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TechnoratiIt Keeps Getting Worse: Obama Nominates Superfund Polluter Lawyer To Run DOJ Environment Division
The Center for American Progress' Think Progress blog is reporting:
President Barack Obama has nominated a lawyer for the nation's largest toxic polluters to run the enforcement of the nation's environmental laws. On Tuesday, Obama "announced his intent to nominate" Ignacia S. Moreno to be Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division in the Department of Justice. Moreno, general counsel for that department during the Clinton administration, is now the corporate environmental counsel for General Electric, "America's #1 Superfund Polluter":
Number five in the Fortune 500 with revenues of $89.3 billion and earnings of $8.2 billion in 1997, General Electric has been a leader in the effort to roll back the Superfund law and stave off any requirements for full cleanup and restoration of sites they helped create.
This February, General Electric lost an eight-year battle to "prove that parts of the Superfund law are unconstitutional." One of the 600-person DOJ environmental division's "primary responsibilities is to enforce federal civil and criminal environmental laws such as" the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Superfund.
Before General Electric, Moreno worked as a corporate attorney at Spriggs and Hollingsworth. Moreno's name is found in the Westlaw database as an attorney defending General Motors in another Superfund case, the GM Powertrain facility in Bedford, Indiana:
Historical uses and management of PCB containing hydraulic oils and PCB impacted materials has contaminated on-site areas as well as the sediment and floodplain soil within Bailey's Branch and the Pleasant Run Creek watershed.
Although General Motors entered into an agreement in 2001 with the EPA to clean up the site, a number of local residents whose land has been contaminated by polychorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have sued for damages in Allgood v. GM (now Barlow v. GM), in a contentious and caustic dispute over cleanup, monitoring, and lost property values.
During the Clinton administration, Moreno was involved in another controversial case, unsuccessfully defending the Secretary of Commerce's decision to weaken the dolphin-safe tuna standard. In Brower v. Daley, Earth Island Institute, The Humane Society of the United States, and other individuals and organizations brought suit against the United States government for actions that were "arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and contrary to law," winning their case in 2000.
54 Comments so far
Show AllI think that Mr. Obama is a shill/mole who is working to destroy the government of the USA.
But who benefits? Could the financial groups be engineering the fall of America, so that they can "take over?"
The powerful financial interests have taken most of the money from the treasury and left nothing but worthless I.O.U.'s, and the bill to the USA tax payer/middle class.
The financial boys are the power and controllers of the Military Industrial Complex. We know that the military has been the tool of the business interests for hundreds of years in this country.
So cui bono? Who benefits?
Any thoughts?
what are we going to do? we, the people...what are we going to do?
test
I am mad, pissed, angry, outraged at obama for this, not because I voted for him, I didn't, I voted for nader, because I saw obama for who he really is, a mule for corporate america and the american izraeli public affairs committee and this is just another verification of what I saw him as in continuing the corporate agenda for their minimizing costs at the expense of americans but my listed adversarial feelings are because he does this now without a jot of care about people or the environment, rub the people's faces in the shit he pumps out and there is no clearer action to prove his position about all this except more shit to come.
And I feel the same about all the clowns, idiots and vegetables that voted for this traitor to the U.S.A. because they are too stupid and duped by a criminal class of treasonous traitors who have intelligently gone about using the conservative owned MSM to do anything to keep those that feel they can't vote for anything the is not a democrat or a republican much to the ongoing destruction of this country.
Think we can turn this around, think again, think about all the private prisons that have been built just for the expicit reason of containing the upcoming desent that a lot of these comatose voters will awaken to eventually and to the private contractors and now even the boy scouts being trained in 'counterterroism' tactics to find and arrest or kill those terrorists here in america. Obama is the worse thing to happen to america since w.
Sioux Rose
SAMO: Moving post, however, one small correction... you said, "upcoming desent." That could mean descent, into hell, or dissent (as in opposed opinions) or decent (implied goodness)... I think you mean dissent... in this case, spelling matters.
Dissent; looks like I tried to invent a word, actually desent was my second go at it and I should have used my dictionary instead of thinking the word was too easy to missspell much less misuse.
My wife read this article and threw another egg at me for voting for Obama even as she voted for Mckinney. I understand that Obama screwed up and is still screwing up like this but can someone please tell me how to get my wife to stop throwing stuff at me just because I voted reluctantly pragmatic ? I do feel stupid that I voted for Obama and just for testing purposes though I highly respect Nader and Mckinney but I sometimes can't stand the Nader/Mckinney screechers giving me a headache. I wished I could go back in time to that election day and change my vote but I cannot. Where's forgiveness when you need one?
Our national dilemma in a nutshell :)
Joe
BO supporters continue to lament their daily disappointments, in spite of the crystal clear facts on the ground.
When Sen. Durbin reminded us that "frankly, they (the banksters) own the place (the government,)" what he was really saying was that the banksters are co-owners with the other 2 big 2 fail corporations and, of course, the military-contractor complex.
So stop acting all surprised when BO does what his owners tell him to do already, for example:
More senseless yet expensive military action - check;
No single-payer - check;
Ever increasing bailouts for liars and thieves - check;
More military tribunals - check;
Pre-emptive blanket immunity for torturers - check;
Continued illegal spying - check;
Grow up.
"BO supporters continue to lament their daily disappointments, in spite of the crystal clear facts on the ground."
That is funny..I don't feel that way...My wife doesn't feel that way...By daughter doesn't feel this way..My son doesn't feel this way..All Obama supporters..Lament? Hardly...(Is this guy perfect? Absolutely not. Did we expect perfection? Absolutely not. Please stop making assumptions about how others feel.
There are millions of BO supporters out there. Many of them are not leftists, but could be. Many of them are young and have never paid any attention to political issues before. Is that the tone you will use to try to organize them for progressive causes? I hope after you finish venting, you will try to think through how to present your (correct) assessments in a less supercilious manner.
Joe
Very well put, Joe. I still considered myself to be a Democrat when I voted for Nader in 2000. My ties to the party had grown weaker as the Democrats did more and more to help the Republicans, but I didn't actually leave the Democrats and join the Greens until two months after the election. It was the venomous hatred that many "liberals" spewed at Nader voters that finally drove me out of the Democratic Party.
These tactics are no more justified when used against Obama supporters. People have to ask themselves whether they are more interested in winning converts or reveling in their feelings of moral superiority.
Joe,
One thing the leftists on this site convinced me of.......That I am not a leftist....
The very idea that you are a leftist is hilarious!
LOL That is true.....
jclientelle
Good point.
Joe,
I second that...Very good post..but then all your posts are....
Thanks.
Joe
I have a friend and neighbor who is an Atlanta based criminal defense attorney. He has defended countless individuals charged with just about every type of criminal activity imaginable over a career spanning thirty years. Some real bad folks. Question: Would this somehow disqualify him from enforcing criminal laws? Or exclude him from future appointments? Let's say he were appointed to head up a Child Protection Agency in Georgia..
Atlanta Child Molester Lawyer Appointed to Head up Child Protection Agency...(this could be a title for an article on Cd if my friend were so appointed to this fictitious position) Wouldn't be fair would it?
Sioux Rose
DANTE: The whole record should be taken into account. It would not be unusual for a just lawyer to ON OCCASION take on a case that violated his own principles of justice, but in being true to the profession, elected to give his client adequate counsel. However, if the entire fabric of an individual's career caters to a segment of the population that is accustomed to bending the law to suit its own egregious purposes, then that TAINTS (as in "guilt through association") the resume, as well as what's left of the soul of said attorney.
Obama has obviously put all the operators into empowered positions just as Bush did. Their roles are to maintain the status quo or where possible, make even greater headway against all the things that matter to the public welfare, in order to satisfy their pay masters with yet greater and more obscene profits.
As to the poster who inquired if such types recognized that they were violating law and felt above it. I don't think they give a shit either way. To them money = the passport to WHATEVER they want, and since so much corruption has been enabled by our leaders, there is now a climate so debased that the rules of engagement themselves have become a tragic masquerade. No justice on the menu these days my friends, another reason why Universal Law, being so violated, will deliver its own version of blowback.
Hi Sioux Rose,
Great to hear from you again...I noticed you got the point I was making....
We are all tainted by something...We are all guilty via associations..It is a fact of life...If only we had the will to really live......not just survive....
Still reading your exceptionally well constructed comments..... keep posting Sioux
Thomas Gilbert
Sioux Rose
DANTE: Thank you for the lovely compliment. So long as I have time and the wit to do so, I will respond to those articles & comments that trigger my "spirit."
There was an interesting graphic that came out some months back which showed each of the major democracies along with the professional backgrounds of their Politicians.
The USA had by far the largest percentage of "Lawyers" as Politicians. (As I recall over half in each house had "law degrees" and or were practicing lawyers.
No other nation came close.
Yet, of those nations listed, the USA is the least law abiding.
GwNorth
I don't suppose yopu'd agree to accept a bunch of our politician lawyers and lawyers would you?
Thought not.
Sioux Rose
GWNORTH: Sagittarius is the sign said to govern lawyers. It is ruled by Jupiter, who's also known as Zeus, and this guy was the big honcho on Olympus. One of the things he liked to do (which always reminded me of Bill Clinton) was to disguise himself as say a buffalo, to get laid (with one of earth's fair maidens). Naturally his wife, Hera/Juno would get upset and is blamed for her rages. (Hillary really showed self-control keeping her "Inner Hera" under wraps.) In any case, Zeus was the rule maker, but had no trouble violating those rules. And that tends to be the case with many lawyers as they get very good at the game and see themselves (as did Zeus) as above the law. I know there are lawyers with ethics, but too many play fast and loose with them and morphing into intellectual chameleons, they're left to negotiate their personal lives along shadowy lines of moral relativism.
I love it Siouxrose..:)
dante, i had the same thought at 1st, too. in theory, there's nothing wrong w/it, usually, but the appearance of conflict of interest in this case is so strong. you can say obama is "tone deaf" (i'm sure the NYTimes will have something on the op-ed page to that effect tomorrow) or whatever, or you can see it as another capitulation, certainly my view.
How is it that an entity , be it a corporation or an individual, would believe it unconstitutional for there to be a law or body of laws intended to protect the enviroment and or to ensure that the POLLUTER pays when they pollute the enviroment?
Do these groups really feel it their constitutional right to pollute and it the obligation of the taxpayer to clean up the messes they have made?
Nothing will change until we all realize how we keep the system intact. Even the Green Party is a part of the system.
That's right, tho I believe we all must change the system.
Even if the Green Party weren't part of the system (and it is), it would have to mold itself into a square peg. Something many people seem to conveniently overlook.
The system is bad. It will be changed by a million small actions by a million regular people. It's hard. Requires energy. Sacrifice. Personal action. Not looking good.
but Moron-o apparently is Latino, so there will be some of that libtard dem diversity at the DOJ. so, see, w/obama both GE & "diversity" win! yippeee!
and of course obama will tell us the environment wins too. i'm sure ezeflyer will agree.
Sioux Rose
RUSH: You are so astute! Yep, that's the ticket, the buzz word that'll be going round and round convincing those who have learned from the pervasive marketplace culture that PACKAGING is all there is... and this Latino package, well, it speaks for change to those who have learned to genuflect before verisimilitudes. If we are what we eat, and enough of us are eating bio-tech contrivances, so much for "ain't nothin like the real thing, baby." A nation of faux food fed fools who can no longer separate the advertisement from the essence of the thing being promoted. The very notion of worth has been lost to all the smoke, mirrors and men behind the curtains. Boy does this circus tent NEED to collapse soon!
I didn't vote for Obama, but I did have hopes. Should have known better. It's more of the same.
but the clean air act is not meant to protect people, it's meant to protect air!-angels in america.
ezeflyer made the assertion that maybe obama appointed McKristalnacht to oversea the "Af-Pak" atrocities so he can keep a closer eye on him. undoubtedly something similar is going on here. neither the pashtos nor mother earth will be as forgiving as libtard obamabots are.
AND, we can cap it off with the EPA just agreeing to 65 out of 72 permits for mountaintop removal.
He was the Manchurian Candidate for the neocons.
Bring America Back !!!!.....General Electric is a major player on the industrial side of the military-industrial complex--which is running our Nation !
***War is their product. War is their reason to exist. War keeps feeding the Beast.
Team Obama is no match for the DC culture of corruption and , obviously, has decided to Join Them rather than Fight Them, as promised !
This is a lousy appointment of Moreno, another one !!
Today He appoints the Repubby Governor of Utah to a high Administration position !!! Such garbage.
Way to go Barak, doin' a helluva job there in DC !
CHANGE we can all believe in!!
What surprises me the surprise people show at Obama's (in)actions. They sincerely believe he is on their side. A junior black senator from IL was allowed by the powers to be a viable candidate and the president not because he is on the side of the people, it's because he is just another corporate lackey who would keep the status quo. In fact, the only change we see is the faster rate at which public resources (including public money) being transferred to private hands--whether it be through bailouts or new wars.
In Obama the only change we got is a more glib and smooth fox to guard the hen house.
Perhaps it's all the SciFi/Fantasy I read, but damn, it seems like the guy who walked into the White House in January and turned into george w. bush (or dick cheney?) is only the outward image of the guy we watched for two years walking up to the door.
Looked like a Tribble before............
Obama's not even TRYING to be subtle aymore.
I wonder how the Obamapolgists are going to try to convince everyone about this new move being perfectly okay.
Here's an idea--we all go down or up or over to DC and kick them all out--set up a constitutional convention and install a people's constitutional goverment--our land, our gold, our blood, our rule!
Are you with me mates????
Check above.Tony
Well, friends, you got your much-vaunted "change"; how does it taste?
"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help" (Psalm 146:3).
And it hasn't been six months.
"Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice" ...oh well, we all know the routine.
SO many of you fell under the spell...just like the false flag of 9/11.
Well, who has some ideas now?
Huh?
"...fool me a hundred times, and I'm a Democratic Party supporter."
So said fellow poster Not One More back in early 2008.
The George Bush version: "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, you can't fool me again."
Here's any idea. Help build an alternative to the Democrats and Republicans. Get in touch with your state's Green Party: www.gp.org
E-mail me and we can discuss this million person meet in dc next yearand maybe we can get cee miracles in on it.He stated that he was born in 1936 and it just so happens so was I,in Feb.My e-mail is :sandnton@comcast.net
Well ANGRY,
I can with all integrity say I didn't fall for the false flag of 9/11 (knowing there are more holes in the official story than all the swiss cheese in the world), nor did I fall under the spell of Obama, having voted third party.
That being said, I also don't know if I have any great ideas. I am not much of an organizer or a fiery activist. I just keep sending out articles and emails and telling my truth as best I can with those I know.
I would like to think we are approaching a point of critical mass, where the change we want will be unstoppable. Perhaps I am wrong. But the more vocal we become, the more likely I won't be wrong. Keep reading. Keep talking. Keep sending out emails and articles. Keep up the heat on Obama supporters. Keep challenging all the long-held assumptions Americans have. I don't have the courage to confront Rumsfeld or Rice in public like the Code Pink people have. So I do what I can with the voice that i have.
Peace,
John
Seventhson
"That being said, I also don't know if I have any great ideas. I am not much of an organizer or a fiery activist. I just keep sending out articles and emails and telling my truth as best I can with those I know."
Though we don't agree on America and where and what she is and I'd tell you it takes zero courage to do what Code Pink does in my opinion........
I admire your honesty and resolute aim to do what you can, best you can. The admission that you don't have "THE answer" tells everyone to always pay attention when you post because you are speaking the truth as you see it. Not that we have to agree, but consider what you are saying we should, for its honesty and maybe we hadn't thought of it that way.
Peace indeed my friend.
"The admission that you don't have "THE answer" tells everyone to always pay attention when you post because you are speaking the truth as you see it"
I second that....I am interested in what people believe. When a person responds from the heart they always have my attention....
THOMAS,
Thank you for your kind words. I noticed someone else on another article mentioned they considered you one of the nicest and most respectful posters here on CD, and I have to agree. Yes, you and I may not agree on many things, but I have always felt you respond with grace (I can certainly learn a thing or two from you in that regard) and a few wise words to keep my passions in check. : )
Blessings,
John
Seventhson
That was very kind! But sometimes I embarass myself and lose it like everyone else. I'm the one that learns here and thats the truth.
Its surprising what people can teach you even when you don't agree with them all the time.
Peace my friend!
"But sometimes I embarrass myself and lose it like everyone else. I'm the one that learns here and that's the truth."
Thomas,
You stand guilty of wearing your heart on your sleeve. Your penance is: Say three Hail Marys( Or the protestant equivalent) and three Our Fathers and continue wearing your heart on your sleeve..Repeat penance weekly...Your sins will be forgiven. (On a weekly basis)