BNA news service (subscription required) reports today that controversial OIRA administrator nominee Susan Dudley may be named a senior OIRA advisor. This move by the White House would end Dudley's official nomination, yet allow her to have an active role in policy making within the highly influential OIRA office. Dudley's nomination stalled last year when the then Republican controlled Senate failed to schedule a vote. If the White House names Dudley a senior advisor, she will be able to impose her anti-regulatory agenda from behind the scenes — acting as a kind of regulatory puppet master. As OMB Watch has pointed out on many occasions (here, here, and here), Dudley's record indicates contempt for government regulation and a general disdain for public health and welfare. Stay tuned to see if the White House follows through on this potential mistake.