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Sam Bodman, Bush's choice for Energy Secretary, has big shoes to fill - big, big shoes! Lots of information is being made public about him, after the flap that was the unassailable "Berned" Kerik. Bodman is supposed to be this scientific whiz (he taught at MIT), yet the National Academy of Sciences giggled like little girls in response to his report on climate change awhile back. A fly on the wall told me scientists said, "What @$%&* language is this guy speaking?" Okay, the fly was John Podesta. With his 14 years at the helm of Cabot Corp., a Boston-based chemical company with a spotty environmental record, Bodman has left conservationists worried about the affects his tenure may have on the nation’s natural resources. Okay, we're talking teeth chattering, nail-biting fear, folks. Washington, D.C. is a far cry from Boston's Seaport Lane, where Bodman got his start in global dealings. Securities and Exchange Commission filings show Cabot Corp. had a weak environmental record, and paid hefty fines on two occasions during Bodman’s 14-year tenure. (Currently, Cabot’s Boyertown and Reading, PA, facilities are at the center of legislation alleging decades old beryllium poisoning.) Refrains of “Sam who?” echoed through the Capitol following the announcement. Deputy Treasury Chief, Bodman, 66, is a mystery to industry insiders. Experts claim his selection is strategic, meant to allow Vice President Cheney a firmer grip on the department. Karen Wayland, legislative director for Natural Resources Defense Council, told Reuters, “I think it’s pretty clear over the last four years that the energy plan the administration is pushing is taking its direction from the Vice President’s office.” Cheney heads a task force Bush created in his first term. The National Energy Policy Development Group boasts high-ranking administration officials as members. Spencer Abraham, the outgoing energy secretary, repeatedly rebuffed environmental advocates who tried to schedule meetings with the group. Abraham allotted significant portions of time, however, to the energy industry. A 2002 New York Times article revealed the President’s development group met secretly with energy executives at least one hundred times during Bush’s first five months in office. According to the Federal Election Commission, total contributions from energy and natural resources industries to the Republican camp exceeded $11 million in 2000, more than double what was donated to the Gore campaign. The Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group that tracks the effect of money in politics, noted Bush received almost $4.5 million from the energy/natural resource industry for his 2004 election campaign. Continued On Next Page (Bodman, Page 2) ... AUTHOR: Marjo R. Moore  TAGS: Opinion bush policy money world time interview BOOKMARK: Digg it | Add to Del.ICIO | Add to FARK ACTIONS: Comment Save Print Register free acount  |
