dinosaurs and the Endangered Species Act slows this rate here in our country. Deregulating is not the answer to save jobs all the time…sometimes you just need to use your head a little bit and be more creative.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Bush is going to leave alot of muck around and having his last great acts of defiance as well. Just showing how deviant Bush can be.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I voted for Him. The people payed close attention to what he stood for as far as being a conservative. The other 2 candidates that were running against him in 2000 and 2004 stood for the New World Order! I listened carefully to what he had to say about it. President Bush decieved the conservatives. Yes he stood for moral values but to sign the North American Union into effect without Congress knowing it??? To merge America and Canada and Mexico together as one union by 2010. That is why they don’t want border controll.
A plan to destroy our economy along with Clinton and his Dad Former Bush and yes we can go back further. To destroy our constitution. Which with Pres-elect Obama and his birth certificate of being a British born, the Supreme Court would not hear the case and it seems Obama can do anything and come out smelling like a rose..so this has already began with Obama and destroying our Constitution. I am so grieved to know that this country that I love and it’s freedoms has been lied to and going into a New World Order..a police state….one world govt. & one world religion and a one world money system. That is why all the trouble with the banks….God help us! We as Patriotic Americans will see our country destroyed right before our eyes! Who is going to stand for America? It seems that the media is bought off and I listen to Fox news but you have to even watch them. For now I go to the internet to find out what is in the agenda for today until the internet is going to be controlled like the media..they tell you what they WANT you to know. We are NOT dummies out here! We know what is going on! Thank God for Ron Paul and others that know what is going on. That is why the media played them down.
Give me Liberty or give me Death!
December 15th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Hawaii is not British territory. Obama is not a dual citizen. He is a United States citizen and the 44th President.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Obama’s dad was a British citizen which made
Obama one also. Go read up on it at citizen wells and there are plenty more sites. Also his grandmother on you-tube said Obama was born in Kenya and she was there!. Obama refuses to present his original birth cert. WHY..what does he have to hide IF he is an american true born citizen. This way all of us can put this to rest! Also he was adopted by Mr. Sorento in Indonesia. Also there is an article out in 2006 by Sarah Herlihy of the elimination of the US constitution requirements of a natural born being the pres. calling this stupid. This was right after Obama got in the senate. I regret that Obama is the 44th President! There is a lot of trash that he is taking to the white house! There is many questions about him unanswered and to trust him as President of the most powerful nation on this earth! Go to you-tube and see where he campaigned for his uncle in Kenya last year! His uncle also used the logo CHANGE! Which this is a muslim nation.
Destroying our constitution..is this change! I don’t want it! Socialism! Change? Go to Grassfire.org and see what the change is!
This is the day America died 1776-2008…you watch and see! Sir thank You for your comment..but please go study this out. That is what was wrong with America..they didn’t research what the people stood for and where they came from. The media played it down except Sean Hannity! Seems Americans have been watching too much American Idol! NBC! ABC! CBS! CNN except Lou Dobbs and Glen Beck!
They like those smooth talkers!!! A charmer!
Lets see how his charm is when he is in office! When the coal mines will be shut down and unemployment is sky high and people can’t afford to live because of his global warming policy! DEPRESSION DAYS!
December 15th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
When unemployment is sky high is NOW when George W is President. Get a clue, you are smoking too much marijuana making you too paranoid. His birth certificate has been presented umteen times and it is legitimate. He was a constitution scholar. Do you think every constitutional scholar wants to destroy it? Thats why they spend their lives studying it. The Supreme Court refuses to hear this BS because it is nothing but racist paranoid BS. Glen Beck is almost as a big of douche bag as you. Almost. Dont forget the CURRENT president is the one who left this country in shambles and has done everything in the power he allocated to himself and his right hand devil Cheney to disregard the constitution. There is no 4th or 8th amendment anymore in case you have not noticed. But thats keeping us so safe, just like W did everything he could to keep people safe on 9/11. We did our research which is why McCain is not the President. This time the country got it right and voted for the smartest person in the room, which is who should be running the country. Not some drunk ass loser with no other qualifications other than his last name. W got where he was because of who his dad was. Obama got there despite who his dad was. He worked hard for everything he ever had. He is a respectable man who will bring repsect and dignity back to the white house. Thank God!
December 15th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
“What was the question I had no answer to?”
Posted by Willy
Eric at 4:57 answered perfectly for me!
December 15th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
There won’t be a co host on H&C, Willy. It’s Hannity alone.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Ben Levitan could be an interesting guest.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Ok Ike.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
OMG! There are still delusional psychotic people out there rambling on about Obama not being a American citizen. People, please get a life and some mental health help! Hello, I don’t think we have to wait until Obama get in office to have unemployment sky high and people unable to afford to live. Incase you didn’t notice we are already there! Just glad to get someone with a brain in our highest.
December 15th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Alan & Joel,
This is the second post in two days that referred to the F-word.
McConnell never used that word.
Neither did President Bush.
Your coarseness of the dialogue is increasing and it reflects badly on your debate positions.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Miss SUSAN you are so right once more. FAIRLY must be having flash backs from lsd or the dt,s maybe his diet. Bush has led our nation down the tubes and alot of right wing thinkers need to placed in the nut house as well for falling for MR. SPIN MASTER aka BUSH.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
“Why do environmental impact studies take 7 to 10 years?”
No. Sorry. Science really isn’t that conniving … here’s how it really works with studies in general:
Statistical data on planet environmental changes as well as changes in species distribution depend on mathematical models (there are many of them … you can google them if you like, but here are a few common ones used to calculate different effects on climate change in particular: Hadley Centre Global Climate Model, or the Integrated Model to Asses the Greenhouse Effect). Since we are dealing with a larger model here (i.e., habitats of animals in any given area), with many different variables, the more time that is spent on the data-taking process, the more accurate the data is. There are many different variables that go into how habitats are affected including pH, nitrate concentration, availability of food (prey, etc.), places to mate, places to have offspring, etc. Some species are highly specific in their requirements – including you! This is why habitat destruction is very important – because it can have consequences on how we live (take away trees and you won’t have a place for your owl to live, but you also won’t have a very nice – though not the major – source of CO2 removal and O2 replinishment through photosynthesis). Think back to when you were in grade school and you were trying to find the “best-fit” line to a model. The more points you had for your line or whatever, the easier it was and more accurate to fit a model to predict future behavior. Same here. The longer the study is conducted, the more data is gathered and the better the data set for statistical analysis. – Samples are better when they are larger and random. To make said samples larger and random, it takes time.
Since some of these predictions may involve doomsday consequences, it is very good to spend the time that is necessary to do things right. (Doomsday consequences could involve return of malaria into the United States, etc.) No sense in scaring people over nothing, so you have to take care not to extrapolate too much.
I know that including global climate change is a little off-topic, but it does play into the Endangered Species Act.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Eh, living in the sticks, and watching the population explode in the last 35 years around me, I’ll support the Endangered Species Act any day of the week.
Willy, you say God gave man dominion over the earth and everything in it. Perhaps. But with that dominion comes responsibility and the duty to CARE over the earth and everything in it. That’s actually what the Bible says. Not that God wants us to plunder the earth and its resources. Quite the opposite.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Thank You for all the compliments I have been receiving….I just love all this…freedom of speech! I do believe as Americans we can disagree without being disagreeable. Now getting back to Pres. Bush, whether we like it or not there is a shadow power behind our government that pulls all the strings. Also ready or not we are going to a one world government! Yes our freedoms will be taken away as they are very much trying now! Say Thank You to Bill Clinton that had the Nafta trade agreement passed and our our jobs went to China and other places. As far as our deficit under his term..well from what I understand there was some money put into an escrow account that could not be touched. It just so happens he was our president at the time it was realeased and that is why he came out also smelling like a rose. NO deficit!Further more JFK was going to reveal the secret societies and the Fed. Reserve and well should I say more! So no matter who gets in….these secret societies that plan this one world govt. will have the say…we are in so far now that there is NO turning back! As far as Obama…time will tell…isn’t it real strange that Hillary had disgust for him and NOW she is like a tamed putty cat! Under subjection to Obama! Hmmmm doesn’t take a brain to see this. I believe they are all just puppets to the Illuminati’s new world order! By the way..so far the economy is doing just fine here…notice so far…but I know it will get here! America enjoy your freedom! We have become a police state and the NORAD soldiers will be here in the near future. Wait until this country goes broke and people can’t get there money out of the bank….America needs to wake up! Obama will become a dictator and put his brown shirt army on the streets of young people to watch us! It’s not over just because Pres. bush is not in office.
In the future those of us that do stand for the constitution will be the enemy….go listen to what Ron Paul has to say about this IF you want to listen to someone who knows the constitution. Someone made a statement about Obama knowing the constitution….of course..you have to learn people’s ways first on the inside!
How was Rome destroyed! On the INSIDE!
We also are at war with each other because of the left wing wanting all these immoral rights that are against God! We are becoming another Sodomn and Gommorah! With Obama we already see what they have done in Calf. at least Pres. Bush put a lid on this. Also Obama is for killing babies and also not to mention partial birth abortion then America says God Bless America! Do you actually think he is going to Bless this nation with an Obamanation in office! NO and yes I do believe in the Bible and yes I believe in God! I am not ashamed of this…so please don’t cuss me or put me down for this. A fool says in his heart there is no God! Go listen to endtime.com. This radio program called politics and religion and you will see where we are at in this closing of days before the return of Jesus! This is IF you can really take the truth! God will have the last word for the kings of the earth! One is intelligent to believe in their maker! Have a Beautiful Day America!
PS… How does the government controll people…putting fear on them and controlling their MONEY!!! Hello!!!
So the beat goes on…..
December 16th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
PS…I am a woman!!! Thank You!
December 16th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Fairley, you’re a blind neoconservative. Since you’re so up with Jesus, you might remember the suggestion about taking the plank out of your eye before criticizing the speck in ours.
December 16th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
My goodness MSP. It,s has been proven we have a hole in the ozone. NAFTA was a bill sponser by the GOP. T hey are at fault for having control of the senate. DOOMSDAY,hell far BUSH lied to us about WMD,s along with DICK C. I guess coal is clean as well. MISS FAIRLY! Did BUSH put fear into us about WMD,s? It,s absurb how the right spins and it,s unAMERICAN as well. The GOP under REAGAN open the flood gates for ILLEGALS to come here. Most OF hte GOP senators are from down south in the poorest states in this country,low wages,bad health run amok. They are also some of the biggest pork barrel spenders and always used GOD and i view then ungodly. Race baiters as well that refuse to stand up and say they have been in power for nearly 30 years that their trickle down logic is leading us to doom. I never seen a party that blames but are the very 1,s at fault. You folks have RUSH and SEAN spewing this freaking BM over the air waves as well. Atleast McCAIN stood up againist some of these buffoons. This stinking crap started with REAGAN and ending with BUSHjr. and it freaking stinks. They are unAMERICAN selling our jobs out over the world as well. They have sold AMERICA out!
December 16th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Steve,
Right. But I think you misunderstood me. I was just clarifying why studies have to take so long (Willy had made a comment about how they take so long to get businesses to lose interest: “Why do environmental impact studies take 7 to 10 years? Is it because most companies will withdraw their attempt to build because of the loooooogg delay? That is a tactic of the EPA.”)
Sorry to not make that clear enough, but just trying to defend my back as a member of the scientific community.
As for said doomsday consequences … I was talking more on the stage of emerging global diseases and other natural disasters and less on the stage of things that have already been proven to be true (the whole WMD fiasco and the hole in the ozone layer …). The point was more on the danger of extrapolation. We can’t know for sure which diseases will emerge and where and if they will become endemic or not. This is why it takes a while to research well and conduct good studies because a bad study can really scare the public into fear without cause (think back to the study in the Lancet a while back that “linked” autism to vaccines … the damage was done even though the study was complete bogus. People are still afraid about a possible link to autism although multiple studies with actual controls and without conflicting interests have been published to say the contrary).
December 16th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Jerry~ If all you’re worried about is internet poker, get a life or some therapy. They have support groups for addicted gamblers.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
MSP,I AM SORRY. Nice insight on some issues as well.
December 17th, 2008 at 7:06 am