I hope major media ask Wisconsin GOP Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen first thing Sunday or Monday if he's among state Attorneys General whom The New York Times is reporting are directed and coordinated secretly by energy firms and lobbyists to confront the US Environmental Protection Agency over pollution regulation:
Attorneys general in at least a dozen states are working with energy companies and other corporate interests, which in turn are providing them with record amounts of money for their political campaigns, including at least $16 million this year.
They share a common philosophy about the reach of the federal government, but the companies also have billions of dollars at stake. And the collaboration is likely to grow:
For the first time in modern American history, Republicans in January will control a majority — 27 — of attorneys general’s offices.Note also that incoming Republican Wisconsin AG Brad Schimel has already turned the management of his office over to a lobbyist with big-energy clients, and has said his first order of business after being sworn in will be suing the EPA to roll back new clean air rules.
Van Hollen may or may not be coordinating. The one to keep under the microscope is Brad Schimmel. You KNOW he's going to be compliant to anything energy firms and lobbyist want from him.
ReplyDeleteSo much for an independent judicial branch of government. Do you think the public will ever wake up to the fact that their democracy has been bought by corporate dollars and wealth and that it is one party that sold it to them.
ReplyDeleteNot unless news sources with greater reach than this and other blogs that report the truth take up this issue.
ReplyDeleteThat's been the problem all along. If the average citizen (both Republicans and Democrats) knew the extent to which our government process is being corrupted, the results of this past election cycle would have been quite different.
The Democratic Party must educate voters by repeating the facts early and often, rather than assuming that everyone knows what they are.
Thankfully, they don't have a chance in hell, so this is just grandstanding.
ReplyDeleteThe EPA only issued the new clean air rules because a group of Northeastern states took the Bush-era EPA to the Supreme Court to FORCE the EPA to issue new rules.
The right-wing AGs would be tossed out of court for attempting to refight a settled case, and with the (winning) Northeastern states on the other side, they'll get thrown out FAST.