Quotes of the Morning: Just Leave the Money on the Dresser

“President Bush on Tuesday unleashed his harshest criticism yet on Democrats for thwarting his second-term agenda, demanding they put forward ideas of their own or ‘step aside’ and signaling a more aggressive administration strategy of attack.
With approval ratings the lowest of his presidency and critics suggesting he is already losing political clout, Bush blamed ‘do-nothing’ Democrats for holding up an overhaul of Social Security and delaying votes on his nominees to the federal bench and the United Nations.
The assault highlighted administration frustrations over Democratic tactics, and offered a preview of Republican strategy in the run-up to the 2006 mid-term elections.
‘On issue after issue, they (the Democrats) stand for nothing except obstruction,’ Bush said at the annual President's Dinner, a $23 million fund-raiser attended by Republican leaders, party donors, and a blond porn star and former California gubernatorial candidate named Mary Carey.”
-Reuters, June 14, 2005

"In the words of Jon Stewart.. 'Whaaa?' The party of morals and Christian values allowed a porn star (and one who has publicly stated that she wants to shtup Karl Rove at that) to go to a Presidential dinner? Why, for the love of God, why? What? She donated money? Well, I guess its ok then. I mean morals and values shouldn't stand up to the power of the dollar.
Honestly, I have nothing against Ms. Carey or even her profession (former gubernatorial candidate). As long as everything is voluntary and no one is hurt I don't care, but to see people who claim such moral high ground (and who I believe would gladly stone Ms. Carey in the streets if that were still legal) allow her in just to make a few bucks goes a long way to pointing out that while Ms. Carey may be a porn star, she's not the only whore in the room. Hypocrisy just seems to follow some of these people around. Let's watch how this works, shall we?"
-Skippy

"A White House official who once led the oil industry's fight against limits on greenhouse gases has repeatedly edited government climate reports in ways that play down links between such emissions and global warming, according to internal documents.
In handwritten notes on drafts of several reports issued in 2002 and 2003, the official, Philip A. Cooney, removed or adjusted descriptions of climate research that government scientists and their supervisors, including some senior Bush administration officials, had already approved.
Mr. Cooney is chief of staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the office that helps devise and promote administration policies on environmental issues. Before coming to the White House in 2001, he was the 'climate team leader' and a lobbyist at the American Petroleum Institute, the largest trade group representing the interests of the oil industry. A lawyer with a bachelor's degree in economics, he has no scientific training."
-New York Times, June 7, 2005

"Bush administration officials said that revisions to reports on climate change by Philip Cooney, a former oil-industry lobbyist now working at the White House, were part of the normal review before publishing projects that involved many agencies.
The White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, on Wednesday defended Cooney's participation and said the reports were 'scientifically sound.'
'There are policy people and scientists who are involved in this process, in the interagency review process, and he's one of the policy people involved in that process,' McClellan said, according to a transcript by Federal News Service Inc. 'And he's someone who's very familiar with the issues relating to climate change and the environment.'"
-International Herald Tribune, June 10, 2005

"A former oil industry lobbyist who changed government reports on global warming has resigned in a long-planned departure, the White House said Saturday.
Philip Cooney, who was chief of staff of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, left Friday, two days after it was revealed that he had edited administration reports on climate change in 2002 and 2003.
His departure was 'completely unrelated' to the disclosure, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
-Associated Press, June 11, 2005

"A former White House official and one-time oil industry lobbyist whose editing of government reports on climate change prompted criticism from environmentalists will join Exxon Mobil Corp., the oil company said Tuesday.
The White House announced over the weekend that Philip Cooney, chief of staff of its Council on Environmental Quality, had resigned, calling it a long-planned departure. He had been head of the climate program at the American Petroleum Institute, the trade group for large oil companies.
Cooney will join Exxon Mobile in the fall, company spokesman Russ Roberts told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from its Dallas headquarters. He declined to describe Cooney's job."
-Associated Press, June 14, 2005

"See. Just lie and cheat and this Administration will provide you cover until you can find a new job with a major donor. Nothing to see here. Please drive through."
-Skippy