Cheney at work
By Steve Benen Tuesday Dec 25, 2007 7:33amBefore EPA administrator Stephen Johnson rejected California’s application to impose greenhouse-gas regulations beyond federal requirements, auto executives appealed directly to Dick Cheney. Sure enough, Johnson delayed his decision until after the VP had talked to the execs: “On multiple occasions in October and November, Cheney and White House staff members met with industry executives, including the CEOs of Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler. At the meetings, the executives objected to California’s proposed fuel economy standards.”
You can probably guess what happened next.
The US vice-president, Dick Cheney, was behind a controversial decision to block California's attempt to impose tough emission limits on car manufacturers, according to insiders at the government Environmental Protection Agency.
Staff at the agency, which announced last week that California's proposed limits were redundant, said the agency's chief went against their expert advice after car executives met Cheney, and a Chrysler executive delivered a letter to the EPA saying why the state should not be allowed to regulate greenhouse gases.
As Digby put it, "Merry Christmas, California. Love Dick."
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Darth Cheney is reponsible for more deaths of innocent people than any Vice President in US history. Why stop there when you can kill the planet?
Cheney can't force you to buy an American car. Vote with your wallet, buy Japanese.
California ought to secede.
Shorter Dick Cheney:
"Go fuck yourselves!"
People who butt heads with Cheney and fly in small aircraft have short life spans.
Cheney is and should be more worried about the economic side of this instead worrying about a few tree huggers....
Chrysler is now Dan Quayle.
http://Cerberus
Is it just me or do you get the feeling that the closer we get to January 2009 Cheney's just gonna rip off his skin to reveal his true form. That of an evil cyborg-netic robot...kinda like the terminator and just start eating puppies?
Lets try that link again:
Cerberus
What happened to states rights? The repugnacans are all for states rights, unless they are against them.
Who's surprised?
Another non surprise, no matter what you call the coming economic crisis, it only matters where you are in the social strata as to how it will effect you. Middle and lower income Americans, will, of course, suffer most. Bankruptcies, foreclosures, credit crunch, rise in unemployment, high gas and oil prices are going to hurt middle and lower income Americans first and worst.
Some economists are even arguing that there will be no recession, but continued growth. Those are the faith based economists. But with the mortgage crisis just revving up, the liquidity of the banking industry completely nil, counting on Americans spending on credit cards isn't going to save the country this time. Credit card deliquincies are up and rising. People aren't paying their mortgages or their credit cards. The fact is, middle America is tapped out.
Bush is responsible for what Cheney does, and the people who voted for and otherwise abetted Bush are responsible for the mess America has made on itself. What a crap fest.
VietVet8666 @ 2:
Gotta wonder what's going through Ahnuld's head right now. Even for him, a Republican, this is an egregious development.
I gotta imagine that once one state gets the idea to secede, alot more will follow suit. The federal government has been nothing short of a catastrophe.
I pray something really awful happens to this purely evil man. I don't think in these seven years of hell Cheney has done one thoughtful or humane' thing. We sure did fuck up putting these criminal liars in office.
All These Companies That Lobby For These Blocks And Things Should Have To Pony Up The Cash To Pay For The Damages To The People's Health And Environment. I Wonder How Fuel Efficient They Could Make A Car If We Put A $50 Price Tag On Every Cubic Yard Of Polluting Exhaust, That Ford, GM And Chrysler Had To Pay Up Front. Assuming, Of Course, A 20 Year Lifespan For The Car.
Left&Left @ 13:
"We" didn't, SCOTUS and Diebold did.
"...a Chrysler executive delivered a letter to the EPA saying why the state should not be allowed to regulate greenhouse gases."
Oh, I see...a Chrysler eExecutive (who does not live in California), and V.P. Cheney (who also does not live in California) should determine how greenhouse gases are regulated in California. Fuck you, Cheney. And fuck you too, Diamler.
John @ 5:
Yeah, the big 3 have been selling 11MPG land barges, which have the highest markup of any vehicles, and have still been losing money. Sooner, not later, peak oil is going to slap us upside the head-hard. We better start preparing for it now. Once again, the right-wingnuts want us to bail out the corporate stooges after they mismanage their businesses. The "marketplace" only seems to apply when the companies make money. But when they lose money, they need a TAXPAYER funded bailout.
oh yeah, in before "The Terminator vs. Darth Vader: The Battle for California"
Gotta "love" Republitards. They're all about "state's rights"... until a state does something progressive and future-thinking they don't like.
We must congratulate Cheney's father and mother. I have to say, never in the history of the planet, did a set of parents so aptly assign a child with a first name to describe his character, DICK.
The closer this Administration gets to the end of its term, the worse things will be.
"1984" anyone?
I can't understand how a dangerous multiple felon like this cheney guy remains at large.
Crow @ 7:
Ever hear of a document often refered to as "Article 51"?:
In the event of a national emergency (such as Katrina or 9/11, the (P)resident can take controll over all three branches of government............
Martial law.
This meeting says a lot about the auto industry. I noticed right off that representatives from Toyota or some other Asian auto maker did not petition Cheney. Why? Could it be that those auto makers did not need to petition anyone in the first place because their vehicles can already meet or exceed any new emissions requirements that California could impose? Maybe, this is another reason why Toyota is getting ready to cement itself next year as the number 1 auto maker in the world.
Joe O. @ 23:
Let me also add that this move by Cheney and the EPA could save those auto companies some money especially if they had to make alterations to their vehicles but it will do nothing to improve their competitiveness in the long run against their Asian rivals.
Terrible @ 21:
I know I've put this link up several times before, but this is something everyone should know, so I'll keep on repeating it and repeating it until 01.20.09. The reason there will be no impeachment of Bush and Cheney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIO-tCPSfHA
How did this Vice President get to be the most powerfull vice president in US history? Even Gore had little power when he was VP. All I can say is wow. Good thing Cheney selected himself. The man belongs in jail. Period. Have another heart attack Dick.
Cheney is the biggest Dick ever.
government of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations
Joe O. @ 24:
Considering today's gas prices, American cars are going to loose that race anyway. Only well to do people will be able to afford the gas it takes to run those cars. In the future, considering the economic developments in the US, there will not be too many of those people either.
RockmanEnough @ 22:
See: Bush Moves Toward Martial Law. This article was issued on 10/26/06. Next year should prove interesting.
http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/911/0/
myiq2xu @ 15:
Thank you, I was about to say the exact same thing.
Frontline ran a series on Dick a few weeks ago that can be seen on internet. It starts here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/view/
Thanks for that link, GREG!
Whether you're hetero or homo, and irrespective of color, religion, age or sex, no matter how much you love dick, you must make an exception for Cheney.
Is there a more universally despicable man on the planet?
Preacher Boob @ 34:
No there isn't, and I think there are close to 6 billion people that agree with us.
RockmanEnough @ 33:
You are welcome. Thanks for the Y-tube link too. I try to pass on to folks about what is happening right under our nose. Cheney is not going to just go away. I keep my passport handy.
Preacher Boob @ 34:
Uh, K-Fed?
Honestly, call me paranoid, but I don't think he's moving out of the White House in January next year.
What are the limits they tried to impose anyway?
my Ford Escort stationwagon (2003 model) uses 0,75 litres pr norwegian mile, which is 10 km. So with 13,33 km/litre
and according to this
http://www.easysurf.cc/cnver4.htm#klmg2
I have a 31mpg car, that is 5 years old, and which is a Ford.
The previous one, a 1994 model Chrysler Voyager, was a gashog at roughly 21 mpg.
How does that compare to the cars those manufacturers produce in the US.
And these are american cars sold in Europe.
“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power” ---- Benito Mussolini
Norse @ 39:
Å, jasså? Jeg trodde jeg var eneste nordmann her. :-)
RockmanEnough @ 29:
I agree. With the way the economy is going I can see that as well. This is why Ford's share price is around $6.70 a share (as of today) and Toyota's share price is at or around $108 a share (as of today). Ford and GM especially are just trying to keep their head above water at this point. Add in Chinese auto makers if they can get a foothold in the American market and Ford and GM could be finished. I've looked at some of China's Chery Automotive vehicles and they are very nice.
RockmanEnough @ 41:
*Snort* Miss Kitty has a grandmother from Lofoten as well, if I recall correctly, but be polite and stay in english :)
They sell the Hummer here. That's gotta be the worst guzzler on the planet.
1 USG= 3.89 Liters
1 US mile= 1.609 kilometers
Grab a calculator. ;-)
Ruthless People @ 1:
I love my Toyota Prius. I'll never buy another American car.
America does not belong to this planet anymore. At least it's not very friendly to it.
Norse @ 39:
I have a pet, a cherry 1991 Honda CRX. I drive it for fun. Last year I drove it to Yellowstone, 2,750 miles, 39.57 MPG. The year before, to Texas (Crawford, and Houston), 3256 miles, 40.16 MPG. I often touch triple digits, late at night, no traffic. I drive it hard, for fun.
Haven't seen any current models that would perform better. My own, more current Honda, doesn't, either mileage or fun-wise
myiq2xu @ 37:
Oh, yeah, 'Dick' Federline. Isn't he one of Britney's impregnators?
Preacher Boob @ 46:
My first car was a 1973 Chevy Vega. (need I say more) Anyway, I have not owned an American Car since. However, the sun is rising on Detroit. The Cadillac is an about face and now the Malibu. America can do anything expecially when pushed.
RockmanEnough @ 38:
If it has to be involuntary, I volunteer as one of the Pallbearers.
At work or at play, awake or asleep, Dick Cheney does everything that he can to turn this country into a dictatorship. Why does he do it? Is it for power, money, or just plain evil? Cheney has assaulted our Constitution more than any person in the history of the United States. Don't these crimes deserve punishment?
Cheney's a fine one to talk about 'redundancy'.
WTF, he's an ass*ole with an ass*ole.
Must be a genetic mutation, Mother Nature wouldn't make such a mistake.
Fuck Cheney and the rest of the asswiperepublicans (one word) who've shown their true colors . . . certainly not for states' rights!
In a related story, Scientific American is about to reveal a somewhat amazing discovery in their February issue.
It seems that the crazy DNA expert, Watson, bribed a White House intern to carefully vacuum Cheney's office after midnight one night.
He got a lot of Cheney's DNA from the layers of spittle covering his carpets, from all the ranting and raving he does in private.
Anyway, the analysis is in.
CHENEY HAS ONLY ONE GENE! THE ONLY KNOWN LIFE-FORM WITH THIS CHARACTERISTIC!!
It's the anal gene.
RockmanEnough @ 38:
Cheney's already amassed power and he doesn't need to stay in the WH to use it. However, a Dem president and congress would pose some problems. Be ready for ANYTHING happening in this election cycle.
Blue Lensman @ 54:
After the elections in '00, '04 & '06 nothing will surprise me, but then again, you never know.
RockmanEnough @ 55:
You don't know the powers of the dark side folks.
GREG @ 56:
The planet is in for a long and bumpy ride, no matter who the winner is in November, with an exeption of the extreemly remote possibility that Paul or Kusinich wins.
Is it really necessary to impeach cheney?
Couldn't he just be jailed until impeachment?
I can't think of a punishment severe enough for him and rumsfeld.
(Notice I did not capitalize the first letters in cheney and rumsfeld,
although I am happy to capitalize the first letter in the word Shit...
out of respect for the Shit.
"Merry *uckin' Christmas! You've been DICK'ed"!!
Arrest and Imprisonment @ 58:
LOL x 5!!
Preacher Boob @ 51:
How about monstrosity?
Tenth Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
There is nothing in the Constitution about the Federal Government being able to regulate emission of any kind. So I think Arnie should tell Dick to shut the fuck up. The Feds are allowed to regulate interstate commerce but not intrastate. So all Arnie needs to do is to say to the manufacturers is "If jou wan to sell de cars in Cali -fornya den jou make dem meet de standards" and ban any other car from being sold in the state. California is a really large market after all and Ford and so forth aren't going to want to lose it.
Well it's too bad, too sad for US Auto makers. Step aside, Toyota and Honda are leading the way and the US Auto makers will be left behind.
chlorocardium @ 8:
I'm inclined to think that the name Dan Quayle would be a door slammer and not a door opener :)
Who buys American cars anyway? They're mostly CRAP.
RockmanEnough @ 38:
I know what you're saying. Hard to give up that kinda power. He could run for president, couldn't he? He'd get 25% for sure. With Diebold, 55%. He only needs 50 + 1 (his words).
See you only need to get 50% + 1 (total moronic imbecile votes), to be de facto ruler of the world, regardless of whatever the rest of the planet thinks. That's why we hate you. (Not personally, as a nation.)
cleo @ 50:
Dick Cheney is still bitter over Watergate and Nixon's resignation. Dick never did grow up.
Edwin @ 65:
GOPers.
68 comments so far and no mention of Impeachment. This is the real reason repubs call dems defeatocrats. They are such wimps they cede victory without a fight. What are you? Do you stand around and wring your hands and moan about this criminal administration and yet say "we don't dare impeach cheney, because.." and folow with a lot of sky-is-calling excuses? If you are to cowardly to sign a simple petition to get impeacment back on the table and/or to lazy or syncophantic to demand all the big blogs get on the bandwagon, then you are a defeatocrat. Now maybe you think that is too harsh, maybe you say, "I'm not a defeatocrat, I'm a Pelosicrat!" OK, see how much that will scare the wingers.
http://www.wexlerwantshearings.com/
LOL... sold their entire party's basis. Guess republicans are for big government.
States' rights? States can write rules on privacy, and FISA-related violations. US government is not in a position to say, "Standards cannot be applied." This needs to go to court. The States are free to regulate where they see fit.
When the US government chooses lawlessness and recklessness, the States are not obliged to follow that lead.
We saw the public protest against CIGNA over the liver-transplant outrage. Why not protest against the car companies and US government?
Dick! why should you not be made to consumme my soil! Dick! Dick.....!
Cheney accused of blocking Californian bid to cut car fumes
Dan Glaister in Los Angeles
Monday December 24, 2007
The Guardian
The US vice-president, Dick Cheney, was behind a controversial decision to block California's attempt to impose tough emission limits on car manufacturers, according to insiders at the government Environmental Protection Agency.
Staff at the agency, which announced last week that California's proposed limits were redundant, said the agency's chief went against their expert advice after car executives met Cheney, and a Chrysler executive delivered a letter to the EPA saying why the state should not be allowed to regulate greenhouse gases
The last time we let a Dick this close to the White House It fucked the Nation.
Funny how the Republicans are "pro-states rights" and "anti-federal government" when it's convenient to corporate power, but will fight the states in court when it's not to the corporations' liking.
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