I can’t figure out if these Bushies are doing this for the usual bribes or because they’re homicidally jealous of sentient beings.

Greenpeace nails this:

Bush Holdovers Attempt to Undermine Obama Foreign Policy on Whaling

Greenpeace Calls for Obama, Clinton to Assert Authority and Replace Officials

WASHINGTON – Just days after the inauguration of President Obama, holdovers from the Bush administration are already attempting to undermine his foreign policy on whaling.

According to news reports out of Hawaii, Bush appointees on the International Whaling Commission – Doug DeMaster and commission chairman William Hogarth – participated in closed-door negotiations with Japan to finalize a deal that would allow increased whaling off the coast of Japan in return for marginal limits on Japan’s illegal commercial whaling program in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The trade-off will not benefit whale conservation and could actually put additional endangered populations at risk.

Such a deal would directly violate President Obama’s stated policy of working to end Japanese whaling. In December of 2007, then Senator Obama responded to a question from Greenpeace by laying out his foreign policy on whaling issues:

"As president, I will ensure that the U.S. provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling," Obama wrote. "Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable."

"President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have the opportunity to show the world that they’re in charge and that the United States is firmly committed to marine conservation by appointing new commissioners to the IWC who will faithfully implement President Obama’s foreign policies," said Greenpeace Senior Oceans Campaigner Phil Kline, a longtime commercial fisherman. "We hope that these Bush appointees’ actions aren’t allowed to set a precedent for foreign policy freelancing by other Bush holdovers.’"

So do I.

While Greenpeace spotlights the Bushie whale-killing cell at State, this year the Sea Shepherd Society are the only folks going to sea to save whales from the "research" ships Japan sends into the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary:

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin has departed Hobart, Tasmania to return to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. . . .

"It’s back into the Whale Wars for us," said 1st Officer Peter Hammarstedt of Sweden.

Hobart welcomed the Steve Irwin very warmly. Tasmanians brought down all the food needed to replenish the pantries of the ship. The dollars and cheques handed over the rail to the crew more than paid for the berth, the pilotage, and port costs.

"There is no doubt that Australians love whales," said Captain Paul Watson. "And we love Australia. It’s hard to believe but back in 1978 we were fighting to stop Australian whaling at Cheynes Beach near Albany in Western Australia. And today we now have a former whaling nation as the most passionate defenders of the great whales on the planet. It gives me great hope that eventually Japan will become as passionate about protecting whales as their government now is dedicated to slaughtering them."

I don’t know what motivates the Bushie accessories to slaughter at State, but I do know I’ll support the whale defenders on the Steve Irwin. Thanks to Greenpeace, we all know President Obama’s committed to ending Japan’s cetacean killing sprees.

We also all know Iceland is another rogue whaling nation–one that just happens to need the IMF real bad. The same IMF where, despite our bankruptcy, we still control the vote. More precisely, President Obama controls the vote.

Ending Japan’s and Iceland’s commercial whaling is Change we all can believe in.