I got 'dissed' by Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton in today's Q & A.

Here were my questions:

Dear Ms. Norton,

Given that your an attorney by training, not a trained scientist, you must depend on others for their input on matters of importance concerning the environment. Do you feel that your team is pressured to provide ambivalent results in order to enable some of the less palatable aspects of President Bush's environmental agenda to be given consideration?

Does industry play a big role in policy development?

One example might be that just last month it was revealed that the EPA used utility industry recommendations in crafting new proposals to regulate mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Now, even more industry material has turned up in the Environmental Protection Agency's proposals.

Do you view industry information as the most valid assessment? If so, why? If not, why?

Are you happy with President's environmental agenda? Are you able to operate with autonomy? How much, if any, political pressure would you say there is to make the available data sets fit the President's environmental agenda?

Thanks for your Time,

Todd

I was even nice about it. ;)