Who's in charge of the White House Council on Environmental Quality? Philip A. Cooney, a "lawyer with a bachelor's degree in economics" and "no scientific training." But that doesn't mean he has no relevant experience -- he used to be "a lobbyist at the American Petroleum Institute, the largest trade group representing the interests of the oil industry." See, Prince Abdullah was too busy to accept the gig and Jed Clampett's dead. So Bush went with Cooney, who's in the news today for editorially climate-controlling reports by government scientists that were a little too hot to release in their original form. To wit:
Original scientist version: "Many scientific observations indicate that the Earth is undergoing a period of relatively rapid change."
Same version after a cool blast of Cooney: "Many scientific observations point to the conclusion that the Earth may be undergoing a period of relatively rapid change."
Our five-day forecast: Healthy Penguins Restoration Act coming soon, plus a big promotion for Cooney. — GREG BEATO
Bush Aide Softened Greenhouse Gas Links to Global Warming [NY Times]
