Bush Picks Utah Governor to Become Head of EPA (Gov. Leavitt of Utah to head EPA)

Washington Post ^ | 8/11/03 | John Heilprin

[cache22]

President Bush has picked Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, an advocate of shifting environmental regulation to the states, to become head of the Environmental Protection Agency, a senior administration official said Monday.

Leavitt, a three-term Republican governor, would succeed Christie Whitman, a former New Jersey governor who held the post of EPA administrator for the first two and a half years of the administration before resigning in May.

[cache22]

Leavitt has been a good governor and was strongly considering a 4th term. He should be positive for EPA. This also leaves wide open race for Utah governor.

[So Cal Rocket]

Who succeeds him as Governor?

[ambrose]

http://www.governor.state.ut.us/lt_gover/home.html

[cache22]

Olene Walker (she is the Lieutenant Governor) would become Governor, but is rather old and would probably not run herself.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Obligatory Bush-Bashing: "Why would Bush appoint someone that comes from a state which has no environment to head the EPA?"


Just doing my part ;0)

[Mo1]

President Bush has picked Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, an advocate of shifting environmental regulation to the states, to become head of the Environmental Protection Agency, a senior administration official said Monday.

Hmm .. I'm guessing the enviro whackos aren't gonna like this?

[Trust but Verify]

Olene Walker......probably would not run...

I thought that's what olean does. Makes you run.

[glock rocks]

now, now, now... DO NOT get me started!

Utah is what America once was.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I like Utah - lots of relatives there... ;0)

[Little Bill]

I wouldn't know, I knew Leavitt when I was a kid, his old man and mine were friends, I didn't like him or his brother then and they ain't been too impressive now. Kind of like the Penn., natives, the Hatches.

[glock rocks]

whacko's won't like this.

I don't like this. mikie, though mostly conservative historically, will stick his finger in the air.

this IMHO, is the worst of both worlds. the enviros will pillory W for this, and mikie will fold at the first sign of friction.

I'm willing to give him a chance, however... he certainly will be the best thing to happen to the useless agency since it's inagural.

[glock rocks]

LOL! me too :o)

[lady lawyer]

Mikey has no courage of his convictions. His number one goal is to groom himself for higher office by avoiding conflict.

[EternalVigilance]

Olene Walker is pretty much a nonentity.

The race to succeed her will be very crowded. There are already over a dozen likely candidates.

The most conservative are:

Senator Parley Hellewell
and
Speaker Marty Stephens

Either would be good, IMO, but at this point I would go with Hellewell. I think he has the better record.

http://www.parley2004.com

[EternalVigilance]

Mikey has no courage of his convictions. His number one goal is to groom himself for higher office by avoiding conflict.

Yep.

He was booed at the 2000 convention, I'm told. Conservatives consider him weak on guns and in bed with the teacher's union.

I hope his reputation on environmental issues has some sort of substance, but we will see.

[EternalVigilance]

Mikey has no courage of his convictions. His number one goal is to groom himself for higher office by avoiding conflict.

My friends in the Utah GOP tell me that there is no way he would have won reelection anyway--he would have gone down at the convention.

[comnet]

Environmentalists Organizations Exposed
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b870f13654c.htm

[AAABEST]

ping

[CedarDave]

What happened to Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne who was thought to have the inside track for this nomination?