C-H-E! N-E-Y! Dick Cheney, The Science Guy!

Normally I post items about Dick Cheney on my personal blog. This time it's different, as the post relates to water.

The Vice President is now "dabbling" in science, specifically in the Klamath Basin of California-Oregon, the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, and air quality, to name a few.

The Washington Post has been running articles on the VP, who is unquestionably the most powerful VP we have ever had.

In spring 2001, Cheney called Sue Ellen Wooldridge, the 19th-ranking Department of the Interior official. He was interested in having the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (which is in DoI) continue to deliver water to the farmers in Oregon (which the Bush-Cheney team lost by less than 1% in 2000) despite the necessity of keeping water in the Klamath River to benefit two species of endangered fish, the coho salmon and the suckerfish.

Read the report of the National Research Council committee that documents the threats to the coho and the suckerfish.

After the VP's call, the BuRec reversed itself and kept delivering water to save the 2002 growing season, and as a result, over 75,000 salmon perished in the Klamath River. Was this a coincidence?

Read about this and other "Cheney interventions" in the Washington Post (you may have to visit the paper's WWW site and register - it's free).

Democrats want to investigate Cheney's role in the Klamath Basin decision. A number of prominent House members have sent a letter to Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, asking him to investigate the matter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here.

Download CheneyRequestRahall.pdf

Read what the Seattle Times said about this.

Could be a hot summer in DC!

"Go f**k yourself." -- Vice President Dick Cheney, to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), 25 June 2004.

Comments

[John Fleck]

I was amused at the Post's notion that the Yucca Mountain decision reflects on Cheney's power. Given the creeping deadline for opening, the Bush Administration's failure to come any closer to Yucca Mountain's use as a disposal site now then when the came into office may reflect the limits of Cheney or any administration's power. :-)