The Truth About George W. Bush

Appointments

Bush Continues to Surround Himself with "Yes" People
In the weeks following his reelection, six of Bush's 15 Cabinet members have resigned. It's not unusual for a president to make changes in his cabinet to energize a second term, but according to American University presidential scholar Allan Lichtman, "It's unusual to have it come this heavy and so soon, including two of the top positions." Lichtman was referring to the resignations of Attorney General John Ashcroft and Secretary of State Colin Powell. Their vacancies likely will be filled by White House counsel Alberto Gonzalez and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice respectively, both members of Bush's loyal inner circle. This has spurred accusations that Bush is surrounding himself with "yes" people, a practice Lichtman says "can lead to colossal lapses in judgment." Last year Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill quit after clashing with Bush over tax cuts. O'Neill later called Bush "a blind man in a room full of deaf people." In addition to Ashcroft and Powell, Education Secretary Rod Paige, Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham have also resigned.
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch, "All Eyes on Bush's Cabinet Turnover," Marilyn Rauber, Nov. 21, 2004.

Even Some Republicans Cannot Stomach Bush Judicial Nominee
The Hill reports that Senate Republicans are currently blocking one of Bush's judicial nominees. Leon Holmes, nominated to a seat on the U.S. District Court in Arkansas, has not been scheduled for a floor vote by Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) after being reported out of committee without recommendation. Holmes' judicial writings have provoked much controversy, including a comment relating to a rape exception for a constitutional amendment banning abortion. Holmes called the issue a "red herring," saying that "conceptions from rape occur with approximately the same frequency as snowfall in Miami." Beyond Frist's failure to schedule a vote, four Senate Republicans, Arlen Specter (Pa.), Olympia Snowe (Maine), Susan Collins (Maine), and Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), have expressed serious doubts about Holmes. Find out what's at stake with our courts and read more about nominee Judge Leon Holmes.
Source: The Hill, "In Twist, GOP Blocks Bush Nominee," Nov. 19, 2003.

Bush Nominates Right-Wing Extremist to D.C. Circuit Court
On July 25, Bush nominated Justice Janice Rogers Brown to the D.C. Circuit Court, which handles many high-profile federal cases and is considered a steppingstone to the U.S. Supreme Court. Brown is seen as the most conservative justice on California's Supreme Court. In a joint report, People for the American Way (PFAW) and the NAACP reveal that Brown has a record of ideological extremism and judicial activism that makes her unfit to serve on the appeals court. Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP's Washington Bureau, expressed deep concern regarding Brown's "hostility to fundamental civil and constitutional rights principles." PFAW President Ralph G. Neas says Brown "embodies Clarence Thomas' ideological extremism and Antonin Scalia's abrasiveness and right-wing activism." Adding to these concerns, abortion-rights groups have pointed to Justice Brown's dissent in a California case in which she harshly criticized the other justices for overturning a law requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions.
Source: People for the American Way, "Far Right Dream Judge Janice Rogers Brown joins Lineup of Extremist Appeals Court Nominees," Aug 28, 2003.

Governor With Questionable Environmental Record to Head E.P.A.
On Aug. 12, Bush nominated Utah Governor Michael Leavitt as the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. If confirmed by the Senate in September, Leavitt would succeed Christine Todd Whitman, who resigned from the post in May. Democratic presidential candidates Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) have expressed their disapproval of the Bush nominee, with Kerry describing Leavitt as someone who "has a record of working to undermine national environmental protections." Environmental groups have criticized Leavitt for opening public lands in Utah to industry and development, allying himself with oil and gas industries and opposing the Kyoto treaty on global warming.
Source: New York Times, "Bush Nominates Utah Governor to Lead E.P.A.," Katharine Seelye, Aug. 12, 2003

William H. Pryor Jr.: Regarded As Most Controversial Nominee of Bush's Tenure
In nominating Alabama's attorney general, Bill Pryor, for a lifetime appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, Bush has selected what Senate aides from both parties are touting as the most controversial nominee of his presidency. As an outspoken conservative throughout his career, Pryor has as recently as 1997 berated the Supreme Court's decision to legalize abortion in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case. Additionally, Pryor vociferously objected to the repeal of the Texas sodomy law recently struck down by the Supreme Court, and remains a staunch opponent of the enforcement of the separation of church and state. Pryor is a firm supporter of capital punishment and has been criticized for his failure to attend to issues of discrimination and environmental protection.
Sources: Washington Post, "Judicial Nominee Admits Mistake: Pryor Regrets 'Octogenarian' Comment," Mike Allen, June 12, 2003; New York Times, "Senate Judicial Panel to Weigh Another Contentious Nomination," Neil A. Lewis, June 11, 2003

Bush Refuses Democrats' Offers to Consult on Potential Supreme Court Nominees
In recent letters, prominent Democrats have urged Bush to consult with them prior to nominating someone to the Supreme Court, should a vacancy open. In a response the Washington Post described as "curt," the Bush administration immediately rejected the suggestion because officials claimed, as the New York Times reported, "it would be highly inappropriate for a president to dilute his constitutional responsibility to choose Supreme Court nominees." In their letters, Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) argued that a nominee selected through consensus would be much less divisive, resulting in a much smoother confirmation process. They also noted that Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, reportedly suggested both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer to President Bill Clinton, both of whom Clinton selected to the high court. In a later response to Leahy and Daschle's letters, the White House counsel, Alberto R. Gonzalez, indicated he would be willing to meet with senators to hear their concerns. The Washington Post reports that Gonzalez's offer is complicated by the fact that as "a former justice of the Texas Supreme Court, (Gonzalez) is one of Bush's most obvious potential nominees."
Source: New York Times, "Vacancy or Not, Bracing for Supreme Court Fight," Neil A. Lewis & Sheryl Gay Stolberg, June 19, 2003; Washington Post, "Bush to Choose Ex-Starr Aide: Kavanaugh to Be Nominee For Appeals Court Post," Mike Allen, June 19, 2003.

Bush Judicial Nominee Called Gays "Queers"
Bush's nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, Claude A. Allen, is on record as having referred derisively to gay people as "queers." At the time of the incident, Allen was press secretary for the re-election campaign of former Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), one of the staunchest foes of gay rights in Congress. According to the Houston Voice, Allen, who is also a supporter of abstinence-only sex education, is Bush's eighth judicial nominee with known anti-gay views.
Source: The Houston Voice, "Bush Pick for Appeals Court Called Gays 'Queers'," Lou Chibbaro, Jr., May 2, 2003

Bush Names Extremist Who Called AIDS "Gay Plague" to AIDS Panel
George W. Bush nominated Jerry Thacker, an extreme, right-wing evangelical Christian who has called AIDS the "gay plague," to the Presidential Advisory Commission on HIV and AIDS. Although Thacker withdrew his name from consideration on Jan. 23, shortly after his deplorable comments came to light, many questions remain about his nomination. Thacker—who attended Bob Jones University, which until recently banned interracial dating—has also called homosexuality a "deathstyle."
Source: Washington Post, "AIDS Panel Choice Wrote of a 'Gay Plague'," Ceci Connolly, Jan. 24, 2003

Judicial Nominees: Charles Pickering and Priscilla Owen, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, Nominations Resubmitted
Bush announced in early January that he is resubmitting the nomination of Judge Charles W. Pickering and Justice Priscilla Owen to the 5th Circuit Appeals Court. Pushed by Sen. Trent Lott, Pickering's initial nomination was rejected last March by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Like Lott, Pickering has a deplorable past on race issues, including writing an article as a law student suggesting ways to strengthen the state's anti-miscegenation laws; establishing contacts while a Mississippi state legislator with a commission established by the state to oppose integration efforts; and going to great lengths to try to secure a more lenient sentence for a defendant convicted of burning a cross on the lawn of an interracial couple. Bush also renominated Judge Priscilla Owen, a staunch opponent of women's reproductive rights, as well as a number of judges whose positions and opinions are so controversial that their nominations died in the last Congress.
Source: New York Times, "President Renominating Federal Judge Lott Backed," Neil A. Lewis, Jan. 7, 2003

Food and Drug Administration: W. David Hager, Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee
The Bush administration appointed W. David Hager, a controversial doctor who has authored books about Christ's abilities to heal specific women's illnesses through prayer, to the Food and Drug Administration's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. The committee, which plays an important role in shaping women's health policy, is slated to review hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women—an issue that some suspect conservatives want to hijack in order to cast doubt on the safety of birth-control pills. Hager, who assisted the Christian Medical Association with a "citizen's petition" asking the FDA to override the ruling that approved RU-486, has written that it is "'dangerous' to compartmentalize life into 'categories of Christian truth and secular truth'." It was also reported that Hager would not prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women in his private practice.
Source: New York Times, "Tribulation Worketh Patience," Maureen Dowd, Oct. 9, 2002; "Jesus and the FDA," Karen Tumulty, Oct. 14, 2002

National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women: Nancy Pfotenhauer
Independent Women's Forum (IWF) President Nancy Pfotenhauer and another IWF activist were invited to join the National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women, which advises the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services in implementing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Pfotenhauer and the IWF are vocal opponents of VAWA. The IWF has testified in congress against VAWA and supported a lawsuit challenging the act. Materials on IWF's site also claim, for example, that "the battered women's movement has outlived its useful beginnings."
Source: Washington Post, "Ashcroft Appointments Assailed; Domestic Violence Law's Foes Tapped for Oversight Panel," Dana Milbank, Sept. 5, 2002

Department of Agriculture: Thomas Dorr, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development
Bush appointed Thomas Dorr to serve as the under secretary of agriculture for rural development during the Senate recess, to avoid a confirmation battle. Some members of Congress opposed this nomination, saying that Dorr had eluded federal limits on farm subsidies and made racially insensitive remarks. Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee, said that Dorr "does not meet the standard set by President Bush when he signed a new law on corporate responsibility last week." He cited that Dorr, as the chief executive of a corporation, filed inaccurate information with the Agriculture Department.
Source: New York Times, "Bush, With Senate Absent, Fills a Top Agriculture Post," Robert Pear, Aug. 7, 2002

Department of Justice: John Ashcroft, Attorney General
Ashcroft is a staunch opponent of women's rights and civil rights. Since September 11, he has moved aggressively to curtail civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism. For a detailed look at Ashcroft's record, see the Ashcroft Report.

Department of Health and Human Services: Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary for Family Support
Horn directly oversees the nation's welfare programs. He is a fellow of the ultra-conservative Hudson Institute and the founder of The National Fatherhood Institute. During his confirmation hearings he backed away from prior statements that poor kids whose parents aren't married should be kept at the back of the line for Head Start and other benefits. Once in office, however, he reverted to pursuing marriage promotion schemes by offering special counseling and other services to welfare recipients who agree to get married.
Sources: New York Times, "Human Services Nominee's Focus on Married Fatherhood Draws Both Praise and Fire," Robert Pear, June 7, 2001; Associated Press Online, "Bush Proposes Marriage Programs," Laura Meckler, March 21, 2002

Department of the Interior: Gale Norton, Secretary of Interior
Norton, a land development advocate and former lawyer at Mountain States Legal Foundation, an anti-environmental law firm, was strongly opposed by environmental groups and others largely because of her support for drilling in Alaska's delicate Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a way to explore for oil and gas.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "The Confirmation Hearings; Norton Attuned to Bug Business, Property Rights," Stephen Braun and Gary Polakovic, Jan. 18, 2001

Council of Economic Advisors: Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Board
A former economic advisor under the Reagan administration, Furchtgott-Roth is a fellow of the conservative American Enterprise Institute. As the author and co-author of several books, Furchtgott-Roth discounts the wage gap and the glass ceiling and claims that women are no longer affected by discrimination in the workplace.
Sources: United Press International, "Analysis: Filling up at Think Tanks," Michael Rust, April 11, 2001; The Boston Globe, Shut Office Signals Shift on Women," Anne E. Kornblut, March 28, 2001

Department of Energy: Spencer Abraham, Secretary
As a senator from Michigan from 1995 to 2001, Abraham introduced legislation to abolish the Department of Energy. After Abraham lost his re-election, Bush appointed him to run the Department of Energy. He also backed proposals to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as other initiatives favored by the energy industry.
Source: Chicago Tribune, "Smart, Diligent Abraham Known as Friend of Industry," Nedra Pickler, Jan. 3, 2001

Department of Health and Human Services: Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services
As governor of Wisconsin, Thompson opposed welfare programs allowing poor parents to get a college education, saying he didn't want welfare to be a "college scholarship program" for poor people. This Cabinet position implements a host of legislation affecting women, including welfare, child support and domestic violence policy.
Source: Women's Enews, "Bush Names Thompson to Post Key to Women's Rights," Ruth Conniff, Jan. 1, 2001