Bush plans to push theough agenda..

Next couple of months will be interesting....

Telegraph..

President George W Bush is planning to push through a series of potentially unpopular regulation changes in his final weeks in office.

Democrats fear the president will try to ram through new rules on the environment, civil liberties and abortion rights before December 20, the deadline for changes before the new president is inaugurated a month later. The alterations could take months or years to undo.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey has already rushed out new guidelines for the FBI that make domestic surveillance easier, including the use of informants to infiltrate lawful groups and prolonged physical surveillance.

Green campaigners fear the Environmental Protection Agency may issue a rule that would weaken provisions of the Clean Air Act, which required utility companies to install modern pollution measures when they expand capacity.

Michael Leavitt, the secretary of health and human services, is believed to be planning to extend the right of doctors and nurses to refuse to participate in abortions to a wider range of health care workers. The right to refuse the provision of the birth control pill, emergency contraception and abortion referrals may also be added.

Mr Bush has vowed "complete co-operation" with his successor but has made it clear he will pursue his own policy goals during his remaining 75 days in office.

He made no mention of consulting Mr Obama but promised to keep him "fully informed on important decisions". He stressed that "there's important work to do in the months ahead.