Why Is The White House Protecting EPA Official Who Would 'Crucify' Big Oil?

Investor's Business Daily ^ | 26 April 2012 | Editorial

[IBD editorial writer]

Abuse Of Power: An EPA official who apparently made good on a threat to "crucify" an oil company to make the entire energy industry "easy to manage" should resign or be fired. So why is the White House protecting him?

EPA regional administrator for Dallas Al Armendariz told a city council meeting in a taped speech two years ago that his "philosophy" of enforcement was to single out an oil company, punish it "as hard as you can," and make an example of it to scare others into submission.

"The Romans used to conquer little villages in the Mediterranean," said Armendariz. "They'd go into a little Turkish town somewhere, they'd find the first five guys they saw, and they would crucify them. And then you know that town was really easy to manage for the next few years."

Armendariz later apologized for his "poor choice of words." But the problem wasn't his words, it was that he wasn't kidding.

[IBD editorial writer]

In addition, this EPA official seems to be Hugo Chavez's man advancing his agenda. He actually got his name in the credits of 'Gasland' - a Hugo Chavez movie. See the editorial for more.

[Doogle]

he’s just an Odungo wannabe...if Odungo had a son, blah blah blah...

[Tulsa Ramjet]

Republicans should allow this guy to apologize but resign.

Republicans should be in attack mode on every little thing from every little advisor/administrator that works for Obama. Good job, Inhofe.

[combat_boots]

The guy’s on leave from SMU.

Gees Louise.

[TheBattman]

Do we really even need an article to answer the headline question?

Hello- Obama is protecting him because he feels the same way - total agreement.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

i meant...to NOT apologize, but resign. Or demand he be fired.

[demkicker]

....but Armendariz said in the same speech his proudest moment in his first year at EPA was to have its enforcers watch "Gasland," an anti-fracking propaganda documentary financed by the government of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, who also opposes all U.S. drilling. Armendariz collaborated with its makers, and got his name in the credits.

These people are the enemy of this country and our way of life. They are domestic terrorists - plain and simple. God help us if Obama gets re-elected.

[DariusBane]

I saw the video. He is a typical academic. Very bright, but a do-nothing who has never had to create anything. He even strikes as soft-handed, overly perfumed. Kind of guy who has never risked his own capital or sweat on anything. Somebody like that does not mind threatening people who have worked hard with blood, sweat, tears, successes and failures to build an ongoing business that “does work”. He doesn’t know what work is. So he cannot respect work.

[demkicker]

The guy’s on leave from SMU.

Gees Louise.

Read about Armendariz as a research associate professor at SMU here and be sure to notice his "research philosophy"

[FedsRStealingOurCountryFromUs]

What is the legal term or the cliche used when someone fails to reprimand or punish someone than that implies they approve of what that someone does? Help me out here!

[MestaMachine]

“Why Is The White House Protecting EPA Official Who Would ‘Crucify’ Big Oil?”

Because THAT is why he was appointed. Duh.

[fella]

There is a hidden ‘back-story’ here about the ‘Fouh’ town of Dish and it's then mayor who lead the media charge against the Barnett Shale development there. Dish is an upper middle class real-estate development (10 acre plots with almost mini-manschs on ’em) that went through the process to get named a town. The mayor one of the town was one of the main promoters looked out at the flat prairie surrounding his town and didn't like the idea of ugly well-heads devaluing his investment so he started a media campaign about pollution. Of course the media and EPA were more than glad to go along as it fitted their agenda. That is until the expensive testing revealed no pollution, then suddenly it got real quiet. The people of Dish were then stuck with the bills for it all. The mayor suddenly sold his property and moved across the county to another town also surrounded by gas and oil wells for . . . uh . . . health reasons.

[MestaMachine]

Tacit approval.

[Inyo-Mono]

BTTT.

[WaterWeWaitinFor]

“EPA regional administrator for Dallas Al Armendariz told a city council meeting in a taped speech two years ago that his “philosophy” of enforcement was to single out an oil company, punish it “as hard as you can,” and make an example of it to scare others into submission.”

HOLY MOLY - I’ve seen that several times about this EPA terrorist guy talking to a “city council meeting” and I could NOT imagine what town in their right mind would have stood for that blather / description of threats from an EPA guy in the first place. NOW this makes sense. Now - for Rush and Glenn Beck and others to jump on that side story. Man.. it’s like the spotted owls will die - the teetsy flies will be extinct - years ago to stop construction projects. All lies = all lies - oh yes - Carney never lies either. geesh. Zippy must be defeated in November AND the EPA and other groups wiped clean.

[pepsionice]

My impression is that he took one single class on history in college and he really has no grasp beyond that. If you go outside of Rome in this crucifixion-period....you can’t find a single country or society that respected the Roman invaders. Their attitude of control made them an enemy....and nothing less than that. Most companies will eagerly fight the EPA in court now...citing this stupid crucify-policy, and judges are going to start laughing over the strategy each time that it comes up.