Bush: What Endangered Species?

With the 2008 election behind us some pundits are beginning to wax nostalgic about our 43rd President, mirroring Josh Brolin's weirdly sympathetic portrayel of the man in Oliver Stone's biopic "W."  But Americans should not underestimate Bush's capacity for careless executive decisions, especially during his final weeks in office.  Like many of his fellow GOPers, George W. Bush - who prefers his wildlife viewed through the scope of a rifle - has never been a friend to our nation's endangered species.  Now he wants federal agencies "to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants."  From the Baltimore Sun:  In its final weeks, the Bush administration is pushing changes that could decimate threatened Chesapeake Bay wildlife, along with 1,353 at-risk species across the nation.  The Interior Department posted a proposal over the summer for sweeping changes to the 35-year-old Endangered Species Act.  They would eliminate mandatory scientific review by experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service of all federally approved development projects that might affect endangered plants or animals...  Taking wildlife experts out of the equation eliminates the checks and balances that have kept the bay's bald eagles, shortnose sturgeon, Delmarva fox squirrels, piping plovers and other rare creatures from disappearing.

California Senator Barbara Boxer and other lawmakers have asked Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to abandon the plan - or at least to schedule public hearings and extend the review period to six months.  But the Interior Department, slavishly bowing to big business interests, refuses to allow public input on the matter.  Bye-bye, endangered species.