An Interior Department investigation describing a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" by workers at the agency that issues offshore drilling leases and collects royalties hit lawmakers Wednesday just as they prepared for votes next week on expanding offshore drilling.
...
partying, having sex, using drugs and accepting gifts and ski trips and golf outings from energy company representatives with whom they did government business.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla, said the report "shows the oil industry holds shocking sway over the administration and even key federal employees."

The Secretary of the Interior is outraged. :)

Yeah, sure, let these people run the government. Heck, it's just about the money. Give'em a few more tax cuts. Let'em drill wherever they want. They know what they're doing. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Heck of a job!

R. Neal's picture

Gives new meaning to "drill

Gives new meaning to "drill here, drill now," doesn't it?

talidapali's picture

Of course...

You have heard that the Justice Department is declining to investigate or prosecute any illegalities found to have been perpetrated.

Alrighty then.

_________________________________________________
"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"
"I never said I wasn't a brat..." ~ Talidapali

rikki's picture

big tipper

The cost of Republican mishandling of the federal government continues to rise.

A voice vote in the Senate and a 376-29 House vote today directly reversed a chunk of Clinton's surplus. In 1998, Clinton and the Gingrich Congress had amassed enough surplus in the federal highway fund to transfer $8 billion to the Treasury to pay down federal debt. Removing incumbents tends to diminish the influence of lobbyists and donors.

Bush and the pro-torture Congress drained the highway fund to empty, Transportation Sec Mary Peters announcing last week that payments to states for road projects would not be possible in October unless the fund was replenished. Congress voted to return the "borrowed" $8B to the highway fund.

The federal gas tax, 18.4 cents/gal, has not changed since 1993. The 2005 highway bill, at the height of the Republican frenzy, included $24 billion in earmarks amid its $286 billion total. Working the earmarks in to the transportation budget was Peters' job.

Another $8 billion added to the Bush tab.

Factchecker's picture

In bed with industry? Move along, nothing to see

Yes, they were just doing government jobs the way the GOP intends. Double up and get cozy with industry, because they and it knows best how to do their business. Choose your play on words.

But if Obama makes some lipstick remark...

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