John Bryson, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, caused two car accidents and fled, according to police reports. First, he rear-ended a car with three people, who were waiting for a train to pass on Saturday night. He initially stopped and spoke to the men in the car, then allegedly left the scene, hitting the car again as he drove off. The men followed Bryson and called 911. They were treated for minor injuries.
Later, he hit another car in Rosemead that was driven by a couple. It is unclear if he was still being followed by the initial hit & run victims. Police found him unconscious and still in his vehicle. They brought him to the hospital, where he remains. Reportedly, initial testing shows that he was not on drugs or alcohol at the time of the accidents, but the behavior he displayed was decidedly bizarre.
Who is John Bryson?
Bryson is a founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an organization that describes itself as:
"the nation's most effective environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of 1.3 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals."
Bryson was nominated by President Barack Obama in May 2011 and was also briefly the Chairman of BrightSource Energy, a company that received a 1.6 billion dollar loan in April 2011.
The company is under investigation for the intense lobbying push that helped them to secure the largest loan given to a green energy company, after being reported by the Wall Street Journal last week. The "intense push" by the company to get the taxpayer money included the "hiring a former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden to lobby the administration, according to federal records and people involved in the approval process." The company also warned the Obama Administration of "potential embarrassment" if the loan was not processed.
Regarding the investigation, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said "given the challenges facing the country, we wish House Republicans showed as much zeal for creating jobs or growing the economy as they do for these tired partisan fights."
The local news reported that John Bryson was sworn in "after easily overcoming conservatives' objections that his pro-environmental views made him unsuited for the job." Hopefully Mr. Bryson is going to be feeling better soon, as it seems as though he, as well as BrightSource Energy, will be under scrutiny in the days and weeks to come.
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Comments: 36
Clean tox test though, huh? Cue the conspiracy theories.
"Do you KNOW who I AM? Hit the road or you'll be guarding malls, I'm a big deal, you'll be doing your high speed chases in a Chevy VOLT..."
I mean, I wasn't there, but I like to speculate.
I'm glad he's okay. I wonder if the same can be said about the hookers in the trunk.
Mr. articulate! heehee
Cynical? Oh, hell yeah!
What got me was the Dem reaction to this. Excuse me? Republicans understand what it takes for the private sector to create jobs.....and the Dems aren't doing it!
Not defending Democrats here, but that statement doesn't fit the facts. The present administration is in a bind that's fairly complex with the economic issues that began before taking office, and a worldwide economic situation that's larger than only a US issue, but...
Aside from the current administration (or you could look at this as phrased "completed administrations) EVERY SINGLE Democratic administration had a better job growth record than the BEST performing Republican administration. Look it up!
Anyone can "create" jobs by suppressing the Entrepreneur and the Private Sector, stealing their money, and creating a new Bureaucracy...(and call it a "job")...
Are you not feeling well today, Robert?
My first thought was to wonder if he is an in-law to the Kennedy's?
I have had a great deal of on the scene experience with epileptic seizures, by a person well known to me.
If that were the cause, he would not walked over and talked to the passengers, nor driven to hit them a second time, and then hit yet another car.
Even if they were incredibly mild seizures, and this 50Lb bluegill-fish story were true, if he is that prone to seizures, he should not have a drivers license.
@Jesse, how do you know what he would or would not have done? How do you know his state of mind? I work with epileptics, so you can be damn sure that I know you are full of crap. Too bad you think you're so intelligent on this topic.
@Renee, I exploded on you and Debbie above because you ask questions that are not objective, but rather framed and leading to your negative conclusion about the the poor guy. You don't know what happened. Stop acting like know what you are talking about, because it's obvious to me that you also are full of crap. Spin doctors? Cover up? Your cynicism must eat your insides day and night.
Epilepsy is a big f---ing deal and affects patients in many ways. I pray that you never have to experience such a horrible medical condition. But I guess if you did, you'd be as upset as I am at all the speculative jerks running around here.
"If [the accident] was due to a seizure, it is possible either for it to have been a cluster of a few seizures, or one seizure with a long aftermath of confusion, called 'postictal.'"
Dr. Richard Kim, Director of the Hoag Epilepsy Center in Newport Beach, Calif., is skeptical that the chain of events involving Bryson's accidents where caused by one or more seizures.
Although Bryson's medical history hasn't been made public, it is widely believed that people who have frequent seizures, or any kind of lapse of consciousness disorder, should not be behind the wheel of a car. In California, as in many states, sufferers must be seizure-free up to six months before they can drive again.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/john-bryson-seizures-lead-car-accidents/story?id=16546338
I guess some of the experts need to have you train them Mr Shackelford.
The one is clearly less knowledgable on the subject than you are.
The quote above by ABC News is self contradicting anyway. It starts with a "dream-like state" (which is possible in some cases) and goes on later to say there is a "lapse in consciousness" (which is also possible in some cases). These two events are mutually exclusive and are just impossible to have happened to together. Please spare me your "experts" and local news yokels. This report uses the same tactics and nature of speech as Fox News. Sorry Renee, this is not a "great find". It actually strengthens my argument.
I'm angry because a serious health issues are so quickly politicized as some sort of conspiracy or just another lie, and so quickly are so many people ready to judge without knowing the facts. One who judges does not define others...he defines himself.
And Renee, your face needs to be marginalized and eliminated. Yeah, I'm childish, I'm angry and my avatar has amazing knockers.
1) It is not "Mickey"
2) We are not familiar - and as you can see (read) only my 'friends' call me Mick.
I concede to your expert opinion - you certainkly know more than any silly Doctor.