Whitman's bad day
You almost could feel sorry for former Gov. Whitman, who was bashed mercilessly at a congressional hearing Monday on her advice as EPA administrator that it was safe to breathe the air at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks. Almost. Here, almost six years after the fact, she was asked to defend her actions as the environmental point person for the White House.
Oh, it seemed as if Whitman was speaking on her own at the time, based on the best information she could gather. But it's more likely that her message was tweaked to be consistent with efforts by the Bush administration to get people to resume their normal activities after the horrific assaults on our nation. If she had been more diligent in doing her homework before heading the EPA , she would have known she wouldn't be her own person in the Cabinet-level post.
The hearing also shows how pervasive 9/11 remains for political purposes. The attacks are behind most everything the president says about Iraq, the "War on Terrorism,'' national security, etc. And Democrats in Congress use 9/11 when convenient to score political points. Whitman's day in Congress is the latest example.
Oh, it seemed as if Whitman was speaking on her own at the time, based on the best information she could gather. But it's more likely that her message was tweaked to be consistent with efforts by the Bush administration to get people to resume their normal activities after the horrific assaults on our nation. If she had been more diligent in doing her homework before heading the EPA , she would have known she wouldn't be her own person in the Cabinet-level post.
The hearing also shows how pervasive 9/11 remains for political purposes. The attacks are behind most everything the president says about Iraq, the "War on Terrorism,'' national security, etc. And Democrats in Congress use 9/11 when convenient to score political points. Whitman's day in Congress is the latest example.
posted by Larry Benjamin at 9:24 AM
12 Comments:
The funny thing is, most people I talk to knew it wasn't safe to breathe that air...
I knew for sure when we had to rescue a friend who had fled NYC (on 9/11/01) in a ferry heading to Atlantic Highlands. On that bright sunny day, passengers were greeted by men in hazardous protection firemans outfits, boots and gloves, and they were hosed down to get the asbestos and other hazardous things off their clothes and bodies, before they were "processed, and/or sent to the local hospitals locally.
This same woman that we were called to rescue ended up in Riverview Hospital, where she was "decontaminated" - scrubbed and rinsed again, her clothes removed and put into bags, and she herself was put in hosptial scrubs.
Obviously the fireman and hospital staff knew more than Christie Whitman.
Margaret
I firmly believe that Whitman knew. As EPA administrator she would have HAD to know. Reports on air quality were given directly to her. But the response would have to be cleared by the Big Boss (read: Dick Cheney).
I too believe that Whitman knew more than she said.
But just because you, ray, hear voices whispering brainless things into your ear doesn't mean that Whitman did. "Big Boss"? What is it with people like you that you can't even get stopped at a red light without suspecting a Bush conspiracy?
Let me tell you outright what everyone who reads this blog has thought all along: Your comments are mindless, crude, vicious, and contribute nothing of intellectual value to this blog. Why don't you go over to Kos or Huffington where your ridiculous Bush/Cheney = Satan rantings are much more welcome. I for one am telling you it's not welcome here.
I would be surprised if Ray believed in Satan.
Margaret
ericthered wrote:
"But just because you, ray, hear voices whispering brainless things into your ear doesn't mean that Whitman did."
I'll have to stop reading your brainless posts, then.
""Big Boss"? What is it with people like you that you can't even get stopped at a red light without suspecting a Bush conspiracy?"
Now who's hearing voices? Do you even begin to see the extreme irony in arguing against the idea of conspiracy even as you post about "people like you"?
"Let me tell you outright what everyone who reads this blog has thought all along:..."
Uh oh! I smell a conspiracy!
"Your comments are mindless, crude, vicious, and contribute nothing of intellectual value to this blog."
This all presumes that you would recognize something of intellectual value and that you're in a position to comment about someone else's posts being mindless. As for the 'crude' and 'vicious' parts, I'll just chalk those comments up to a bad upbringing.
"Why don't you go over to Kos or Huffington where your ridiculous Bush/Cheney = Satan rantings are much more welcome."
Why go over there when I can bring out the best in you right here?
"I for one am telling you it's not welcome here.?
Listen, Bozo, you're not the man to decide what's welcome here and what isn't. Unless your real name has 'Asbury' or 'Park' or 'Press' in it, you're just a piteous little nobody who fancies himself to be in the position of speaking for other people.
Sad people like you exemplify the frustrated, mulish, blindered and dwindling Bush/Cheney supporters who can't see that their emporer has indeed got no clothes and were never in a position to recognize that he never did. Your rant was pathetic and must be an overwhelming source of embarrassment for everyone who knows you.
Margaret wrote:
"I would be surprised if Ray believed in Satan."
No more than I believe in the Jersey Devil.
No more than I believe in the Jersey Devil - Ray
I knew it!
But eric the red has a point that sometimes your responses can be vicious...come on, let's be honest.
M
Ooh, apparently I hit a nerve. No, ray, it's clear that you're the only piteous nobody on this blog, and that there are more than just me who think this. For such a pathetic rant, you evidently spent a lot of time drawing up your retort, and hit the mark somewhere around the fourth grade level. You must be very proud. Tell you what, sport, I'll stick with my president with the 35% approval rating and you stick with your Democratic Congress with the 19% approval.
ericthered wrote:
"Ooh, apparently I hit a nerve."
You've hit a nerve? LOL! I guess you've already forgotten the nature of the post I was responding to.
No, ray, it's clear that you're the only piteous nobody on this blog..."
Translation: I know you are but what am I?
"...and that there are more than just me who think this."
You mean Margaret? That's quite a large plurality, isn't it? Besides, Margaret and I go back a ways. Tit for tat. No animosity there.
"Tell you what, sport, I'll stick with my president with the 35% approval rating and you stick with your Democratic Congress with the 19% approval."
I'm not a Democrat, I'm an independent. No skin off my back what the Democratic approval ratings are.
BTW, Dubya's approval ratings average around 30%, not 35%. Geez, you can't even be honest about that, can you? But it's not surprising given the huge number of imaginary friends you've polled about me.
Margaret wrote:
"But eric the red has a point that sometimes your responses can be vicious...come on, let's be honest."
Do us both a favor and go back and read ericthered's original post to me, and - being honest - tell me whether he was being vicious to me. Then tell me why you didn't say the same thing to him.
Okay ray...I read e the r's stuff.
It was mean. You're right.
Eric the red, shame on you! :)
Okay, did I do good??? :)))
M
Much better.
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