cyranoVR's Journal: NYT Article on "Clear Skies" Initiative

1) Read the following New York Times Magazine article in its entirety:

Changing All the Rules
April 4, 2004
By BRUCE BARCOTT
One key element of the strategy was putting the right people in under-the-radar positions. The Bush administration appointed officials who came directly from industry into these lower rungs of power -- deputy secretaries and assistant administrators. These second-tier appointees knew exactly which rules and regulations to change because they had been trying to change them, on behalf of their industries, for years. One appointee was Jeffrey Holmstead, a lawyer and lobbyist for groups like the Alliance for Constructive Air Policy, an electric utility trade group that sought to weaken the Clean Air Act. Holmstead stepped into the role of assistant E.P.A. administrator for air and radiation, where he would oversee changes to new-source review.

2) Explain to me - one more time - how GWB is a moderate?

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PS - Big shout out to the anonymous party who bought me a subscription. I guess somebody out there values my content enough that they were willing to donate something to keep it death-threat free.

Thank you.

PPS - Any future journal entries that satirize a foe will always be unrestricted. Unlike some people, I believe in the principle of "Right of Response."

Kind of like...

[baldass_newbie]

If Bush wasn't a moderate, he'd dismantle the EPA. I can't recall anything they've done that has added to the environment.
Remember MBTE? The chemical that reduces emissions however is far more polluting than previously suspected?
Most of the rules are nonsensical. I'm sure it sounds good to have an EPA, but preventing things like logging and drilling for oil doesn't help anyone except firefighters and greenpeace.

BTW, did you have a problem when clinton fired all of those federal judges and replaced them

Re:Kind of like...

[Planesdragon]

Crap, the dude sounds like clinton from all of the above.
At least he doesn't lie every time he opens his mouth.

Sure he does. Bush lies, Clinton lied, Bush I lied, Regan lied--Carter might not have lied, but he might have been a better president if he did.

The question isn't "did he lie." The question is "does he do what he should?"

Re:Kind of like...

[btlzu2]

One thing I can think of that makes him less than moderate is the Marriage Amendment fiasco and his abortion stance. When his religious beliefs are factored in, he moves a little to the "religious right". I'm right of center too, but I'm not "religious right". To me there's a big difference and I think that the religious right people give the rest of the right a worse name.

Plain and simple, marriage does not belong in the constitution, period, and it's absurd to suggest so IMO.

However, on the rest of t

Spinning Like Crazy

[cyranoVR]

"I put a lot of faith and trust in my staff...I look for people who are smart and loyal and who share my conservative philosophy."
-George W. Bush
A Charge to Keep

Argh...quote-and-refute...well, here we go.

If Bush wasn't a moderate, he'd dismantle the EPA.

Did you even bother to read the article? Passing the "EPA-Destruction Act, '04" would 100% be filabustered in the Senate. Dramatic legislation is sexy - it would be covered by the news media, protested in the streets, etc.

So his administration is

The Bi-Partisan Solution

[cyranoVR]

clinton said he was a moderate, however between the tax increase and the socialized medicine fiasco, he was far from it.

Even the balanced budget was due to Gingrich's welfare reform which he said he'd overturn when he got the chance and THEN TOOK CREDIT FOR IT!!!

So he was in favor of taxes and socialized medicine, but then he goes all-out and supports Gingrich-sponsored welfare reform? You're right he's a...wait, now I'm confused. What was the point you were trying to make again?

I think we should just

Re:The Bi-Partisan Solution

[cyranoVR]

Funny thing, Bush ran as a moderate (remember the whole "uniter, not a divider thing), but quickly moved to the Right. Exhibit A: packing his administration full of former Reagan-Bush officials.

I guess we can agree that Clinton was a Moderate and Bush is a Conservative.

The Dems are moving to the Left of Hitler.

WTF are you talking about? End of Thread.

Post-Script: Bush wants our women

[cyranoVR]

Did you see that front-page article about Ashcroft going after Porn? From the article:

Administration wages war on pornography [baltimoresun.com]
Ashcroft vs. consent

In a speech in 2002, Ashcroft made it clear that the Justice Department intends to try. He said pornography "invades our homes persistently though the mail, phone, VCR, cable TV and the Internet," and has "strewn its victims from coast to coast."

Given the millions of dollars Americans are spending each month on adult cable television, Internet sites and ma