Mar 4, 2009

DOE Public Affairs and Communications Departments First to See New Political Appointees

Energy Communities Alliance Update: March 4, 2009

Dan Leistikow has been appointed Director of Public Affairs. Prior to this appointment, he was regional communications director on President Obama's campaign, with a focus on Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Michigan.

Tom Reynolds has been named Deputy Director of Public Affairs at DOE. Previously, he served as Deputy Communications Director in Ohio for Obama's presidential campaign.

Stephanie Mueller has been appointed Press Secretary. Prior to her appointment, she was Communications Director in Colorado for the Obama campaign.

Tiffany Edwards has been named Deputy Press Secretary. She was previously Deputy Press Secretary of Constituency Outreach for the Obama campaign. [source: CQ Today]

In related news, the Washington Post reported this morning that Sue Tierney, the leading candidate to be Deputy Secretary of Energy, is no longer being considered for the position.

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24 comments:

Anonymous said...

My bet is that they are all D students.

Anonymous said...

Does anybody know what happened to cause Sue Tierney to back out?
Is she yet another tax cheat?

Anonymous said...

Tierney would have filled a large hole in Chu's resume -- too bad.

Anonymous said...

"President Barack Obama won’t let nuclear waste be stored at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, rejecting the project after 20 years of planning at a cost of at least $9 billion.

Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu have been emphatic that nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain is not an option, period,” said department spokeswoman Stephanie Mueller."


Looks like nuclear energy is going the way of weapons under Obama.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601072&sid=a8vjuGJCg4ao&refer=energy

Anonymous said...

So, Obama comes out today and announces he wants to fire many of the defense contractors who work for the US government.

Then, it suddenly hits me. We're all defense contractors who work for the US government! LANS LLC is a corporation with a limited term profit based defense contract.

Yikes! We're screwed.

Anonymous said...

This Washington Post news story deserves a top level post:

-----------------------------------
Task Force Urges Broader Role for Nuclear Labs

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 5, 2009

The nation's nuclear weapons laboratories would be spun out of the Energy Department and become the center of an independent Agency for National Security Applications under a proposal to be released today by a bipartisan task force formed by the Stimson Center, a research organization devoted to security issues...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/
2009/03/04/AR2009030403614.html

Anonymous said...

"My bet is that they are all D students."

Doesn't matter. They'll be closer to the decision makers than you're likely to ever be.

Anonymous said...

A little off-topic.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aVBFDFfb3kPk&refer=home

Hartford Said to Weigh Sale of Life Unit to Sun Life
By Zachary R. Mider and Sean B. Pasternak

March 4 (Bloomberg) -- Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., hammered by three credit-rating downgrades in a month, is in talks to sell most of its unprofitable life insurance unit to Canada’s Sun Life Financial Inc., said three people with knowledge of the matter...

Anonymous said...

Yucca Mountain - the most studied real estate on the planet.

A real congressional cluster f---.

Anonymous said...

"Chu has been a vocal advocate for more research into alternative energy and nuclear power..."

I was for nuclear power before I was against nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain...he'll fit right in at DOE..

Anonymous said...

"Looks like nuclear energy is going the way of weapons under Obama." - 9:29 PM

And it looks like the financial markets are finally clued in on the vast wealth destruction that Obama seems to have in mind for America. Pensions, 401ks, jobs, consumer confidence -- all being aided in their destruction by the ill-informed neophytes who are running this administration.

Welcome to FDR-land and the next Great Depression. Happy days are here again!

Anonymous said...

11:30

Another goober head, who has no clue of history and follows Groefaz Rush Limbaugh.
FDR inherited the depression from Hoover as Obama inherited the mess from 8 years of W.

Anonymous said...

4:52 pm : "FDR inherited the depression from Hoover"

Yes, and everything Roosevelt did afterward (except join the war) made it worse and prolonged it, just as Obama is doing. Good student! (Wrong lesson.)

Anonymous said...

Most political appointees at the 2nd and 3rd tier levels are D students. They pay their way in to get an SES position by campaign contributions or work on the campaign endless hours by spinning their candidate's b.s. They know nothing of the agency or office they get appointed to, but dream of seeing themselves on C-Span.

Anonymous said...

"Another goober head, who has no clue of history and follows Groefaz Rush Limbaugh.
FDR inherited the depression from Hoover as Obama inherited the mess from 8 years of W."

What a bunch of nonsense...Come on Obama, who doesn't have a clue about history? You act like the democrats did not exist until after Bush. Who's controlled Congress the past 2.5 years?

History indeed.

Anonymous said...

Since the DOE bean counters
don't do anything, is it
surprising that they needed PR
people ?

Anonymous said...

Everyone remember Tyler Przybylek, Mr. "Substantially Equivalent" from those pre-LANS town hall meetings that NNSA arranged in Los Alamos?

He's doing well these days, thank you very much, serving on the board of a lucrative NNSA contractor company called Pro2Serve. In fact, he just got a 2 year extension of his term. How very special.

--------------------
Tyler Przybylek elected to Pro2Serve board - Knoxville News

Tyler Przybylek, former chief operating officer at NNSA (and, at one time, the chief counsel at DOE's Oak Ridge operations), has been elected to the Pro2Serve board of directors for a two-year term. Also, Bob Van Hook and Barry Goss (the company's founder and president) were re-elected to the board for three-year terms, Pro2Serve reported in a press statement.

Posted by Frank Munger on March 5, 2009 at 10:13 PM

Anonymous said...

4:52
Interesting. Obviously a republican, who cannot remember, or most likely does not know that it was the republicans who fought FDR about joining the war. Hmm, so much for being well informed.

Anonymous said...

I remember those town hall meeting back in 2006 where Mr. Przybylek came out and gave his pleas. "Trust us, NNSA will do the right thing", he said.

Well, not many lab employees feel much trust toward the DOE/NNSA any more, do they?

Tyler Przybylek is a lawyer who learned well how to lie with a straight face and a smile.

Anonymous said...

Gone are those halcyon days when Tyler P-R-Z-Y-B-Y-L-E-K would begin and end all news conferences with a careful and complete pronunciation and spelling of his now infamous name and promises of fairness and a bright future. It looks like the future is going to be filled with empty meeting rooms and more Rechtel A-S-S-H-O-L-E-S in charge. Perhaps we can get Mikey to sign up for a two-year extension too. It seems inevitable that his replacement will be even worse. What do you say, Mike, want to guide our hearts and minds for another two and fill our souls with your wit and wisdom? We'll throw in another car for ya and we promise to actually attend your all hands meetings.

Anonymous said...

From our LANS Management...

Environmental, Safety & Security Information

Test Your Safety, Security and Environmental IQ -- You are in a hurry and running a bit late for a meeting. When you approach your government vehicle, you notice a large puddle of fluid underneath it, but you can tell it is not water. What is the best thing for you to do next?

A. Check the underside of the vehicle; if you do not believe it is the source, continue on your business. If the vehicle is the source, call Emergency Management, 7-XX11, and notify your line manager. Do not use the vehicle until EM&R has cleared it.

B. Call Emergency Management, 7-XX11, then notify your line manager. Do not use the vehicle until EM&R has cleared it.

C. Notify your line manager and then call Emergency Management, 7-XX11. Do not use the vehicle until EM&R has cleared it.

All correct responses sent to xxxxx@lanl.gov by March 31 will be included in a drawing for a $25 TSC WSST SPOT Award. The correct answer will be published, along with the winner's name, in an April TSC News issue.

**************
Unfortunately, they forget to add some other possible answers:

D. Don't forget, wear shoes that GRIP!

E. Notice that it's Mikey's sports car that is leaking and be sure to drop a match on the ground to see if it's flammable stuff.

F. Leave this crazy, screwed-up place and never come back. You'll be glad you did!

Anonymous said...

I pick F. Do I get a $25 award?

Anonymous said...

I pick F. Do I get a $25 award?

3/7/09 2:15 AM

No, but you do get a much better life. That's worth far more than $25.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps we can get Mikey to sign up for a two-year extension too. It seems inevitable that his replacement will be even worse.
3/6/09 2:10 PM

Just curious, who would you nominate as a BETTER replacement?