Bush* Tries to Deflect Blackout Criticism

By H. JOSEF HEBERT

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites), who has been criticized by Democrats for neglecting electric power in his energy priorities, told advisers Monday he wants the reason behind last week's power blackout found "as quickly as possible" so needed changes can be made.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the president, who is in Crawford, Texas, "emphasized the need to find out what caused the blackout and to do so as quickly as possible" in a telephone call to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham (news - web sites).

snip....

But some Democratic critics contend that prior to last week's blackout the White House largely has ignored electricity improvements, while concentrating on other energy issues such as getting Congress to allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (news - web sites).


"If it weren't for this administration's obsession with giveaways to their friends in the oil business, Congress likely would have passed an energy bill last year," said Sen. John Kerry (news, bio, voting record), who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

snip....

Some power industry watchdog groups are puzzled why the utilities have been able to get by with voluntary standards and internal policing for so long.

"We've been trying for the last couple of years to get help from Congress to allow us to enforce reliability rules," said Michehl Gent, president of the North American Electric Reliability Council. His group was created after a major blackout hit the Northeast in 1965 to set such standards, but has no power to enforce them.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20030818/ap_on_go_pr_wh/blackout_bush_1

the answers lie in Cheney's energy task force minutes! Time to dig Biggus Dickus outta his bunker. he has some 'splainin' to do!

... from the infamous energy task force.

You fucked up again and we know about it. And we're not going to shut up.

compared to what it could have said.

Why didnt they (kerry/dems) talk about how bush and delay nixed the 350 million or whatever it was!
That was a perfect opportunity to dig at bush and kerry/dems blew it imo. .. and the way I read it, they (the writers)-- made it sound like bush really had been talkng about the needs of the infrastructure all along!
blah
I hate seeing good openings for a totaly justified! hard jab wasted. Damnit, this is why we have these assholes raping the world!

tib

Bushco/Bfee are the same people who have caused trouble around the world since the beginning of time... bunch of user/greedy mo-fo's in every age of man! The same people types! Rust Never Sleeps! (neil young)

Bill Richardson (gov of New Mexico and former Clinton Energy Secretary) was on Imus this morning. He refused to directly criticize the Bush administration but did manage to slip in the information that the Bush administration cancelled a regulation instituted by the outgoing Clinton administration that required higher efficiency standards for air conditioners - something which could make a huge difference in energy demand during the summer. Richardson said that he was urging the Bush administration to reinstitute the higher standards. Suppose we can expect reporters to ask the Bushies about this?????