Why is a Bush mole running the key Interior policy unit?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/5/26/869984/-Why-is-a-Bush-mole-running-the-key-Interior-policy-unit


There's been much recent discussion of the need -- and Ken Salazar's failure so far -- to clean Bush appointees out of the Interior Department. Things are famously very bad at the Minerals Management Service (MMS), but a former Cato Institute "scholar" laboring in obscurity high up in the central administration is in a position to do similar damage.

The mole is Indur Goklany and, as his personal publications page shows, his views are no secret. While at Interior he's continued to publish extensively through various wingnut outlets, and just last week was a prominent participant in the Heartland Institute's climate conference (aka Denial-a-palooza 2010).

Climate change denial seems to be Goklany's specialty, and given the vast scope of his duties (see below) it seems inescapable that he would have major input into every significant climate policy decision made by Interior. (He takes the common "respectable" wingnut thinktank view of climate change, which is to agree it's happening but then to come up with various reasons why nothing should be done about it.)

Goklany appears to have been hired at Interior in 2003, following a two-year stint at the American Enterprise Institute (the Cato gig was earlier), and today occupies a key role at the heart of Interior -- head of the Program Coordination section of the Office of Policy Analysis. His title is a mouthful, even for fedspeak: "Assistant Director of Programs and Science & Technology Policy."

He also appears to have a great deal of power. According to this Interior page, the Office of Policy Analysis:

... supports the Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, and bureaus in addressing complex and pressing policy issues, especially those of a cross-cutting and multi-stakeholder nature. The office provides policy officials with a bureau-neutral source of analysis, information, and experience that helps to analyze and define alternatives for effective decision making. This broad-scale, interdisciplinary approach informs top managers in reaching decisions on policies, programs, legislation, and resource allocation. Our staff has analytic expertise in the full spectrum of issues faced by the Department.

In so doing, its goals are to:

Provide the Office of the Secretary with expertise to coordinate issues and policies.

Aid policy officials in managing a department comprised of diverse agencies that have varied viewpoints. We strive to promote a coherent departmental voice and balance Administrative and Departmental perspectives with competing priorities of the bureaus and their constituents.

Provide top managers with an independent perspective on multifaceted and cross-jurisdictional issues which are steadily increasing.
-snip-
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Why? what is protecting him from removal?

department is backing the church's immunity claim for sexual abuse.

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0525/obama-backs-catholic-church-immunity-claim-sexual-abuse-lawsuits/

Support for illegal wire taps and other questionable policy decisions leaves some supporters quite dismayed

I think those that are troubled the most is in the name of "bipartisanship", he has bent over backwards to cater to the republicans over those who actually voted for him

You would have thought after the Healthcare fiasco, the administration would have learned that there is no bipartisanship as far as the republicans are concerned.

You would have also thought that after the recent primaries the administration would have understood the implications

1) He had 8 years to plant his moles real, real deep into the organization.
2) Republicans have blocked every nomination for every position for as long as they can since Obama's inauguration.
3) Democrats don't want to challenge what the corporations have put into place.

There was NOT the will to do so because, IMO, other than a few tweaks for the common American, both parties play for "the man." (large multi-national corporate interests)

:(

was corrupt from the git-go and most Federal agencies were loaded with ideologues to implement that extreme ideology rather than perform their congressionally-mandated missions. As such, every one of junior's policies/actions ratified by this administration and every embedded ideologue left to continue junior's handiwork will likely come back to metaphorically bite this administration in the ass, some big-time, as evidenced by the catastrophe mouldering in the Gulf. :P

"The woods are quiet, dark, and deep, and you have miles to go before you sleep. Remember, Dubya, miles to go before you sleep."

because there is only ONE party, behind the scenes.

IN the White House to study these types and work out a way to solve these "burrowed" Bushies.

Policy mastery just isn't enough IMHO.