CREW Sues Council on Environmental Quality Over Global Warming Documents

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has sued the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) today for its failure to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records related to global warming science and policy. CREW filed its FOIA request after media reports -- including a 60 Minutes piece -- and documents gathered by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform revealed that political appointees at CEQ, including former Chief of Staff Philip Cooney, edited various government reports to downplay and obscure scientific findings about global warming.

On May 12, 2006, CREW sent a FOIA request to CEQ asking for all records in the agency's possession mentioning or relating to the causes associated with global warming or climate change.

In late October, 2006, CREW agreed to accept documents from CEQ on a rolling basis, along with an accounting of all documents redacted or withheld by CEQ. Since that time, the records CEQ has provided to CREW have consisted almost exclusively of publicly available documents. To date, CREW has not received any information from CEQ regarding the substance of any Bush administration global warming reports.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today, "Despite claiming that it would comply with the Freedom of Information Act, CEQ has instead kept potentially explosive documents hidden from public view, leaving CREW with no option other than to sue." Sloan continued, "Luckily for the American public, the Bush administration must abide by the law whether or not it is politically expedient."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20070220/pl_usnw/crew_sues_council_on_environmental_quality_over_global_warming_documents

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1. Yay! CREW! Yay! Melanie!!

I wonder how their FOIA request for White House visitor records is going. She reported recently that CREW had requested those records, because they were interested in what religious leaders were visiting the WH during 2002-2003, but they were told the records were Classified.

I'm going to their website to see how it's going.

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2. Great article in Ms. Magazine

FEATURES | Winter 2007
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The Most Feared Woman on Capitol Hill?
Tom DeLay complained miserably about Melanie Sloan and her ethics watchdog group - so she must be doing something right.

By Linda Burstyn

If you paid close attention to the media lately, you would have heard many of the politicians who've been drowning in scandal pinning the blame for their problems on one woman—as if the mere mention of her name would somehow float them to safety.

Charged with taking payoffs from Jack Abramoff's clients? Blame Melanie Sloan. Under FBI investigation for steering government business to your daughter? Blame Melanie Sloan. Indicted for accepting bribes of millions of dollars, antique furniture, cars, boats and houses? Blame Melanie Sloan.

“It's ridiculous,” says 41-year-old Melanie Sloan from her modest office in Washington , D.C. “I do not control the Justice Department. If you believe the right-wing media, I'm all-powerful.”

http://www.msmagazine.com/radar/2007-02-01-mostfearedwoman.asp

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3. I respect her, because she also goes after Democrats.

Jack Murtha, for instance. I love and respect him for what he has done for American Troops, but confession IS good for the soul.

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4. k