Editorial: Whatever happened to dignity?

Wednesday, July 24, 2002 | 8:44 a.m.

There was no suspense Tuesday as President Bush signed into law a bill creating a nuclear waste dump in Nevada. It was Bush who in February recommended that Congress approve his plan to send nuclear waste here. It was unknown, however, what Bush would say as he formally signed off on Yucca Mountain. What Bush did Tuesday, and more importantly what he didn't do, says a lot. There was no formal event on the White House lawn, no television cameras to record the event. The White House didn't even allow reporters to observe the bill signing, which was attended by four GOP lawmakers who backed the legislation, a group that included House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Only a written statement was issued later in which a White House spokesman said Bush was "pleased" by Congress' approval of Yucca Mountain.

The reason for the evasiveness and low profile can be traced to the White House not wanting newspaper photos or television images of the event appearing in Nevada. The White House wasn't about to create a permanent reminder for Nevadans of the man who lied to this state's residents when he said during the 2000 presidential campaign that a Yucca Mountain decision would be based on science and not on politics. Photos of Bush, as he signed into law the legislation sending 77,000 tons of nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, would have been political poison in Nevada. An additional reason for not having a public bill signing is that it was the nuclear power industry that inspired the Republican-led legislation. The last thing Bush wants right now, in light of the current business scandals and the public's view that the GOP is too closely tied to big corporate inter ests, is more evidence that the White House is joined at the hip with another influential industry.

Bush's actions Tuesday (or lack of them) are reminiscent of the single time he visited Nevada in 2000. Instead of fielding reporters' questions about Yucca Mountain, Bush told them to read his statement about nuclear waste storage. It was a vague message that nonetheless was touted by Nevada Republican leaders as proof that he would listen to Nevada's concerns. The statement allowed him to dodge specific questions about his real thoughts on Yucca Mountain, a tactic that enabled him to carry Nevada, which was one of a handful of swing states that decided the presidential election. And to think we were told by Bush that his election would restore honor and dignity to the White House.