Fox can't guard the henhouse if the fox is extinct

Bush wants science where it really belongs: in the hands of the federal government.

The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants.

New regulations, which don't require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have been performing for 35 years, according to a draft first obtained by The Associated Press.

I've always thought that the real problem with independent scientific reviews is that they're too independent. And scientific:

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said late Monday the changes were needed to ensure that the Endangered Species Act would not be used as a "back door" to regulate the gases blamed for global warming.

Heaven forfend! We can't have that; the only solution available to us is to ensure that any back-dooring is strictly one way*:

The Interior Department said [independent] consultations are no longer necessary because federal agencies have developed expertise to review their own construction and development projects, according to the 30-page draft obtained by the AP.

"We believe federal action agencies will err on the side of caution in making these determinations," the proposal said...

Yes. I'm sure that will happen. I'm sure that a complete lack of accountability will lead to government efficiency and even-handedness.

I mean, fuck. It's like Republicans spent so long accusing Democrats of opposing accountability that not only did they start to believe their own talking points, they started to see the "wisdom" behind the Democrats' imaginary philosophy. It's like reverse projection; normally they're accusing us of what they already want but now they've started wanting what they're accusing us of.

* Or something. I need to go lie down.