Bush Bite #14 - 27 Sep 2004
Putting some energy into the White House
Here's some of Bush's little helpers in the White House. Can you see the hidden picture?
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham: has worked to defeat fuel-efficiency standards and fought to cut research into renewable energy. Oh, and he tried three times to eliminate the Energy Department. Received $449,000 from the energy sector for his 2000 Senate run. That's more than any other Senate candidate.
Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff: former chief lobbyist for GM and the auto industry.
Robert Card, Undersecretary of Energy: former CEO of nuclear waste cleanup contractor Kaiser Hill.
Dick Cheney: former CEO of oil-service giant, Haliburton, and a member of industry front group COMPASS, which worked to block the Kyoto treaty.
Donald Evans: Secretary of Commerce: former CEO of Denver oil company, Tom Brown.
J. Steven Grilles, Deputy Interior Secretary: former lobbyist for fossil fuel development firm United Company. Also former vice-president of National Environmental Strategies, a lobbying firm for the energy industry. Since appointed, he has worked, in his own words, to "try to expedite drilling."
Condoleezza Rice: Board member of Chevron from 1991-2000. Has an oil tanker named after her.
Carl Michael Smith, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy: Oil driller and lawyer for oil companies. In 2002, said his role was to realize "how best to utilize taxpayer dollars to the benefit of industry." Also, "Our tax code is not real favorable to the petroleum and pipeline sector of our industry." (Actually, this LEAST-taxed of all industries paid federal income taxes on only 5.7 percent of its U.S. profits in 1998.)
|