Kevin Drum summarizes:
Here’s the new press policy at the NHTSA, the federal agency in charge of auto safety. (1) Agency experts are no longer allowed to talk to reporters on the record. (2) The communications office (!) is not allowed to talk to reporters on the record. (3) The agency’s administrator is not available to talk on the record about the policy barring staffers from talking on the record. (4) Her chief of staff explained to a reporter that “we were finding a lot of stuff did not need to be on the record,” but then insisted that this statement itself was off the record.
Double yoi.
Dreggas
The first rule of bushworld, don’t talk about bushworld at least not on the record.
DonkeyKong
They’re busy making “reality.” Do not Disturb.
myiq2xu
Kinda like Animal House: Double secret secrecy.
All documents in this admistration are stamped “Burn Before Reading.”
Tsulagi
That summation in the blockquote is hilarious.
You know, in a weird fucked up kind of way, I’ll miss these guys a little bit. The short-bus riders who could write that kind of policy while happily content thinking they’re really, really smart. But for the good of the country I’m ready to move on. More than ready.
Alllit
I’d kill you, but you aren’t authorized for possession of this bullet.
Nikki
IF they are no longer allowed to share their expertise, then, why the hell does NHTSA continue to exist?
Pb
Just more big government
authoritarian conservatismfascism.The Other Steve
What the fuck are they afraid of the NHTSA saying now?
Seatbelts save lives.
Wear a motorcycle helmet.
Don’t drink and drive.
And remember, tree’s don’t move out of the way no matter how much you honk at them.
Sojourner
Anyone remember when the Repubs went batshit over the Firestone tires/Ford SUV crashes? They were shocked SHOCKED that NHTSA didn’t warn the American public that there was a problem.
Of course these were the same assholes who hacked the hell out of the NHTSA budget.
Idiots.
rachel
The Bush administration: only by being terrible do they avoid being comic.
(with apologies to C. S. Lewis)
TenguPhule
It would probably be more efficient to gather up every Bush Appointee to every branch of government into a big room and fire paintballs at random on full automatic to tag the incompetent ones in need of prison time.
semper fubar
It would be even more efficient to gather them all up into a big room, and then lock the door from the outside and walk away.
Zifnab
Republicans are no longer authorized to go batshit at the NHTSA while on the record.
kchiker
Hell, before it’s all over, W will be auctioning off the national parks and monuments. The Club for Growth will be able to disband…having accomplished all of their objectives.