Two former Idaho Governors/Interior Secretaries and ANWR:

[IDemo]

- Idaho's Democratic Governor Cecil Andrus served as Interior Secretary under Jimmy Carter.
- Idaho's Republican Governor Dirk Kempthorne has been nominated to the same post by his fishing buddy, GW Bush.

Cecil Andrus, in 1978, encapsulated it most eloquently: `In some places such as the Arctic Refuge, the wildlife and natural values are so magnificent and so enduring that they transcend the value of any mineral that may lie beneath the surface. Such minerals are finite. Production inevitably means changes whose impacts will be measured in geologic time in order to gain marginal benefits that may last a few years.'

Fast forward 28 years:

Lawson LeGate, southwest representative of the Sierra Club, said Kempthorne had a record of not supporting protections for public lands: He supported drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, opposed the Clinton-era roadless rule, and weakened the endangered species and water protections.
"For a presidential administration that has sought to systematically dismantle the legal framework for environmental protections in this country, Governor Kempthorne will fit right in," said LeGate. "I think it is really a case of: 'Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.'"

Kempthorne has been described as "Gale Norton in pants". Maybe he won't be a shoo-in for confirmation after all...

[hatrack]

1. Kempthorne just blows chunks - he's a suave James Watt

If such a thing can be said to exist . . .