Thursday, June 24, 2004
SHHHH!...Don't Tell
Once again, the Supreme Court has sided with their chosen one. In a 7-2 decision, the Court has stated that the Bush administration does not have to turn over records concerning Cheney's energy task force.
(Despite Justice Scalia's personal relationship with Vice President Cheney, he was allowed to remain on the case and sided with the majority.)
This decision allows Bush/Cheney to continue to hide the names of those that helped write this administration's energy policy. Speculation is that Cheney, a former energy industry leader himself, gathered friends like former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay to help formulate an energy policy. Surprisingly enough, the final draft of that policy was very favorable to the big energy companies. Energy companies being allowed to write policy to increase profits? Only in America!
In fact a lot of what this administration has done during its tenure has been to the benefit of big business. Tax incentives, deregulation, environmental policy, and the list goes on. But this shouldn't come as any real surprise considering the background of the administration officials. Haliburton, Harken, Chevron, ... all big business.
Some people claim that there are certain things that need to be kept secret, my wife has friend who believes that there are certain things that we don't need to know, but I don't believe in that doctrine. Not when it comes to our government. Personal lives are one thing, but national policy is another. This is a government of the people, for the people. Policy that benefits a few while disenfranchising many is simply bad policy.
Once again, I ask the question: Why does this administration have so many secrets? I believe it was our own president that said: "A country that hides something is a country that is afraid of getting caught." I know it's a stupid quote, but maybe he knows something we don't.
- The Bush administration won't have to reveal secret details of Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force before the election, after the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a lower court should spend more time sorting out the White House's privacy claim.
In a 7-2 decision, justices said the lower court should consider whether a federal open government law could be used to get task force documents. Even if that court rules against the administration, appeals would tie up the case well past November.
(Despite Justice Scalia's personal relationship with Vice President Cheney, he was allowed to remain on the case and sided with the majority.)
This decision allows Bush/Cheney to continue to hide the names of those that helped write this administration's energy policy. Speculation is that Cheney, a former energy industry leader himself, gathered friends like former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay to help formulate an energy policy. Surprisingly enough, the final draft of that policy was very favorable to the big energy companies. Energy companies being allowed to write policy to increase profits? Only in America!
In fact a lot of what this administration has done during its tenure has been to the benefit of big business. Tax incentives, deregulation, environmental policy, and the list goes on. But this shouldn't come as any real surprise considering the background of the administration officials. Haliburton, Harken, Chevron, ... all big business.
Some people claim that there are certain things that need to be kept secret, my wife has friend who believes that there are certain things that we don't need to know, but I don't believe in that doctrine. Not when it comes to our government. Personal lives are one thing, but national policy is another. This is a government of the people, for the people. Policy that benefits a few while disenfranchising many is simply bad policy.
Once again, I ask the question: Why does this administration have so many secrets? I believe it was our own president that said: "A country that hides something is a country that is afraid of getting caught." I know it's a stupid quote, but maybe he knows something we don't.
