Bad Deeds for 6-25-2008

U.S. Government Funding Arabic News Channel That Makes Payments to Bush Administration Officials and Airs Anti-American Viewpoints – Alhurra, the U.S. government-funded Arabic news channel, paid former Bush and Clinton administration officials, lobbyists and high-profile Washington journalists tens of thousands of dollars in U.S. taxpayer money to appear on the network as commentators, according to interviews and a review of company records. Alhurra, a 24-hour satellite station, was founded by the Bush administration four years ago to project a positive image of the United States to Middle East viewers. The network and its sister radio station, Sawa, have aired anti-American and anti-Israeli viewpoints, have showcased pro-Iranian policies and recently gave air time to a militant who called for the death of American soldiers in Iraq.

Justice Department Rejected Liberal-Leaning Job Applicants – Ivy Leaguers and other top law students were rejected for plum Justice Department jobs two years ago because of their liberal leanings or objections to Bush administration politics, a government report concluded Tuesday. Even senior Justice Department officials flinched at what appeared to be hiring decisions based – improperly and illegally – on politics, according to the internal report. “Individuals at the department were rejecting any of our candidates who could be construed as left-wing or who were perceived, based on their appearances and resumes and so forth, as being more liberal,” Kevin Ohlson, deputy director of the department’s executive office of immigration review, complained to Justice investigators.

Those Who Want to Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or Offshore Are Not Telling the Truth – Even in the best case, the price impact of drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would amount to about 1 percent of current market prices. If work started today, production would peak in 2027 — when increased production would have the biggest impact on prices. According to Department of Energy projections, that impact would cut the prices of light sweet crude (in 2006 dollars) by 41 cents per barrel in 2026 for the low estimate, 75 cents per barrel in 2025 for the mean oil resource case, and $1.44 per barrel in 2027 for the high estimate. That would affect the price of gas by pennies, if at all. Offshore is even worse than that.

White House Refused to Open E-Mail on Pollutants From EPA – The White House in December refused to accept the Environmental Protection Agency’s conclusion that greenhouse gases are pollutants that must be controlled, telling agency officials that an e-mail message containing the document would not be opened, senior E.P.A. officials said last week. Remember, if you don’t read a policy paper, it’s just like it never existed!

Regards,

Jim