[Vision2020] Bushies Foster Secrecy, Fear (Molly Ivins)

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (February 1, 2006) Spokesman Review -

 

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Bushies foster secrecy, fear 

Molly Ivins 

February 1, 2006

 

In a happy harmonic convergence, Groundhog Day falls only two days after the
State of the Union address this year. Some days, I'd feel better with
Punxsutawney Phil in the Oval Office - at least he doesn't lie about the
weather. The Bush administration is now trying to stop NASA's top climate
scientist from speaking out on the need for prompt action on global warming.
As far as we know, the groundhog isn't suppressing anyone; he just calls it
as he sees it. 

 

James E. Hansen, longtime head of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies,
gave a speech last month calling for immediate reduction in emissions of
greenhouse gases because global warming is so pressing. He says since then,
NASA has reviewed his coming lectures, papers, postings and requests for
interviews from journalists. "They feel their job is to be this censor of
information going out to the public," Hansen said. The top P.R. guy denies
it, saying, "It's about coordination." 

 

Yep, it sure is about coordination. According to the Environmental Working
Group's Web site, there's a coordinated, multimillion-dollar campaign funded
by polluters to convince us that global warming doesn't exist - or if it
exists, it's not serious, or if it's serious, it's not an immediate threat.
And so we get into another one of those weird debates where something as
clear as elementary addition suddenly becomes: "Well, some say . but then,
others say."

 

For instance, some call it domestic spying, whereas others call it a
terrorist surveillance program. Actually, it's a domestic spying program
being conducted without warrants. 

 

The problem is not just keeping track of everything the Bushies are up to,
but trying to evaluate the damage. For example, the man who has headed the
Justice Department investigation into the dealings of corrupt Republican
lobbyist Jack Abramoff for the past two years has been removed from his job.
The Bush team decided to put him on the federal bench, so the Abramoff
investigation will be headed by someone less senior and less experienced. 

 

Now, is this real damage? I don't think so. The investigation continues and
would be damned hard to bury at this point. This gesture is just Bush
flipping the bird to the Democrats and the public: "See? Ha! I can do
whatever I want, no matter how it looks." Whereas, six years of dragging,
delaying and disinforming about global warming - now that causes
irreversible damage. 

 

Some damage is harder to see than others - and I offer two cases of
suppression. 

 

First, there's a congressionally mandated report on outsourcing high-tech
jobs. It was supposed to be released before the '04 election but wasn't
because it was politically embarrassing. More than a year later, they are
still stonewalling, ignoring the federal law that ordered the study done and
be released before November 2004. 

 

Second, according to the Project on Government Oversight, the Congressional
Research Service has warned a senior analyst to avoid describing his
research findings. The analyst, whose job it is to describe research
findings of the nonpartisan service, specializes in separation-of-power
issues, but he was criticized over a report and comments he made concerning
the plight of national security whistleblowers. 

 

"It is undeniable that unprecedented numbers of government whistleblowers
face retaliation with no adequate protections. We are stunned that the
Congress is offended to hear the truth about its failure to help
whistleblowers and are even punishing their own seasoned researchers for
talking about it," said Danielle Brian, executive director of the project. 

 

What we have here are two small examples of an entire climate of secrecy and
fear being created by this administration. As government officials keep more
and more information from us, they are in turn increasingly less accountable
for what they do, since we have no idea they're doing it. Those are small
things with grave consequences.

 

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Take care, Moscow.

 

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

 

 

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"A bad cause will ever be supported by bad means and bad men." 

 

- Thomas Paine (English Writer, 1737-1809)

 

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