Earlier I reported that Ken Salazar, Democratic Senator from Colorado, had put a hold on the nomination of Idahoan Jim Caswell to be the new national director of the Bureau of Land Management.
Today reading Randy Stapilus’ Blog (Ridenbaugh Press), I learned the Oregon’s Democratic Senator Ron Wyden has a hold on Lyle Laverty, whom Bush nominated to replaced the now notorious Julie MacDonald, the department’s former deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks. MacDonald had rewritten the recommendations of USFWS biologists on endangered species.
In a related embarassment, Secretary Kempthorne had made Mark Limbaugh (another Idahoan and the assistant secretary for water and science), in charge the department’s new Conduct Accountability Board, formed in the wake of the many DOI ethical and criminal scandals.
However, within a week Limbaugh resigned to go work for a water development lobbying group. Senator Wyden was not amused by this and the hold on Laverty continues.
Story: Wyden, Kempthorne and endangered species. By Randy Stapilus
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
I had read about Limbaugh, but had not realized that he, too, was from Idaho. Any and all of Kempthorne, Crapo and Larry Craig’s Idaho buddies need to be kept far away from any federal appointment.
Jim Caswell has promoted cattle industry trashing of Sagebrush, Slickspot Peppergrass and other habitats in the Jarbidge and other places. Part of what the Bushies have done at the National level is operate just like the Republican Kingdom of Idaho has been operating for a lot longer. For example, Caswell headed the special department created by Kempthorne as Governor and Orwellianly named “Office of Species Conservation” – with the primary purpose of intercepting federal dollars and frittering them away on promoting cattle and other industry agendas – and calling this “conservation”. People are disgusted with this, and these Idaho Homeboys.