Comments on: Governance as Usual: Film at 11 http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4477 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:36:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Counter Revolutionary http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4477&cpage=1#comment-10488 Counter Revolutionary Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:24:03 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheusreborn/governance-as-usual-film-at-11-4477#comment-10488 Gamoonbat said: "I think that you are widening considerably the definition of what we consider the "executive branch" here, Roger. " Sorry, two degrees in PubAdmin and a 30+ year career in Govt (most Fed) tells me you are really, really wrong here. Junior and Mid level bureaucrats (think James Hansen) DO NOT MAKE GOVERNMENT-WIDE POLICY without explicit authority. To do so is egomaniacal, and grounds for removal. Gamoonbat said: “I think that you are widening considerably the definition of what we consider the “executive branch” here, Roger. ”

Sorry, two degrees in PubAdmin and a 30+ year career in Govt (most Fed) tells me you are really, really wrong here.

Junior and Mid level bureaucrats (think James Hansen) DO NOT MAKE GOVERNMENT-WIDE POLICY without explicit authority. To do so is egomaniacal, and grounds for removal.

]]> By: kickbass http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4477&cpage=1#comment-10487 kickbass Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:04:28 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheusreborn/governance-as-usual-film-at-11-4477#comment-10487 There isn't a single mention of illegality or "improper" behavior in Revkin's blog post or the 2004 article, nor is there any possible way for a reader to determine if a writer has written something "breathlessly" (Roger... I guess you could ask Revkin directly??). This editing is news because there is a pattern of being delusional from Cheney and his associates about a range of subjects that have governed or influenced policy. Of course politicians are not generally expected to be impeccable purveyors of truth, but the list of fantasies that Cheney et al. have tried to promote has done great harm. In fact, it could be argued that the false statements from the Bush admministration about WMDs, Sadaam's involvement in 9-11, privatizing SS, AGW, ID, NCLB, Plame/Wilson leaks, permanent bases in Iraq, tax cuts, etc., etc. are what characterize them have led directly to the failure of the Bush administration. The worst part of it seems that (I imagine) some of them believe the bs that they tell us. I think that this is the case with AGW and Cheney. I have less of a problem with disinformation that is driven by cynical motivation if there is some success. Cheney is a dangerous clown who has had his hands on the levers of power now for 7 1/2 years; that the track record of he and his pals for acheivement is abyssmal is directly related to the fact that they believe that they can "make up their own facts." Who, in what complex endeavor will succeed with this attitude? So yes, this is an extremely important story. There isn’t a single mention of illegality or “improper” behavior in Revkin’s blog post or the 2004 article, nor is there any possible way for a reader to determine if a writer has written something “breathlessly” (Roger… I guess you could ask Revkin directly??).
This editing is news because there is a pattern of being delusional from Cheney and his associates about a range of subjects that have governed or influenced policy. Of course politicians are not generally expected to be impeccable purveyors of truth, but the list of fantasies that Cheney et al. have tried to promote has done great harm. In fact, it could be argued that the false statements from the Bush admministration about WMDs, Sadaam’s involvement in 9-11, privatizing SS, AGW, ID, NCLB, Plame/Wilson leaks, permanent bases in Iraq, tax cuts, etc., etc. are what characterize them have led directly to the failure of the Bush administration. The worst part of it seems that (I imagine) some of them believe the bs that they tell us. I think that this is the case with AGW and Cheney. I have less of a problem with disinformation that is driven by cynical motivation if there is some success. Cheney is a dangerous clown who has had his hands on the levers of power now for 7 1/2 years; that the track record of he and his pals for acheivement is abyssmal is directly related to the fact that they believe that they can “make up their own facts.”

Who, in what complex endeavor will succeed with this attitude?

So yes, this is an extremely important story.

]]> By: docpine http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4477&cpage=1#comment-10486 docpine Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:26:16 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheusreborn/governance-as-usual-film-at-11-4477#comment-10486 I think Roger is correct. I, for example, work for the Federal government. I do not work for the legislative branch, nor the judicial branch. There are only three branches. Therefore by the process of elimination, I must work for the executive branch. Further, my boss's boss's boss's boss is appointed by the President (I may be off a couple of levels) and checked out by Congress. This is another clue.. I work in the Executive Branch no matter how many levels away from a political appointee. So, answer to people offended by review of testimony and want a different answer.. vote for a Democrat! Then we will all work for folks with your inclinationa and D's will be editing testimony. That's how our government works; so far the US government is not a technocracy of career federal scientist. I think Roger is correct. I, for example, work for the Federal government. I do not work for the legislative branch, nor the judicial branch. There are only three branches. Therefore by the process of elimination, I must work for the executive branch.
Further, my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss is appointed by the President (I may be off a couple of levels) and checked out by Congress. This is another clue.. I work in the Executive Branch no matter how many levels away from a political appointee.
So, answer to people offended by review of testimony and want a different answer.. vote for a Democrat! Then we will all work for folks with your inclinationa and D’s will be editing testimony.
That’s how our government works; so far the US government is not a technocracy of career federal scientist.

]]> By: gamoonbat http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4477&cpage=1#comment-10485 gamoonbat Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:42:52 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheusreborn/governance-as-usual-film-at-11-4477#comment-10485 I think that you are widening considerably the definition of what we consider the "executive branch" here, Roger. While the president appoints his cabinet and the heads of most federal agencies, staff scientists are not really directly employed by the president. They are career civil servants who often continue through several administrations. This is similar to the issue with the firing of states attorney general. The executive branch has grown too powerful and too extensive in comparison to what has been its history in American government and what is intended in the constitution. I think that you are widening considerably the definition of what we consider the “executive branch” here, Roger. While the president appoints his cabinet and the heads of most federal agencies, staff scientists are not really directly employed by the president. They are career civil servants who often continue through several administrations. This is similar to the issue with the firing of states attorney general. The executive branch has grown too powerful and too extensive in comparison to what has been its history in American government and what is intended in the constitution.

]]> By: gamoonbat http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4477&cpage=1#comment-10484 gamoonbat Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:42:26 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheusreborn/governance-as-usual-film-at-11-4477#comment-10484 I think that you are widening considerably the definition of what we consider the "executive branch" here, Roger. While the president appoints his cabinet and the heads of most federal agencies, staff scientists are not really directly employed by the president. They are career civil servants who often continue through several administrations. This is similar to the issue with the firing of states attorney general. The executive branch has grown too powerful and too extensive in comparison to what has been its history in American government and what is intended in the constitution. I think that you are widening considerably the definition of what we consider the “executive branch” here, Roger. While the president appoints his cabinet and the heads of most federal agencies, staff scientists are not really directly employed by the president. They are career civil servants who often continue through several administrations. This is similar to the issue with the firing of states attorney general. The executive branch has grown too powerful and too extensive in comparison to what has been its history in American government and what is intended in the constitution.

]]> By: BRIAN http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4477&cpage=1#comment-10483 BRIAN Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:36:19 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheusreborn/governance-as-usual-film-at-11-4477#comment-10483 I truly believe that facts do not matter in an election year. When a Senator not up for re-election campaigns against a Vice President not in the running at all, by call for still another investigation, it gets easier to see why the approval rating for Congress is now in the single digit percentage. See http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/congressional_performance/congressional_performance BRIAN M FLYNN I truly believe that facts do not matter in an election year.
When a Senator not up for re-election campaigns against a Vice President not in the running at all, by call for still another investigation, it gets easier to see why the approval rating for Congress is now in the single digit percentage.
See http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/congressional_performance/congressional_performance
BRIAN M FLYNN

]]>