...This is not how the review process is supposed to work.

Yes, well. I'm thinking we need to start a list of all the things that have been put on permanent hold, including those things which have been court ordered. The latest is deciding whether polar bears belong on the endangered species list. The Interior Dept. missed a deadline in Jan. for this decision and is now under court order to make a decision by May 15. Want to take bets on whether that actually happens?

The new Bush/Cheney motto must be "Stall. Stall. Stall." Except for stuff like drilling in the Arctic and turning pristine lands into shopping malls, in which case the motto is "Go! Go! Go!"

Shooter never met a stovepipe operation that he didn't love. It's his long-time M.O. And just one of many ways this criminal administration has subverted our democracy.

Oh, wait, I get it now. It's about whale oil.

The next frontier in America's energy crisis... More dead whales = more whale oil = less dependence on the middle east = Bush vindicated.

Hooray!

Thank god we've elected an Administration that fights tooth and nail to avoid undertaking any of the government's duties.

Interesting line from Lurita Doan's resignation from GSA: "together, we have ... ignited a building boom at our nation's ports of entries"

Do you think that any of that port building boom she is proud of went to GOP donors?

GOD.FUCKING.DAMN IT.

Seriously. Fuck, fuck, fuck. It is so disheartening to even look at this evil fucker's face, let alone know all the bullshit he is up to. I cannot being to even articulate my hatred of this evil asshole (hence the profanity above). My only hope is that W's religious beliefs are at least somewhat true-- this guy will be cookin' and crispy about 2 seconds after he passes away.

Well, Mr. Waxman, perhaps Mr. Cheney simply wants to make sure that ships at sea use as much oil as possible.

If ships are anything like cars, they will use less fuel if they are driven slower. And Mr. C can't have that happen. What about his retirement nest egg?

I don't understand. Why wouldn't Cheney want to save himself?

Funny. Many of the books we read to our two year old feature whales and polar bears. I can scarcely believe that the most powerful man in the world, a comic book villain caricature, devotes so much time to exterminating these awesome creatures that give my son so much delight. I guess that's probably a somewhat infantile way of looking at this stuff, but Vice and his Lorax court are clearly profoundly infantile people.

My sources tell me that the whales have attempted to obtain significant quantities of uranium from the sharks, and have mobile weapons labs set up on icebergs.

Signed,

Curveball

To paraphrase a number of recent posts on Obama, it's time to give Cheney his due. Instead of whining about the nasty things he continues to do to species on the brink like whales, the environment in general, the economy, the Constitution, the rule of law, the Geneva Conventions or the state of political discourse in America, it is long past time to applaud Cheney for being a master at his chosen craft. He alone has turned the office of Vice President into a shadow government that runs the executive branch to serve himself and his well-healed cronies here and in the middle east. He has gotten away with this totally criminal enterprise with the unquestioning support of the Republicans in Congress and the whining acquiesence of the Democrats in Congress. Bottom line is he doesn't give a rat's ass about you, your environment, your paycheck, or your children's future. His entire public life and purpose so far as what America values most highly can be summed up in a single word. "So...."

I agree with phil james that Cheney has proven he's perfected his craft. Cheney just intervened on behalf of a campaign contributor. Somebody paid for access and action and got it. Cheney's craft is to deny the evidence and push a different policy that benefits his friends. It's been standard operating procedure for the past 7 years: Fast ships hurt whales? No hard evidence of that. Global warming? No hard evidence. Torture produces bad intelligence? Again, no evidence. Evolution? Nope. No hard evidence of that either. Contrary evidence is not an obstacle to bad policy-making for this bunch. Deny that the evidence is evidence of anything. We heard Bush explain that to Martha Raddatz yesterday. Remember? He said we're succeeding in Afghanistan. All those reports of violence, assassination attempts, whatever. What are you going to believe: the evidence or what your president tells you?

It's the all-powerful ambergris lobby.
Damn them to tarnation!

The Sith must dominate all on earth! Even his enemies in the sea! They just get in the way.
How dare they slow down the oil.

Or does he think he is Neptune, and he must devour all of his children?

The heart died many years ago if it was ever alive. It must be shocked on a daily basis simply to go on.

The underworld awaits the Sith.

The Bush Administration will go down in history for many horrible things -- not least, its grotesque contributions to harming the environment.

One could go on at length about the venality of this Administration and its shameful environmental policies. [What was Bush's proposal yesterday for dealing with rising energy costs? Open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling. Why deal with problems sensibly when there are stupid ideas you can promote? That's the Bush motto.]

At least there are some environmental groups out there battling the idiots in the Bush Administration. Consider the news this week about those fighting to protect endangered wolves and polar bears.

The problem, of course, is that these environmental groups are seeking relief through the federal courts, but Bush and his toadies have shown over and over again that they don't give a damn what the law is or what the courts say; they will do what they want.

The thing about this that is just so asinine, so especially asinine, is that this filth Dick Cheney has the gall to think that his office has the resources to undertake environmental studies of any worth or intellectual heft. More likely, I suppose they just want to unearth some crap that they can spout in their usual smoke and mirrors efforts to obfuscate issues and prevent the government from doing anything to discomfit industry in the smallest way.

I usually don't read all of the comments by other folks, but I like the comment by BBpdx: "Thank god we've elected an Administration that fights tooth and nail to avoid undertaking any of the government's duties." Here, here.

'Ol Dickie is having himself a whale of a time ain't he? Remember! This was the guy that took over the War on Poverty in 1968, when it was only three years old. He did have a boss then--fella by the name of Donald Rumsfeld. Next time someone tells you the programs were a failure remind them who was in charge.

It's Moby Dick Cheney! If he asks you to go whale hunting with him, just say NO! It's one thing to be peppered by birdshot. It's something entirely different to end up with an explosive harpoon tip in your face.