How do we respond to media spin against Dems like AP's Vermont nuke story?

[papau]

The story is the usual media anti-Dem, ignore Bush faults/lies story that correctly reports that:

1.in 1991 a group of students were brought into a secure area of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant without proper screening, and

2. On at least two occasions, a gun or mock terrorists passed undetected into the plant during security tests.

3. AND DOES NOT REPORT THAT just every one of the 103 nuclear spots the NRC is responsible for the security of (security is not responsibility of the Governor of the State) that has been tested for mock terrorist entry - has FAILED at one time or another - and that this fact could not get the 1994 and later GOP Congress to release adequate funds to the NRC to fund improving the situation.

4. It does not note the fact that Bush had intel that was at best wasted on preventing 911,

5. and it implies Dean could have done so much more - when all he could do - and did do by 2002 - that was not being done in 1991 was to form a State level Cabinet-level agency to push state-federal coordination and to press for federal funds, a small number of new hires for the state troopers so as to place one of them at them at the nuclear plant (I believe the State had 6 troopers working on any given shift back in 91 - but someone should check on just how small the force is) and to assign National Guardsman to shifts at the plant to aid the NRC security force as requested by the NRC security force.

Of course, Dean started to distribute radiation pills to civilians in 2002, and increased emergency preparedness funding. Folks in Vt would have felt much better about the NRC security at the Vermont Yankee nuke plant if he started doing this in 91 - right?

And the lack of a federal no-fly zone over the plant to prevent an aerial attack was a Dean failing - right?

From a later version of the AP story:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3583357,00.html

The lack of preparedness was blamed in the 2002 audit on inadequate funds. "Vermont receives the least amount of funding for its Radiological Emergency Response Plan, in total dollars, of any New England state that hosts a nuclear power plant," the audit disclosed.

In 1992, the NRC provided information to Dean about "declining performances at Vermont Yankee in three important areas: plant security, engineering/technical support and safety assessment/quality verification," documents show. Dean responded by writing the head of the plant that the problems could "have an impact on the health and safety of the people of Vermont" and "it is my expectation that you will do all in your power to correct this declining trend." It was one of several such letters he wrote.





Early AP version of story: AP Exclusive: Dean criticizes Bush, but repeatedly warned about Vermont nuclear preparedness by JOHN SOLOMON and DAVID GRAM, Associated Press Writers

URL: sfgate.com/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/01/03/politics1325EST0525.DTL

Presidential hopeful Howard Dean, who accuses President Bush of being weak on homeland security, was warned repeatedly as Vermont governor about security lapses at his state's nuclear power plant and was told the state was ill-prepared for a disaster at its most attractive terrorist target. <snip>

<snip>
Security was so lax at Vermont Yankee that in August 2001, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staged a drill in which three mock terrorists gained access to the plant. The agency gave Vermont Yankee the worst security rating among the nation's 103 reactors.

<snip>
The NRC has primary responsibility for safety at Vermont Yankee. But Vermont laws required an active state role by creating a panel to review security and performance and requiring plant operators to set aside money for the state to use in the event of a nuclear disaster.

<snip>
State Auditor Ready, a Democrat and Dean backer, agreed things improved after her critical 2002 report and that security tests this year showed Vermont Yankee was safer. "Once Governor Dean got that report there was swift and thorough action," she said.

[Eric J in MN]

1. send a letter to the editor of a paper which ran the AP story nt

nt

[papau]

2. LTR to the ED? Did that of course - but how to stop Rove control?

?

[Eric J in MN]

3. Best defenese is a good offense. Try to persuade the media that

Best defenese is a good offense. Try to persuade the media that something dubious Bush said or did is newsworthy.

For example, Bush hasn't resumed mock tests of nuclear power plant security which the NRC used to do, but stopped because the power plant failed half the time and industry didn't like the embarassment.

[papau]

4. good point !! :-)

:-)