More Controversial Obama AppointmentsStephen Lendman He did again. He addressed reporters in the White House East Room. He announc(ed nominations for) three outstanding individuals to help us tackle some of our most important challenges. He chose Sylvia Burwell as new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director. She replaces Jeffrey Zients. Shes president of the Walmart Foundation. Previously she was Bill Melinda Gates Foundation Global Development Program president. She prioritized profit making over goodwill. In 2001, she joined the Gates Foundation. From 2002 2006, she was executive vice president, CEO and executive director. Earlier she was Clintons OMB deputy director, assistant to the president, and deputy chief of staff. She served Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin in the same capacity. Prior to entering government, she did financial consulting. She did so for McKinsey Company. Shes a Trilateralist. Shes a Council on Foreign Relations member. She serves on MetLifes board of directors. She belongs to the Nike Foundation Advisory Group. Shes an Aspen Institute member. She serves on its Strategy Group. Its an elitist club. Its international and influential. Its comprised of businessmen, politicians, bureaucrats, and like-minded figures. Theyre up to no good. Author and filmmaker Kenneth Harvey said its unnerving to suddenly find (Obama) in bed with Walmart. TheNation magazine said it wielded (the foundations) massive budget to expand the retail giants influence at all levels of government and to pave the way for store expansions. The Nation obtained a previously unreported document. Its titled Recognizing the Walmart Foundation For Its Good Works. It tells organizations we are looking to the grantees that turn to the Walmart Foundation for funding to help us spread the word. Expect Burwell to sail through confirmation easily. Obama chose Ernie Moniz as new Energy Secretary. He replaces Steven Chu. He was Clintons Energy Department Under Secretary. He advised on overseas and DOE research and development, energy and environment technologies, national security, and various science issues. He oversaw the national laboratory system. Doing so included national security programs, stockpile stewardship, and non-proliferation. Earlier he was MIT Professor of Physics. He was its Institute of Technologys Energy Initiative director. Its funded by corporate heavyweights. They include BP, Chevron and Saudi Aramco. Moniz directed research on coals future, nuclear energy and natural gas. He sought corporate backing to do so. Hes in bed with powerful interests hes beholden to. Expect them to take full advantage. Expect him to comply willingly. Environmental groups are concerned. On February 21, Inside Climate News headlined Moniz: Shale Gas Boom a Low-Carbon Solution for Now, saying: He drew lots of fire for being pro-industry. It made him Obamas top choice. A Food and Water Watch statement said His appointment to the DOE could set renewable energy development back years. Its circulating a petition against him. He doesnt return requests for interviews. Perhaps hell feel otherwise now. He believes natural gas is part of our energy solution for some time. He calls hydraulic fracking a game-changer. No politician in his view will walk away from this, he said. He calls environmental risks manageable. They can be mitigated to acceptable levels through appropriate regulation and oversight. He said it knowing not to expect it. Big Oil gets what it wants. Hes comfortable working with energy giants. He believes doing so will influence Americas energy future positively. Earlier Moniz was Clintons Associate Director for Science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. His research interests include theoretical nuclear physics. He was MITs Bates Linear Accelerator Center director. He served numerous universities, national laboratories, professional societies, and government agencies. He did so in advisory roles. Expect easy confirmation. Obama chose Gina McCarthy EPA head. Shes an air quality expert. Shes EPAs Office of Air and Radiation assistant administrator. Shell replace Lisa Jackson if confirmed. Shell be involved in the Keystone XL Pipeline construction project. Its a controversial 1,661-mile Alberta, Canada to Port Arthur, TX initiative. Environmental groups strongly oppose it. They do so for good reason. If completed, itll carry toxic tar sands oil from Western Canada to refineries on Americas Gulf coast. Itll pass through environmentally sensitive areas. Theyre in six states. They include waterways and the Ogallala Aquifer. Its one of the worlds largest. In America, it supplies about 30% of the nations irrigation ground water. Friends of the Earth says Keystone XL will carry one of the worlds dirtiest fuels: tar sands oil. Its route could devastate ecosystems and pollute water sources, and would jeopardize public health. If completed, itll double Americas dirty tar sands oil supply. Itll increase environmental toxicity. Her rhetoric has no bearing on policy. Shes beholden to powerful interests. Earlier she was Connecticut Department of Environment Protection commissioner. She served from 2004 2009. From 1999 2003, she was Massachusetts Office of Commonwealth Development deputy secretary of operations. She served five state governors. Mitt Romney was one. Environmentalists hope shell address their concerns more responsibly. She wasnt chosen to do so. Shes beholden to energy giant interests. So are Burwell and Moniz. What corporate America wants, it gets. Its in good hand with all three. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.His new book is titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War.Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/ 