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Carol Browner, former Clinton administration EPA head and current Obama White House climate czar, instructed auto industry execs "to put nothing in writing, ever" regarding secret negotiations she orchestrated regarding a deal to increase federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-WI, is demanding a congressional investigation of Browner's conduct in the CAFE talks, saying in a letter to Rep. Henry Waxman, D-CA, that Browner "intended to leave little or no documentation of the deliberations that lead to stringent new CAFE standards."

Federal law requires officials to preserve documents concerning significant policy decisions, so instructing participants in a policy negotation concerning a major federal policy change could be viewed as a criminal act...

...The full text of Sensenbrenner's letter follows:

July 8, 2009

The Honorable Edward Markey
Chairman, House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Markey:

During her confirmation hearing, Administrator Jackson promised “overwhelming
transparency.” She said, “[a]s Administrator, I will ensure EPA’s efforts to address the
environmental rises of today are rooted in three fundamental values: Science-based policies and
programs, adherence to the rule of law, and overwhelming transparency.” Notwithstanding this
promise, EPA has conducted itself under an unprecedented veil of secrecy.

I initially raised these concerns in a letter to you and Congressman Towns dated June 9,
2009.1 In that letter I cited two incidents. First, Mary Nichols, the head of the California Air
Resources Board (CARB), revealed that the White House had held a series of secret meetings as
they were crafting the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Nichols
admitted that there was a deliberate “vow of silence” surrounding the negotiations with the
White House on vehicle fuel standards.2 According to Nichols, “[Carol] Browner [Assistant to
the President for Energy and Climate Change] quietly orchestrated private discussions from the
White House with auto industry officials.” Negotiators were instructed to “put nothing in
writing, ever.” Clearly, Browner’s actions were intended to leave little to no documentation of
the deliberations that lead to stringent new CAFE standards.

Chizzang wrote:Um...
I was unaware that "Climate Czar" was a political position..?
and since when are secret meetings with no documentation news...?
We just went through 8 years of them with Dick Cheney and Gang (seriously) post some news would you

travelinman67 wrote:

Chizzang wrote:Um...
I was unaware that "Climate Czar" was a political position..?
and since when are secret meetings with no documentation news...?
We just went through 8 years of them with Dick Cheney and Gang (seriously) post some news would you

Actually, her title is: Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change

She is the Director of the Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy. As such, since she has control over the Energy, Interior, EPA, Agriculture, Transport, and State department environmental policies, she is a cabinet level employee and is subject to The Presidential Records Act which..."requires the President to take, “all such steps as may be necessary to assure that the activities, deliberations, decisions, and policies that reflect the performance of his constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties are adequately documented and that such records are maintained as Presidential records.”

Carol Browner has a LONG AND INFAMOUS track record for concealing her misconduct and ordering those around her to destroy records connecting her to said misconduct.

Chizzang wrote:

travelinman67 wrote:
Actually, her title is: Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change

She is the Director of the Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy. As such, since she has control over the Energy, Interior, EPA, Agriculture, Transport, and State department environmental policies, she is a cabinet level employee and is subject to The Presidential Records Act which..."requires the President to take, “all such steps as may be necessary to assure that the activities, deliberations, decisions, and policies that reflect the performance of his constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties are adequately documented and that such records are maintained as Presidential records.”

Carol Browner has a LONG AND INFAMOUS track record for concealing her misconduct and ordering those around her to destroy records connecting her to said misconduct.

Gosh... she sounds like a politician from the Cheney school... You ought to really like her

travelinman67 wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
Gosh... she sounds like a politician from the Cheney school... You ought to really like her

Wow...

Cleets, you dissappoint me. Rationalizing genuine legal and ethical violations by houndawgishly parroting partisan "Bush-Cheney-Evil" diatribe.

Pretty thoughtless.

SMFH

Chizzang wrote:Um...
I was unaware that "Climate Czar" was a political position..?
and since when are secret meetings with no documentation news...?
We just went through 8 years of them with Dick Cheney and Gang (seriously) post some news would you

death dealer wrote:

Chizzang wrote:Um...
I was unaware that "Climate Czar" was a political position..?
and since when are secret meetings with no documentation news...?
We just went through 8 years of them with Dick Cheney and Gang (seriously) post some news would you

Cheney was a douche. In fact, he wouldn't even qualify as a douche, since (if I'm not mistaken) aren't douches supposed to be cleansing in nature?

But, how does that excuse questionable behavior of any kind on the part of any Obama staffer. If anything, they need to be very careful. After all, they are the administration of the new politic. Not the business as usual kids. Don't set standadards you can't live up to. The religious right has been doing that for years, and look where it has gotten them.

CID1990 wrote:

death dealer wrote: Cheney was a douche. In fact, he wouldn't even qualify as a douche, since (if I'm not mistaken) aren't douches supposed to be cleansing in nature?

But, how does that excuse questionable behavior of any kind on the part of any Obama staffer. If anything, they need to be very careful. After all, they are the administration of the new politic. Not the business as usual kids. Don't set standadards you can't live up to. The religious right has been doing that for years, and look where it has gotten them.

You nailed it, DD.

Questionable behavior is only bad if the other side's people do it. I thought we elected Obama because his administration WOULDN'T be like this.

CID1990 wrote:

death dealer wrote: Cheney was a douche. In fact, he wouldn't even qualify as a douche, since (if I'm not mistaken) aren't douches supposed to be cleansing in nature?

But, how does that excuse questionable behavior of any kind on the part of any Obama staffer. If anything, they need to be very careful. After all, they are the administration of the new politic. Not the business as usual kids. Don't set standadards you can't live up to. The religious right has been doing that for years, and look where it has gotten them.

You nailed it, DD.

Questionable behavior is only bad if the other side's people do it. I thought we elected Obama because his administration WOULDN'T be like this.

Appaholic wrote:

CID1990 wrote:
You nailed it, DD.

Questionable behavior is only bad if the other side's people do it. I thought we elected Obama because his administration WOULDN'T be like this.

Agree....and again, if anyone elected a democrat or republican candidate expecting "change", you are delusional....why would they change, the current status quo has insured they will be returned to office through normal election cycles....

travelinman67 wrote: Browner was a HUGE Cheneyesque selection, and as stated above, if the Dems are genuine about initiating "Change we can believe in", then they need to start by NOT appointing "slash and burn" extremists whose blatant ethical misconduct has become synonymous with their name (Browner).

And Cleets...yes, my "shock" is genuine. You, as a scientist, understand the value of professional reputation and integrity. As I've said many times, one of our country's most notable failings has been the declination of it's leaders. Even though character assassination of leaders and heroes has become political staple, there are still many true leaders who do not allow such fodder to dislodge their vision. Obama is one of them, yet his (CAP's) appointments were a who's-who of liberal extremists: A self-inflicted handicap to his (and the Dems) political survival. And while Dem guerilla politics (i.e., deployment of quasi-criminal organizations like ACORN) has served them well through the last election cycle, I have confidence that the body politic will not allow similar sleazy conduct to continue before the Dems receive the same voter backhand they felt in '93.

Bottomline, Obama needs to reasess his appointees, and perform a mid-term "adjustment" to appointees who do not live proverbially operate in an ethical sewer to conceal their extremist agendas.

Cleets Part 2 wrote:

travelinman67 wrote: Browner was a HUGE Cheneyesque selection, and as stated above, if the Dems are genuine about initiating "Change we can believe in", then they need to start by NOT appointing "slash and burn" extremists whose blatant ethical misconduct has become synonymous with their name (Browner).

And Cleets...yes, my "shock" is genuine. You, as a scientist, understand the value of professional reputation and integrity. As I've said many times, one of our country's most notable failings has been the declination of it's leaders. Even though character assassination of leaders and heroes has become political staple, there are still many true leaders who do not allow such fodder to dislodge their vision. Obama is one of them, yet his (CAP's) appointments were a who's-who of liberal extremists: A self-inflicted handicap to his (and the Dems) political survival. And while Dem guerilla politics (i.e., deployment of quasi-criminal organizations like ACORN) has served them well through the last election cycle, I have confidence that the body politic will not allow similar sleazy conduct to continue before the Dems receive the same voter backhand they felt in '93.

Bottomline, Obama needs to reasess his appointees, and perform a mid-term "adjustment" to appointees who do not live proverbially operate in an ethical sewer to conceal their extremist agendas.

First: I'm still just trying to figure out why all of this is so "shocking" and "outrageous"
Second: You use the word "extremist" like you're not one..

all very curious (and actually kind of funny)

travelinman67 wrote:

Cleets Part 2 wrote:
First: I'm still just trying to figure out why all of this is so "shocking" and "outrageous"
Second: You use the word "extremist" like you're not one..

all very curious (and actually kind of funny)

The only issue I take to an extreme is job creation. Be it political/social/spiritual or whatever...productive hands create wealth, health and prosperity for all.

What YOU perceive as my "extremism" (political criticism, social commentary) I GUARANTEE is in some form connected to a Platonic agenda to create more jobs which in turn builds a prosperous America and in the long run not only benefits all American's, but contributes to global health and prosperity. This is not a politically universal cause, however. I believe the issues of egalitarian (socialism) you claim to support would vanish but for a small percentage of pseudo-intellectual/existentialist (soulless) amoral fv(ks comprised of both the purely greedy (so-called) conservatives and inadequacy-driven limousine liberals: The two principle beneficiaries of class separation and chief opponents to global prosperity.