President Bush just installed Susan Dudley as White House regulatory czar through a recess appointment. Dudley will now serve in the White House Office of Management and Budget as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Dudley is a triple threat when it comes to the federal regulatory process.

• First, she is ideologically opposed to regulation of any kind. She is likely to roll back countless public protections, and will be loath to support any new rulemakings.
• Second, Dudley is over-zealous when it comes to regulatory review and cost-benefit analysis. The policies she will pursue as OIRA administrator will likely result in "paralysis by analysis."
• Third, Dudley is a friend of industry, and corporate executives are likely to have unprecedented access to the regulatory process.

Three strikes … and now she's in. Moreover, Bush's choice to use a recess appointment circumvents Congress and shows disregard for the democratic process. "At a time when the American people are growing more frustrated with back-room, special interest dealings at the White House, Bush has bypassed the transparency afforded by the Senate confirmation process," said Rick Melberth, OMB Watch's Director of Regulatory Policy. For more, read the OMB Watch press release. Related posts: "Lieberman Unhappy with Bush Choice to Bypass Senate on Dudley" — "Dudley on the Editorial Pages"