Bush’s Newest Nominee For Broadcasting Board Oversaw Fearmongering Campaign On Wiretapping

[laststeamtrain]

Bush’s Newest Nominee For Broadcasting Board Oversaw Fearmongering Campaign On Wiretapping»

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is the federal agency responsible for all U.S. government international broadcasting, including Voice of America and U.S. broadcasts into countries like Iran and Cuba.

Oddly, as Ari’s Freedom Switch points out, President Bush last week named Cliff May, President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, to the BBG. From the announcement:

The President has nominated Clifford D. May, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, for the remainder of a three-year term expiring 08/13/09.

The scandal-plagued BBG has often been a dumping ground for Bush’s staunch conservative allies, including former chairman Kenneth Tomlinson. In 2006, a State Department Inspector General’s report showed that Tomlinson had abused his position and defrauded taxpayers by using BBG resources to support his personal horse racing operation. He also “requested and received compensation that exceeded the maximum allowed by law.”

May is an ardent Bush administration cheerleader and has a history of controversial remarks that make it unlikely he will be a diplomatic steward of U.S. broadcasting. Some examples: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/16/bbg-cliff-may/

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Fits in perfectly with just about everyone he has ever put in charge of anything.

His rule is to always put the fox in charge of the henhouse.