NYT gets it a bit off on Salazar history

Monday's NYT article about Ken Salazar has this:

Mr. Salazar is a core member of what some environmentalists called a “green dream team” of environmental advisers appointed by Mr. Obama shortly after his inauguration. Others include Steven Chu, the energy secretary; Lisa P. Jackson, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator; and Carol M. Browner, a White House adviser.

Actually, the term "green dream team" was from before Salazar was announced. It was coined by Gene Karpinski of the League of Conservation Voters on 12/11/08, after several appointments had been announced (Jackson, Chu, Sutley, Browner). It was printed the next day in the Washington Post and USA Today.

Salazar's planned appointment was confirmed by the White House later, on 12/15/08.

On 12/17/08 the NYT printed a good article, "Environmentalists Wary of Obama’s Interior Pick.

In other words, the history was this: the administration named most of the names, got the good quotes in the press from the enviros, and then a few days later announced Salazar. The enviros, in fact, knew immediately Salazar was not going to be great.

The BP oil spill may have been a wake-up call to some people re Ken Salazar, but to the environmental world, Salazar being not so great for the environment is old news.