Sen Bernie Sanders Slaps Down Bushie EPA Chief

[mod mom]

Johnson: I'm A Human Being!
By Paul Kiel - January 24, 2008, 12:43PM

For most of the hearing this morning, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has been doing his bureaucratic best to descend into minute discussions of the law ("Section 209" of the Clean Air Act is a favorite hobby horse), extended discussions of process, and the like. But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) didn't have time for that.Every time Sanders asked a question and Johnson made his monotone parry, Sanders struck back to the heart of the issue.

Is global warming a major crisis facing the planet? he wanted to know.

"I don't know what you mean by major crisis," Johnson responded.

"The usual definition of the term "major crisis" would be fine." The reason Sanders wanted to know, he said, is that Johnson's decision to deny the waiver would make sense if the Bush administration didn't think global warming was something worth getting worked up about.

Johnson chose "serious issue" as his preferred term, and then returned to discuss Section 209 again.



video:

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/005131.php

GO BERNIE!!!

[Selatius]

1. Johnson knee-capped states like California because of lobbying by lazy auto companies.

In the past, the EPA has always allowed states like California to set standards higher than EPA ones.

[mod mom]

4. Which is why we need a president who will stand up to the lobbyists.

[EFerrari]

2. He was GREAT. He and Barbara were both GREAT.

She insisted on swearing in the witnesses and Inhofe couldn't do anything about it. :toast:

[Supersedeas]

Yep. If only the public in general had a media that would inform them of this filth in the Admin

[Supersedeas]

5. Yep. If only the public in general had a media that would inform them of this filth in the Admin

[niyad]

3. I'd like to slap the entire administration in irons.