Another day, another power grab by Bush

The New York Times informs us that Bush has now issued a directive requiring a politically appointed director of ideology to head every regulatory agency in order to make sure that no ideologically impure regulations escape through the bureaucracy.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 — President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy.

In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that each agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to supervise the development of rules and documents providing guidance to regulated industries. The White House will thus have a gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president’s priorities.

Naturally, the business world loves this and those concerned with protecting the minorities, the evironment, and the average citizen despise it.