How Much Influence did Big Oil Have?

From the Washington Post
Bush Energy Order Wording Mirrors Oil Lobby's Proposal

This is kind of shady. I know it seems to blatant to be true, but Dana Milbank's story in the Washington Post seals the deal for me.

"The lobby group recommended a directive requiring agencies to consider whether environmental or other regulations would cause "inordinate complications in energy production and supply." On May 18, Bush issued Executive Order 13211, directing agencies to assess whether regulations would have "any adverse effects on energy supply, distribution or use."

It looks like this whole energy/Enron thing might turn out to be George W. Bush's Whitewater. The whole time VP Cheney refused to turn over these records, he was citing the loss of Presidential Power in the last 35 years. Incidentally, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was signed into law by President LBJ on July 4, 1966, a little over 35 years ago. The National Security Archive did a briefing book (In efforts for full disclosure, i was a co-editor along with Will Ferroggiaro and Tom Blanton, of the study on the state of the FOIA at 35.) *I know it is corny, but I had to give a shot-out.
It now appears that Cheney and the administration were blocking release of these documents in fear that some of this energy and oil industry patronage was going to become public. That is just my opinion, from the left of the box.

posted by sajit @ 11:20 PM