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1995 - Duncan Hunter on Energy Agency's Enemy List
San Diego Union-Tribune via News Which Cannot Lose ^ | November 17, 1995 | STEPHEN GREEN; Copley News Service

Posted on 09/13/2007 9:24:07 AM PDT by Calpernia

Posters Note: The title sounds almost Nixonian, but Mr. Hunter has been a thorn in many bureaucratic sides for a long time, as this article reveals.

Rep. Duncan Hunter was aware that the U.S. Department of Energy was unhappy with him. Little did he know how unhappy. As chairman of a House national security subcommittee, the El Cajon Republican has called for cutting the agency's budget. But he did not realize that had earned him a spot on what has become known as the Energy Department's "enemies list."

Still, Hunter was not exactly surprised when another member of Congress recently showed him the list, which includes Hunter and some other members of Congress the Department of Energy (DOE) deemed hostile to its interests. Predictably, the listing has provided Hunter with more ammunition for his criticism of Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and the way she has run her department. "I think she should resign," Hunter said flatly yesterday, joining the growing number of congressional calls for O'Leary to leave her post.

O'Leary has received praise from some quarters for the way she has run her department, especially for opening the agency's records concerning medical radiation experiments over the years. But the Energy Department also has been under fire for its management of nuclear waste disposal and for retaining what its critics say is a bloated bureaucracy. O'Leary's problems intensified last week when the Wall Street Journal revealed that DOE paid $43,500 for a private contractor to rate the way reporters write about the agency.

That was enough to set off a torrent of criticism. The White House reprimanded O'Leary but did not fire her, as many congressional Republicans had demanded. She issued a statement acknowledging that she used "bad judgment." But the criticism, instead of dying down, now has intensified. The House Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing today on O'Leary's use of public funds. It has turned out that the private contractor, Computer Aided Research and Media Analysis (CARMA), also provided the agency with a list of "favorable" and "unfavorable" politicians and environmental activists.

Heading the "unfavorable" compilation was Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., who has called for abolishing the agency. A compilation of the top 25 congressional critics of DOE with an "unfavorable" rating has been circulating on Capitol Hill. It ranks Hunter 12th. The only other Californian on the list is Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach. Hunter's National Security Subcommittee on Military Procurement oversees DOE's management of nuclear weapons and its cleanup of nuclear waste.

A proponent of abolishing DOE and giving its nuclear weapon responsibilities to the Pentagon, Hunter has criticized the agency as having too much bureaucracy and too many consultants financed by its $6.5 billion nuclear waste cleanup account. A new budget authorization passed by the House would cut $742 million from the account. But, Hunter said, referring to CARMA, "When I cut their budget of nonessential consultants, it looks like I missed one."

The fuss about the money spent by DOE on the media relations is not the only flap to have erupted over O'Leary's spending. There has been criticism before of her extensive taxpayer-funded travel abroad. And on Wednesday DOE acknowledged that it paid a consultant at least $265 a day for two years to help develop a media relations strategy for O'Leary. A spokeswoman for DOE said O'Leary has not issued any statement concerning the practice of rating members of Congress. O'Leary, however, has said she "terminated" the contract with CARMA and did not find its work "useful."


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: b4dh; budgetcuts; carma; doe; duncanhunter; epa; hazeloleary

1 posted on 09/13/2007 9:24:09 AM PDT by Calpernia
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To: davidosborne; airborne; Antoninus; GulfBreeze; processing please hold; RasterMaster; ...

Ping to B4DH and substantial cuts in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ping


2 posted on 09/13/2007 9:26:20 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: abb; 04-Bravo; aimhigh; andyandval; Arizona Carolyn; backhoe; Bahbah; bert; bilhosty; Caipirabob

Here is a nugget the Dinosaur Media Death Watch List might find interesting:

>>>O’Leary’s problems intensified last week when the Wall Street Journal revealed that DOE paid $43,500 for a private contractor to rate the way reporters write about the agency.<<<


3 posted on 09/13/2007 9:29:55 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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>>>But the Energy Department also has been under fire for its management of nuclear waste disposal and for retaining what its critics say is a bloated bureaucracy.<<<

I wonder if this is about Spencer Abraham and the nuclear waste that was dumped into the mountains in Nevada?

4 posted on 09/13/2007 9:37:23 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: Calpernia

5 posted on 09/13/2007 9:41:52 AM PDT by WalterSkinner ( In Memory of My Father--WWII Vet and Patriot 1926-2007)
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To: Calpernia

Hey hey. The more you dig the better he sounds. Just the opposite of all the others.


6 posted on 09/13/2007 3:59:39 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: pissant

On The Issues....duncanHunter_logo

FAIR & EQUITABLE TRADE

Fair Trade, Not Free Trade = Jobs / Packed House in Mission Valley

China Cheating  on Trade / America is a GREAT Nation

SECOND AMENDMENT

Glen & Helen Show / CA Bullet Serialization / A Keyboard and a .45 /Armed & Free

ECONOMY & TAXES

Address to Fair Tax Rally 05-15-07 / Address to CPAC / Fiscal Conservativism

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD

Iraq Resolution / Hunter vs. Democrats / Surge is Working

Senate Amnesty Bill / Amnesty Fails / Amnesty Fails Again  / Hunter Vs. Murtha

LEGAL REFORM

Gonzales Firings / Pardon Scooter? / ”Fairness” Doctrine

Border Agents Compean & Ramos / Defending Border Agents

ENDORSEMENTS

Appeal to Conservatives / General Chuck Yeager / Conservative Voice

Ann Coulter / Magnificent! / Favorite

Announcement – Part 1 & Part 2 / Music Video On the Road to the Oval Office

Conservative Case / A Fresh Face / Blog Collection / Constitution Party / Grassroots HQ

EDUCATION

No Child Left Behind

HEALTHCARE

Ronald Reagan Health Care / ‘National’ HealthCare / “One step closer to socialism”

IMMIGRATION

Border Enforcement is Homeland Security / NAFTA / Secure Border

Building a Fence / “Jobs Americans won’t do”? / Wake Up America 07-19-07

Enforce the Law / No Amnesty / Party of One / Ted Hayes

SAFETY & SECURITY

Dubai Ports / Cooking with Hunter / War On Terror / To America’s Critics / JFK Plot

Mark Steyn on 1986 Amnesty / Firefighter’s Forum / CSIS Forum / Katrina Summit

FAITH & VALUES

Blogs for Life / Judicial Appointments / Right to Life Rally / Hunter's Faith

Terri Shaivo / Mt. Soledad Cross  - Flyer / Roe vs. Wade / Hate Crimes

INTERVIEWS

Dennis Miller (June 1st – 3rd Hour) / Michael Illions

Roger Hedgecock (4/6, 4/24, 4/25, 6/8, 6/29, 7/2, 7/17, 7/19)

Laura Ingraham – Part 1 & Part 2 / Steve Malzberg 06-19-07

Brian Preston – Hot Air / William Gheen - ALIPAC

WRKO Pundit Review Radio / Polipundit Radio / Tom McLaughlin

Kevin McCullough – Musclehead Revolution / John Hawkins

NHPR’s Laura Knoy on The Exchange / Irving Baxter

WESH – Orlando (Conversation with the Candidate) / Wolf Blitzer

 Hardball 07-30-2007 / Hardball - Al Sharpton / George Stephanopolis

 Charlie Rangel – Part 1 & Part 2 / Dennis Kucinich – Part 1 & Part 2

Glenn Beck / JD Hayworth 1 & 2 / Tom McLaughlin / Neil Cavuto

DEBATES

Reagan Library 05-03-07 / After Interview

South Carolina 05-15-07 / Fox Interview

New Hampshire 06-05-07 / Spin Room - NH/ Lynne Hunter

Iowa Presidential Candidate Forum 06-30-07

Iowa 08-05-07 / Hunter vs Paul / After the Debate / De Moines 07-06-07

POLLS

Hunter Beats McCain / Maricopa County, Arizona 01-13-07

Spartanburg, South Carolina 03-01-07 / SC GOP Conventions 04-16-07

Anderson County, South Carolina 04-17-07 / Free Republic / Coryell, Tx / Texas Win

ADDITIONAL AUDIO & VIDEOS

Young Republicans - Part1 - Part2 - Part3 / Texas Straw Poll Speech

Core Principles / BIG STORY WEEKEND with Julie Bandaras / Latest Articles

Brian & the Judge: 01-10-2007 / 02-08-2007 / 03-12-2007/ Cost of WH Run

The Right Balance hosted by Greg Allen / Still in the Race / Duncan D. Hunter

 


7 posted on 09/13/2007 4:05:37 PM PDT by RasterMaster (Rudy McRomneyson = KENNEDY wing of the Republican Party)
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