Editor’s Note – The big news yesterday about the EPA addressed the ideology of those who were appointed to very powerful positions by Obama. The EPA has unprecedented power, and this issue was personified by Al Armendariz, who heads the EPA’s Dallas office. The story and the video were all over the news, yet You Tube pulled the video and scrubbed the site. TOO LATE! It’s everywhere now!
YouTube pulls Armendariz ‘crucify them’ video
By Caroline May – Daily Caller
The YouTube channel where Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe’s office originally discovered the video of EPA official Al Armendariz speak about his “crucify them” enforcement philosophy has scrubbed the original video and lodged a complaint against Inhofe to YouTube.
The source and now YouTube complainant, David McFatridge of “Citizen Media for We The People,” is an environmentalist and, according to Inhofe’s office, has eliminated all content related to Armendariz’s speech from his YouTube channel.
The original video now turns of an error notice that reads: “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by David McFatridge.”
McFatridge’s complaint comes despite the fact that his page reads, “Consider ALL video Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)”.
Inhofe spokesman Matt Dempsey told TheDC they are working to connect with a YouTube representative.
Dempsey also explained that Inhofe’s office covered their bases with their use of the video.
“In short, the video we cut and posted to our YouTube channel came from a YouTube channel, “Citizen Media for We The People,” that said reuse is allowed and we attributed the site in the description of the video,” he explained in an email to reporters. “Further in our original website post for our media advisory, we also included a link to the original source.”
EPA official blasted over ‘crucify’ oil and gas comments
By Todd Sperry, CNN Senior Producer
Washington (CNN) — The White House and the Environmental Protection Agency are distancing themselves from controversial remarks that surfaced this week by a regional administrator attacking the oil and gas industry.
Al Armendariz
In a video made in 2010, Al Armendariz, who heads the EPA’s Dallas office, suggested his approach to dealing with noncompliant oil and gas companies is “like when the Romans conquered the villages in the Mediterranean, they’d go into little villages in Turkish towns and they’d find the first five guys they saw and crucify them.”
Sen. James Inhofe, who posted the video online Wednesday, blasted the EPA administrator’s comments on the Senate floor during a 30-minute speech attacking the Obama administration’s energy policy. “His comments give us a rare glimpse into the Obama administration’s true agenda,” the Oklahoma Republican said.
The White House and the EPA were quick to clarify they didn’t agree with Armendariz’s remarks. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Thursday, “The official’s comments are inaccurate as a representation or characterization of the way the EPA has operated under President Obama.”
The EPA released a statement on its website, saying, “It is deeply unfortunate that in a 2010 video an EPA official inaccurately suggested we are seeking to ‘make examples’ out of certain companies in the oil and gas industry.”
Armendariz, appointed by President Obama in 2009, apologized for the remarks, “It was an offensive and inaccurate way to portray our efforts to address potential violations of our nation’s environmental laws.”
But Inhofe rejected the apology. “Administrator Armendariz apologized yesterday for his ‘poor choice of words’ when he admitted that EPA’s ‘general philosophy’ is to ‘crucify’ and ‘make examples’ of oil and gas companies, but he did not apologize for EPA’s actions towards its apparent crucifixion victims.”
Inhofe added, “Take the word ‘crucify’ out of Administrator Armendariz’s statement and nothing has changed: You still have a rogue agency following through on President Obama’s ‘general philosophy’ to increase the price of gas and electricity.”
The EPA did not respond to multiple attempts from CNN to answer questions regarding Armendariz’s future with the agency, whether he’ll face disciplinary action or if EPA Chief Lisa Jackson has spoken with him directly.
