Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Impeachment is a shortcut for oversight Josh Marshall: "Since talk of impeachment is in the air, it seems incumbent on all vocal critics of the president to go on the record with their points of view on this momentous question. So let me devote this column to explaining why I think it[base ']s a bad idea on both policy and political grounds." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 8:57:12 PM

Jim Hansen, U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas or Interior Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett for Interior? More speculation about the next Secretary of the Interior... New West: "In Utah, they're doing they're darndest to speculate about former Congressman Jim Hansen. Salt Lake Tribune Washington correspondent Robert Gehrke gets things rolling with a gem of a lede: 'Jim Hansen made a career in Congress driving environmentalists bonkers. Maybe he hasn't had his fill yet...'" "The Casper Star-Tribune names Wyoming's U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas as another likely. Maybe it's because at 73, he's the same age as Hansen. Maybe not. They, too, bow to the Denver Post's speculation about Kempthorne. "Of course, any and all candidates would have to step over Interior Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett, who is currently set to be acting secretary when Norton takes her leave at the end of March. She would have to be seen as a front-runner as well, since she only recently got confirmed, according to the Denver Post." Category: Colorado Water 8:40:07 PM

McCain for president? Political Wire: "According to Roll Call, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) 'has unveiled a proposal to limit donations to 527 organizations to $25,000 per person each year, or $50,000 each election cycle, that if enacted could be a huge blow to the groups' hopes of being a force in the 2006 elections. Those groups raised and spent more than $500 million in the previous cycle, with many of the organizations relying on multimillion-dollar donations from wealthy individuals to fund their activities.'" Category: 2008 Presidential Election 7:28:53 AM

What is the real state of Iraq? Andrew Sullivan: "What is the real state of Iraq? Is it this rosy picture painted by Ralph Peters, who accuses Western journalists of lying? Or is it the experience of these actual Iraqis explaining their situation? Or some impenetrable mixture of the two?" Category: 2008 Presidential Election 7:22:23 AM

Boycott this Don Surber: "A conservative Christian group has launched a boycott of Ford Motor Co., saying the automaker had reneged on a pledge to drop its advertising in gay publications and support of gay rights groups." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 7:20:28 AM

Norton's Resignation Runs Deeper than Norton Herself New West: "In the end, Secretary Norton used the power of her office to turn the clock back in the West, to push the region back toward its history as a producer of the various fuels that drove American industrial power. She favored the sparsely populated rural West over its dense urban areas, and catered to the elements in Western society that emphasized the faux individualism of our region over the institutional arrangements that make the West function. Not the worst Secretary of the Interior by any stretch, Norton was strangely ineffectual in the role. Her departure is neither a triumph for environmentalists nor a loss for energy development. Much of the time, it'll be hard to know she's gone. And my guess is that few on either side will miss her very much." Category: Colorado Water 6:56:30 AM

Campbell for Interior? Will President Bush consider Ben Nighthorse Campbell to lead Interior? Senator Allard, Senator Salazar and others hope so, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Old friends are recommending former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell as a replacement for outgoing Interior Secretary Gale Norton. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., sent a letter to President Bush on Tuesday, asking him to consider Campbell. If selected, he would be the first American Indian to head the agency that oversees tribal issues and vast tracts of federal lands. "Campbell also gained support from the man who replaced him in the Senate, Democrat Ken Salazar, and from Sen. Ted Stevens, the Alaska Republican who wields considerable clout on natural resources issues on Capitol Hill. Stevens told The Hill newspaper that Campbell in the Cabinet 'would be a damned good idea.' "Salazar said of Campbell: 'I've known Ben for a long time and respect him. I would support him. He has important expertise on Western water, public lands and Native American issues...' "Allard said Campbell's background 'lends itself well to the multiple roles he would be required to play as secretary of Interior,' citing Campbell's past work chairing the Indian Affairs committee and his focus on land, water and energy issues - areas that the Interior Department oversees. "In an interview, Allard also said that as an Indian, Campbell would be in a unique position to help resolve a long-running class- action lawsuit over the department's alleged mismanagement of Indian trust account funds, which are to compensate Indians for the use of their lands for energy development and grazing, among other things. "Allard said he was among 'some rather important senators' who have urged the White House to consider Campbell for the job. Though Campbell was a Democrat-turned- Republican and earned a reputation as a maverick while in Congress, he would be a good fit for the agency, Allard said." Category: Colorado Water 6:21:42 AM

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