That?s the impression you might have of the ?green jobs? frenzy after reading a new TIME article:
[A]s Obama has charted a new energy policy that moves away from the fossil fuels favored by George W. Bush, the White House has retained some of the traditional practices for courting politically important industries and interests. In 2001 an energy task force led by Vice President Dick Cheney hosted dozens of conversations with representatives of the oil, natural-gas and coal industries before producing an energy blueprint loaded with tax breaks and regulatory changes that benefited many of the companies that helped draft the policies. Similarly, Obama’s energy gurus rely on advice from campaign donors, lobbyists, corporations, think tanks, unions and environmentalists to help shape policies. Once again, there are questions about whether a new President’s approach to energy is a product of Washington’s unchanged, pay-to-play culture in which political supporters are offered special access to the policymaking process. “When you have campaign donors on these advisory boards,” says Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause, “it has the appearance of being an inside special-interest opportunity.”
Imagine that: A politician touts the public benefits of a policy designed to help just his cronies and supporters. It?s time for another comment from Capt. Renault:
