Thursday, June 04, 2009

Nuclear Industry 'Breaks Out' Christine Todd Whitman

During the last half of the Bush administration, Christie Todd Whitman was kept 'on ice,' by the nuclear industry for the most part, while Canadian Greenpeace founder Patrick Moore was given free reign to promote the Nuclear Energy Institute's Clean and Safe Energy Coaliton (CASEnergy Coaliton). But over the past two weeks, Whitman seems to be trumpeting Diana's Ross' "I'm Coming Out." We complained in 2008 that Whitman seemed to be missing in action over the past three years in terms of being 'out front' in promoting nuclear power. Well she aint missing now. She was on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show last week and on C-Span's "Washington Journal" this week.

So the nuclear industry must believe that she will be more effective as a messenger to the Obama administration than under the Bush administration. It's also interesting to see Whitman take some jabs at Obama Energy Czar Carol Browner. We would pay good money to see those two in the ring. Our assessment: even money. Yet Browner is in the driver's seat in this 'former EPA diva' war right now. And they both give praise to current EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

CASEnergy Coalition is hostile to us even as we are the only environmental group in America that openly supports nuclear power. This hostility is mostly exhibited through their aggressive effort to ignore our contribution to the nuclear energy renaissance. So be it. Will President Obama be swayed by Christie Todd Whitman and Canadian Patrick Moore? Clearly the nuclear industry thinks their particular brands of prominence will influence the Obama administration to support nuclear power. There is still this small mountain to climb however: Yucca Mountain.

Be Aware

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