Right-Wing Conspiracy: Obama "Climate Czar" Is "Socialist"

Think Progress:

The right wing has discovered that Carol Browner, President-elect Barack Obama's new White House energy and environment adviser, was briefly a member of the Socialist International's Commission for a Sustainable World Society. The commission first convened in November 2007 to "articulate from the world of progressive politics a way forward to address global environmental concerns, climate change and the issues of governance required to deal with these common challenges" at 10 Downing Street, hosted by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Leader of the British Labour Party.

...

In a leap worthy of Stephen Colbert or Monty Python, the radical right wing is claiming these are signs that Barack Obama is going to transform the United States into a leftist dictatorship. The spread of this tale is interesting mostly as an examination of the interlocking web of conservative politics and corporate polluters:

Read the whole story: Think Progress

Comments

[ObjectiveRealist]

If socialism is bad ...
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=15222

... have the people whining about her membership in a club with the word "socialist" in its name ever even whispered a protest about petroleum corporatism as federal policy? Why not?

quote:
The Examiner newspapers are owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz, a right-wing evangelical Christian who built his father’s oil business into a far-ranging media, telecommunications, railroad, energy, and entertainment empire. He has served on the board of the American Petroleum Institute and founded the Discovery Institute, an intelligent-design think tank.
/quote

[Mulvaney]

Sarah Palin tried to warn us that Obama was a socialist. Now this. I only wish it were all true.

[rich3324]

A few weeks ago they called Bush a socialist.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/30/republicans-slam-bush-as_n_154175.html

[AndThenOneDay]

Global cooperation on climate issues? Nah, we only have to think about the climate in the US. Other people can worry about their own stupid climates.

[rollingdivision]

Now Democrats are fine with one world governance.

[formerprosecutor]

When it comes to the enivroment; I certainly am. What good does it do for the US to "clean it up" ; if "it" just drifts or washes up from somewhere else ?

[Beachrunner]

This is no different than the left wing hysteria claiming that Bush was going to cancel the 2008 presidential election . . . . .

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/31/2874

http://www.global-sisterhood-network.org/content/view/2065/59/

[formerprosecutor]

A new enviromental czar with socialist leanings. Perfect. Now maybe the the enviroment can be managed for the future of all people, not for the benefit of the corporations. Now that is what I call real CHANGE.

[flossophy]

This is the biggest fallacy you budding so-cialists believe:

you want to give power to those who you think are NOT greedy or selfish (Demo-crats), to control those who you think ARE greedy or selfish (the corporations). Please note: EVERYONE is greedy & selfish.

Instead, you're simply opening the door for people to use money & power in political ways. This is the major flaw in your ideology! People making decisions on how to use money or resources for political purposes RATHER than in the most efficient or productive ways...

Let a so-cialist start managing the environment... and you'll see all sorts of waste and abuse, simply because they're incentivised the wrong way. But at least in the process we'll all feel good about ourselves while thinking we're actually helping the environment... when it will be simply a big waste of resources spent on securing votes.

A so-cialist is the worst thing for the environment... look at their abysmal track record thus far.

[ObjectiveRealist]

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/03/27/officially-official-better-place-denmark-is-born/

[SEQUOIABISON]

In my estimation, Carol Browner consistently made decisions, during her term at EPA, favoring the public, she demonstrated her integrity by doing what was right, instead of tilting the scale in favor of Big Business, the way Bush and his cohorts did. Socialist is a meaningless attempt to slander someone, as in the days of McCarthy when being called a Communist was a death sentence for one's career.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Conservatives want the Air to trinkle down...

[formerprosecutor]

Well put.

[bogues]

The right-wingers that this article is referring to, are making outright fools of themselves. They are suddenly seeing the boogey-man behind every tree, when they spent the last eight years looking the other way and remaining silent while George Bush took our country to the brink of destruction. They intend to hold the Obama administration to a higher standard than they did Bush and that is not right.

[horsey]

Worry about Holder this isn't going anywhere.

[nellpost]

? Grammar?

[formerprosecutor]

Are we in English class?

[AndThenOneDay]

Horsey, I think you needed to stomp your hoof a few more times - some letters are missing from your post.

[harriscrl3]

Of course keeping Gates, bringing on Hilary on doesnt mean that we are going to continue being a Neocon fascist but having a progressive as environment czar means we are becoming socialist. Yes I'm getting the logic there.

Carol

[BigHeadTodd]

I don't care if she's a part-time clown with Cirque de Soleil if she is competent in this job.

Go 'ave some bubble n squeak or bangers n mash and tend to your own rotting nest of buffoons, Gordie.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Environemental Socialism...free air for everyone...

[Rog49Thomas]

Just as Ayn Rand intended only the rich should have clean air and clean water.

[MajorKong]

You know the GOP has nothing left when they start screaming "Socialist!".

[gotovt]

Patriotism, the last refuge of a scoundrel.
Best describes the GOP's current situation.