And then they came for the environmentalists

September 16, 2005

I guess the administration’s position on the “blame game” has shifted. Now, it’s trying a little offense (via Kos).

The federal government is trying to find evidence of any past efforts by environmental groups to block work on New Orleans’ levees, according to a published report.

The Clarion-Ledger said Friday it obtained an internal Justice Department e-mail sent out this week to U.S. attorneys that asks: “Has your district defended any cases on behalf of the (U.S.) Army Corps of Engineers against claims brought by environmental groups seeking to block or otherwise impede the Corps work on the levees protecting New Orleans? If so, please describe the case and the outcome of the litigation.” […]

Shown a copy of the email, David Bookbinder, senior attorney for Sierra Club, said: “Why are they (Bush administration officials) trying to smear us like this?”

Because they don’t have much choice. If, in the coming months, there’s anything even resembling a thorough inquiry of the Katrina disaster, there will be greater public awareness of the fact that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers essentially stopped major work on Louisiana’s levee system last year, after the Bush administration cut funding for the project. It was the first such stoppage in 37 years. And that’s likely to be mighty embarrassing.

Remember, Karl Rove is in charge of the reconstruction effort. If there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s the ability to do the oppo research in advance to at least help spread the blame around.

Then again, if the Justice Department’s research — and what a fine use of resources this is — doesn’t turn up anything, they’ll probably just make something up. It’s what they do.

I continue to observe with complete incredulity the absolute freedom this monster Karl Rove has been given to bulldoze the American repbulic.
How does he do it? Does he have a cache of photographs of major
Democratic and Repbulican leaders in compromising positions?
Is he a high priest of Satan with links to Hell that gives him special magical powers over mere mortals? What is it that lets him ride roughshod over anyone who gets in his way?
If the Democrats are smart they will reaim their attacks away from Bush -boy (a puppet at best who does what Karl tells him to do- is that why he had to write a note just to go to the bathroom at the UN?) and focus on the real power in this administration: Karl Rove.
Rove must be taken out of commission. Unchecked he will destroy what is left of our freedoms. His slanders and innuendos have wreaked many a career. He is long overdue for some really nasty payback, and boy is it going to be a bitch!
Focus on unhinging Karl Rove from his position in the White House and
Bush will be left defenseless. This latter-day Rasputin has gone too far.
There must be some legal means to dispose of him. Where is the press?
Where is real leadership in the Democratic Party? Their resources must now be centered on stopping the damage this man has done.
Rove may be clever but he has his weaknesses, too. Find them and
exploit the hell out of them. If we want to save American for future generations we have to stop Rove from leading us on the garden path to Pottersville we are on now? Where is our George Bailey when we need him? Does someone out there have an answer to this?

  • These people will do anything to deflect blame. Hell, they outed a CIA agent, so why not try to blame some environmentalists – and maybe others – for their own incompetence and misguided funding decisions.

    So Bush accepts responsiblity? Yeah, right.

  • Oh, these past 24 hours have certainly shown Bushie’s true feelings about the environment. First let blame environmentalists. Then, lets declare the Gulf an “opportunity area,” which includes among other things waiving environmental rules and regulations. nevermind that the environmental damage is one of the biggest dimensions of this catastrophe and that it will potentially harm both human lives and the economy of the delata region for decades. . . lets do some more in the name of progress!

  • Another disturbing thing, which Billmon notes, is that Shrub pledged to “develop” some “unused” federal lands for new housing for the displaced.

    What kind of “unused” land?

    Environmental wetlands preserves?

    National parks?

    Turned into CONDOS?

    WHAT exactly does this asshole have in mind?

    Oh, yes. They are going to bulldoze national parks into a suburban Wal-Mart tract-mansion sprawl. And if you issue an environmental suit, you are “hurting the poor and displaced”. It’s another trap.

    Rove’s evil knows no bounds.

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