From WorldWatch Magazine,2001 July/August,

WorldWatch Institute http://www.worldwatch.org

< Dim Vision >　The Administration's Corporate Connections

"It's useful to have somebody who knows something about the energy business involved in the effort" to formulate a U.S. energy plan, says Vice-President Dick Cheney, the former CEO of Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies.

It turns out that Cheney wasn't just referring to himself; he has helped stock the Bush administration with executives and lobbyists, especially from the energy sector. For example, the Clearinghouse of Environmental Advocacy and Research reviewed the backgrounds of the 63-member advisory team that vets the nominees for political posts within the Energy Department, and found that 50 come from the energy industry (27 are from the oil and gas industries, 17 from the nuclear power and uranium mining industries, 16 from the electricity industry, and 7 from the coal industry. Only one is from the renewable-energy sector).

When President Bush picked his other top advisors and cabinet members, he " left no industry out in the cold," according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group that tracks corporate influence in U.S. politics. Most of the administration's top posts have been filled by people with strong industry ties, as can be seen from the list below.

Andrew Card, Chief of Staff

Former president of the now-defunct American Automobile Manufacturer's Association. Was the chief lobbyist for General Motors.

Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor

In August 2000 Chevron named an oil tanker after Rice, who previously sat on the company's board. The tanker's name was changed in April after consultation with the Bush administration. Rice is also a former director for both the finance firm, Charles Schwab, and the insurance company, TransAmerica Corporation.

Mitch Daniels, Director, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Former vice president of the pharmaceutical firm, Eli Lilly.

John Graham, Director of OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (nominated)

Director of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, a think tank funded by Dow Chemical, the Chemical Manufacturer's Association, the Chlorine Chemical Council, and other industry groups. The center argues that the costs of most health, safety, and environmental regulations outweigh the benefits.

James Connaughton, Chairman their of the White House Council on Environmental Quality

Provided legal counsel to General Electric and Atlantic Richfield in suits against the EPA concerning Superfund site cleanups.

Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior

Former lobbyist for NL Industries, a chemical company that was sued for exposing children to lead in its paints. Norton worked as the national chairperson for the industry-backed Coalition of Environmental Advocates. According to the environmental group Friends of the Earth, this is a "greenscam" group, which receives funding from Coors Brewing Company, the American Forest Paper Association, and the Chemical Manufacturer's Association.

J. Steven Griles, Deputy Interior Secretary (nominated)

Worked as a lobbyist for United Company, a coal, oil, and gas development firm. Former vice president of National Environmental Strategies, a DC-based lobbying firm that represents oil, coal, and utility interests, including Occidental Petroleum, the National Mining Association, and Edison Electric.

William Geary Myers, III, Interior Department Soliciter (announced)

Lobbyist for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Public Lands Council.

Linda Fischer, Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency

Former vice president of government affairs at Monsanto, an agricultural chemical company attempting to reinvent itself as a biotechnology company.

Ann Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture

Worked as a lobbyist for Dole Foods Company, the world's largest producer of fruit and vegetables. Former board member of Calgene, an agricultural-biotech firm acquired by Monsanto.

Francis Blake, Deputy Energy Secretary (nominated)

Senior vice president of the industrial giant General Electric Corporation, whose pollution has created more Superfund sites (47 in all) than any other corporation in the

United States.

Robert Card, Under-Secretary of Energy (nominated)

President and CEO of Kaiser Hill, a nuclear waste cleanup contractor that has been fined almost $1 million for nuclear safety violations at the abandoned Rocky Flats nuclear weapons factory in Colorado.

Donald Evans, Secretary of Commerce

Former executive officer at Tom Brown, Inc., a Denver-based oil company.

Norman Mineta, Secretary of Transportation

Former vice president of Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor.

Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services

Held stock in the Philip Morris tobacco company, which helped finance his successful campaigns for governor in Wisconsin.

Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor

Sat on the boards of Dole Foods and Clorox.

Paul O'Neil, Secretary of the Treasury

Former chairman of Alcoa, the world's largest aluminum manufacturer. Former president of International Paper. Served on the boards of Eastman Kodak and Lucent Technologies.

Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense

Former CEO of the pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle (now Pharmacia). Sat on the boards of Kellogg, Gilead Sciences (a biotechnology company), and the Tribune Company, which owns the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.

Thomas Sansonetti, Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources

After serving in both the Reagan and Bush Senior administrations, Sansonetti returned to private law practice, where he represented mining companies and the coal industry; he has also testified on behalf of mining interests, arguing (announced) for more mining on federal lands.