IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM; SILENCE 'EM

GAO Cites Corporate Shaping of Energy Plan (Mike Allen, August 26, 2003, Washington Post)

The White House collaborated heavily with corporations in developing President Bush's energy policy but repeatedly refused to give congressional investigators details of the meetings, according to a federal report issued yesterday.

The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, said in the report that Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham privately discussed the formulation of Bush's policy "with chief executive officers of petroleum, electricity, nuclear, coal, chemical and natural gas companies, among others."

An energy task force, led by Vice President Cheney, relied for outside advice primarily on "petroleum, coal, nuclear, natural gas, electricity industry representatives and lobbyists," while seeking limited input from academic experts, environmentalists and policy groups, the GAO said.

So the Attorney General shouldn't talk about the nation's laws and the administration shouldn't talk to energy companies about energy policy? And Judge Moore shouldn't display the Ten Commandments and Mel Gibson shouldn't tell the story of the Crucifixion? Is the Left trying to outlaw the mere communication of conservative ideas? Are they incapable of answering them with ideas of their own? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 26, 2003 9:35 PM