Who Will Replace EPA Chief Whitman?
Few environmentalists will miss Christine Todd Whitman. While Whitman appeared to be a voice of reason in Bush’s pro-industry, pro-big business administration, her actions proved that her dissent was only relative. Her tenure wasn’t without some significant achievements, though. Rumors last November were that Colin Powell “joked at a Cabinet meeting that Whitman was the administration’s ‘wind dummy’ — a military term for the object shoved out of the door of an airplane to determine how the wind is blowing over the landing zone.” I guess we all know now how the wind blows. Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., said, “It would be a welcome change if Gov. Whitman’s successor not only shared her interest in environmental progress, but were allowed to pursue it.” That doesn’t seem likely, in fact many environmentalists fear that Whitman’s successor could be even worse on protecting our air, water and natural resources. Four people – Deputy EPA Administrator Linda Fisher, former Michigan Gov. John E
