The Bush administration takes a stand

After the 9/11 attacks, then EPA head Christine Whitman gave a speech assuring the public the air near Ground Zero was safe to breathe. This was false. A group of citizens who trusted her, acted on her words, and have suffered because of it, have sued her. A federal judge who has reviewed Whitman’s actions called them “conscience-shocking.” Now the Department of Justice is defending Whitman by claiming that holding a public official responsible for public statements about matters of public safety would be “a dangerous precedent.” Nice.

The Bush administration on accountability: We can’t do our jobs, if we have to tell the truth.

Tags: 9/11, Christine Whitman, EPA, Ground Zero, new york, PUBLIC SAFETY, responsibility, truth