Newsflash: Bush Administration Finally Bases Policy Decision on Science!

Or "Duck season!" "Rabbit season!" "Duck season!" "Wolf season?"*

For almost eight years, courts have blocked every Bush administration attempt to kick gray wolves off the federal endangered species list. Today the Bush administration gave it one last try. Their justification? The gray wolf spent 34 out of the endangered species list's entire 35 year existence. So its population must be suddenly all better now. From the AP:

...the decision was based on science independently of policy considerations and that it was a watershed moment for a species first listed as endangered in 1974.

"Returning this essential part of our national heritage to so much of our natural landscape ranks among our greatest conservation achievements," Scarlett said.

Leave it to the Bush administration to say, "We've done this wonderful nature thing for America. Now let's kill it."

I don't know why Bush's DOI has had a hard-on for wolves Smells like Cheney. I can see it now...Ole Dick has plenty of free time coming up. Perhaps one of his friends will nice enough stake a wolf out in his Wyoming yard so Dick can shoot it from the comfort his porch. "If it weren't for that damn law!", Cheney bellows, "If it weren't for that damn law..."

Where was I?

It's no accident Lynn Scarlett made this announcement. I bet for weeks she was positively licking her lips in anticipation. Scarlett's official bio sez she "coordinates Interior's environmental policy initiatives to implement the President's executive order on cooperative conservation" -- a stunning piece of Newspeak that implies cooperation between anybody other than the Bush Administration and their campaign contributors.

Lynn Scarlett has a master degree in poli-sci and worse is a die hard -- as in ex-Prezzie of the Reason Foundation (motto: "free minds & free markets") -- libertarian. Now you know how I feel about libertarians (here, here, here, here, here and most especially here). Exactly the qualifications I don't want in our Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

Free market environmentalism my ass!

I'm counting the minutes until these people get kicked out of town.

-AF
(HT: Raw)