Connect the Dots: Karl Rove's Politics Uber Alles Strategy and the Utah Mine Disaster
What makes Karl Rove's politics uber alles strategy chilling is connecting the dots between it and the Utah mining disaster.
Rove's unprecedented use of federal assets for political gain, laid out in yesterday's Washington Post, meant that every tool at his disposal was employed to help foster his goal of a permanent Republican majority. "It was all politics, all the time," Rep. Henry Waxman told WaPo.
"It was total commitment," marveled Rep. Thomas Davis III, who worked closely with Rove in 2002 on the GOP's House reelection campaign. "We knew history was against us, and [Rove] helped coordinate all of the accoutrements of the executive branch to help with the campaign."
These accouterments included, in the words of the Post, "enlisting political appointees at every level of government in a permanent campaign that was an integral part of [Rove's] strategy to establish electoral dominance." But Rove's plan involved much more than having Cabinet officials make election year visits bearing federal goodies to the districts of embattled Republicans; it also meant using the government's regulatory mechanisms to reward major GOP contributors. Major contributors such as Big Coal.
Coal mining interests have donated more than $12 million to federal candidates since the Bush-era began with the 2000 election cycle, with 88% of that money -- $10.6 million -- going to Republicans.
And what did that largess buy the coal mining industry? Mine safety regulators far more interested in looking out for the financial well-being of mine owners than for the physical well-being of miners.
Exhibit A is Bush's "mine safety" czar, Richard Stickler, whose agency both approved the controversial mining technique used at the Crandall Canyon Mine before the collapse, and oversaw the rescue operation.
Stickler is a former coal company manager with such a lousy safety record at the companies he'd run that his nomination as head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration was twice rejected by Senators from both parties, forcing Bush to sneak him in the back door with a recess appointment.
In other words, the guy the White House tapped to protect miners is precisely the kind of executive the head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration is supposed to protect miners from. And now Stickler is the one who will lead the "investigation" into what happened in Utah -- unless there is enough public outcry to force a truly independent investigation.
Of course, industry-friendly regulators like Stickler have been the rule under Bush, not the exception. Indeed, Bush's first mine safety czar was Dave Lauriski, a former mining executive who had earned a reputation for aggressively defending the interests of mine owners. For chapter and verse on Lauriski, read this terrific article by Ken Ward, Jr. in the Washington Monthly, but here is the nub of the matter: Lauriski took office promising mine owners that he would "collaborate more with stakeholders on regulatory initiatives" and become "less confrontational" with mine operators.
Exactly what did he mean by "less confrontational"? According to Ward, during his tenure, Lauriski "filled [MSHA's] top jobs with former industry colleagues, dropped more than a dozen safety proposals initiated during the Clinton administration, and cut almost 200 of the agency's 1,200 coal mine inspectors. Mine-safety experts have linked many of these actions to the causes of deadly mine safety accidents since 2001." Among the mine-safety regulations Lauriski dropped was one that would have deepened investigations of mining accidents.
No doubt Murray and the owners of the coal mines where over 170 miners have died since Lauriski gutted those safety regulations are happy that he did.
Lauriski resigned after 60 Minutes revealed that the MSHA had improperly awarded no-bid contracts to coal industry companies to which he was tied.
It's worth noting that the person Bill Clinton appointed to head MSHA, J. Davitt McAteer, was not a coal-industry insider -- indeed, he had been a key force behind the 1969 Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, had worked with Ralph Nader on workplace safety reforms, and was running a public-interest law firm focused on occupational safety when Clinton tapped him. He therefore came to the job with a very different perspective than the one required by Rove's objective of using government agencies as accoutrements for the GOP's permanent campaign.
Putting foxes in charge of the henhouse has been standard operating procedure for Rove's hyper-politicized White House. The long list of industry hacks given key slots at federal agencies will forever stand as the ultimate tribute to Rove's effectiveness in turning the federal government into an arm of the Republican Party -- and a payback machine for those that funded it. For a primer on the hackocracy, check out the New Republic, TomPaine.com, and the Denver Post.
In far too many cases, these cynical appointments that put the Party's interest above the public interest, have left our country less safe, our environment more polluted, our fellow citizens less healthy -- and, in the case of the Crandall Canyon Mine, three of them dead, and six others in all likelihood entombed in the mine forever.
Karl Rove may be on his way out the door, but the destructive legacy of his politicization of the federal government will be with us for many years to come.
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
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How very informative, infuriating and totally unsurprising. Republicans will literally sacrifice a working man's life for money. It's disgusting. But who will speak up and make people aware of this. As Arianna said, if the foxes are in charge of the henhouse, will this just roll right off Murray's and the White House's backs? They have no shame. Blood on their hands, but no shame.
It's like putting someone to young to understand why their room needs to be cleaned, that hates to clean their room, in charge of deciding what is to be done to clean their room.
Of course, everything will be thrown into the closet or swept under the bed, with pizza boxes strewn around and old mouldy bread crumbs in the bed. Dirty dishes would pile up, and rodents would move in. Eventually someone would get sick.
But, at least they probably wouldn't die, as have so many with this crowd.
I have been a salesman for most of my 40 years in the work force. When I began to realize there was better money to be made as a R.E. Broker, I became a R.E. Broker. I hated the work but the money was a trap. If I had known that the real big money was in politics, I would have turned my sales talents to politics. My Point? A good Con man goes where the big money is. Most of our Republican Congressmen and a few Democrats obviously did not come into congress 'With The Best Intentions'; they were crooks to start with and the past felony convictions of Republican Congressmen these past 6 years is only the ones that got caught. And multiple that number of congressional felons by a conservative 10, and you will begin to get an estimate of why Bush Cheney are allowed to rule.
After a much needed time off im back and doing my shows at liveleak and now im back here at the great Huffington Post.
I want to make it clear to everyone........The Goverment of this Country could careless about You,The Wonderful Miners,Our Brave Military,The American People Or anything that has to do with making America The Great & Wonderful Country We Once were.
Our Goverment only cares about what big bussiness will pay to keep everyone of them in office.
Kucinich is the onlyone I believe is really telling the truth but even the media has there own agenda and thats why they wont show him.
WAKE UP AMERICA FOR GODS SAKE!
Not just Karl Rove. Arlen Specter, the attorney firings, one in Utah who was friendly for the mining interests.
Yes indeed.
Look closer, Arianna. The GOP Senate and 109th Congress was all over the pattern background activity that set in motion severalmine disasters.
Kentucky, Utah, West Virginny.
Look what danger our persons tasked with the hardest work face. The GOP isn't worth what these hard workers shake out from under their boots, when they come back up to daylight.
They sleep fine. They run for Congress, receive a good salary and lots of perks, and frequently earn 10-20x their Congressional salaries from firms to peddle influence and lobby after they leave office.
Which Democrats will step up to the plate? The ones who profess their support of publicly-financed elections? Pick 'em: http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?Ind=F09
Congress is already voting for their candidates: http://thehill.com/endorsements-2008.html
Money and influence will wire this election long before the primaries. Its American democracy as we live it. Changing it requires a few million folks in the streets of Washington demanding publicly financed political campaigns and unity amongst progressive organizations. Neither is on the political radar screen or forseeable.
My choices are Joe Biden and Jimmy Smits. Both because they are principled, Biden because he dwarfs the rest of the field on foreign policy, judicial, and national defense issues, ... and Smits because he would engineer magnificent domestic policy changes, is fluent in Spanish, and can help both of them get elected November 2007.
Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Where's the outrage of the media, the American public?
No wonder we elected Bush/Cheney.
A nation of sheep, ruled by wolves, owned by pigs.
Why aren't any of our Congressional Representatives SCREAMING for justice for these miners and their families? Why hasn't the investigation started yet? Aren't the lives of miners worth their time and outrage? If they were marines, you could bet your life Gen. Petraeus wouldn't leave their bodies buried in that mine! SHAME on them all!! Now I understand Murray may be allowed to mine on the other side of this mountain where there is also evidence of bumps/seismic activity! Will we allow more men to die so he can continue to profit with their blood?
"Putting foxes in charge of the henhouse has been standard procedure for Rove's hyper-politicized White House." Couldn't agree with you more. I think a strategy for Americans to take, with the help of the Huffington Post, is to expose the henhouse analogy with an eye towards prevention instead of reaction. We always seem to catch, uncover, or reveal the diabolical machinations after the fact. Why don't we all start exposing and writing articles about the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America NOW.
"The Security, Prosperity Partnership of North America:
In fact herein "Security" stands for Lockdown: "Prosperity" stands for permanent privatization of all natural and commercial resources and the permanent destruction of all the workers rights to any share in that 'prosperity.' The "partnership" is actually an agreement between the International Corporatocracy to devour everything that can be sold, and to do it in the name of three 'nations' that will cease to exist once this agreement is formally accepted-without even consulting the populations of the nations that were once thought to be sovereign states."
If we attack it NOW, we will not be reacting to it with hands tied, only in print, and no recourse in reversing it. An ounce of prevention....
I think this article was right on target of what both parties try to do when they can elect their President although it is probably less so and much less overt when the Democraps are in office and control the Congress.
The Elitist Repugnicans suffer eternally from Cranial Rectosis and / or Ocular Fecesitus aka: the Head Up Their Ass Syndrome or the Shitty Outlook Condition. If they aren't born with either one, they cultivate it at an early age through parental and social contacts.
Bush should have faced Articles of Impeachment in January of 2000 as the first orderof business after the Supreme Court elected him and the House was called to Order in its first session. He mos certainly should have faced Impeachment for his part in the 9/11 Conspiracy and the utter sham of a cover-up. Where Bush goes go his entire Executive Branch and all past members and I think they belong in Prisonfor life with the exceptions of the ones the Hague wants for War Crimes. The prison I have in mind is Guantanamo with no appeals, 'good time served' or Presidential Pardons possible. If any of them need medical care as theyage, give them medicare benefits only. Confiscate all of their monies and property(for Walmarts) and their pensions etc. should be effectively cancelled. Leaving their estates in penury is fine retribution.
I can still have good dreams like that so I must still be sane inspite of their best efforts !!!
Anybody who still insists there's "no difference" between the parties needs to read and re-read this piece. Sure, the Democrats aren't perfect -- and I'm as disgusted as anybody with the congressional Dems' spinelessness when it comes to standing up to Smirky McChimp and Dickless Cheney -- but the fact is working people generally get a better deal under Democrats than under Republicans. Not always, but generally.
The Democratic Party may be in debt to the plutocracy, but the Republiscum Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of it.
Mr RabbiOmar. Perhaps you are not aware that the world is full of LIARS, THIEVES and MURDERERS......and ROVE and his corrupt buddies certainly qualify to be included with this insidious group.
What is the reason that Rove resigned in the middle of the Iowa primaries...is it that he sees there are no electable Repugs, & he has to make himself that candidate by being very ugly to the Dem frontrunner, Hillary Clinton; he is running around the state accusing her of being what, Hillary Qaeda Clinton...Do not be surprised when Rove declares for prez with Bush's ardent approval, after the primaries are a disaster for Repugs. His whole life is devoted to himself & the only way he can be the next 'most powerful man'in the world is thru the Repug Party...He has been the de facto prez for 6+ years & he is desperate to remain prez...his life will be a total failure if all he has put into effect crumbles down like a sand castle. Hillary's best answer to his insults is, "Why thank you Carl, what a ice thing to say; I wouldn't want a person like you, Ugh! to approve of me."
Mr.Rabbi. The world is full of LIARS, THIEVES and MURDERERS and ROVE meets the criteria.
Despite the disastrous six years under the present inept leadership, it simply defies all reasoning when at least 22% of the population in the United States still remains faithful supporters of the Cheney/Bush/Rove THUGS, INC., while Americans and innocent Iraqi civilians continue to be slaughtered on a daily basis.
This is what is commonly referred to as successful brainwashing.
I have just one question - how do these people sleep at night? The harm they have done to our citizens and country is too much to comprehend right now. The Democrats MUST step up to the plate and stop this run-away war mongering, corrupt, immoral train before it crashes and destroys everything we American's hold dear. Paula Hannah
People without a conscience have no problem with morals keeping them awake at night.
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