Obama picks Alberto Gonzalez and Gale Norton supporter Ken Salazar to head Interior

[brentspeak]

It just keeps getting worse and worse and worse...

http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair12192008.html

Although America’s greatest Interior Secretary, Harold Ickes, who had the post for nearly a decade under FDR, was from Chicago, the playbook for presidential transitions calls for picking a Westerner for Interior, as long as the nominee isn’t a Californian. Pick someone from Arizona or New Mexico or Colorado. Of course, Colorado has produced two of the worst recent Interior Secretaries: James Watt and Gale Norton. Ken Salazar may make it three.

And why not? After all, Salazar was one of the first to endorse Gale Norton’s nomination as Bush’s Interior Secretary.

By almost any standard, it’s hard to imagine a more uninspired or uninspiring choice for the job than professional middle-of-the-roader Ken Salazar, the conservative Democrat from Colorado. This pal of Alberto Gonzalez is a meek politician, who has never demonstrated the stomach for confronting the corporate bullies of the west: the mining, timber and oil companies who have been feasting on Interior Department handouts for the past eight years. Even as attorney general of Colorado, Salazar built a record of timidity when it came to going after renegade mining companies.

The editorial pages of western papers have largely hailed Salazar’s nomination. The common theme seems to be that Salazar will be “an honest broker.” But broker of what? Mining claims and oil leases, most likely.

[GarbagemanLB]

1. Failure! His presidency is a failure! Screw waiting til he is even in office!

[HamdenRice]

10. uh, point of information

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:hi:

[scheming daemons]

2. Sorry.... I like Salazar for this position

Sue me.

[brentspeak]

4. Yeah, why?

[scheming daemons]

16. Well....

- As Colorado's Director of Natural Resources in the early 90s, he authored the Great Outdoors Colorado Amendment, which created a massive land conservation program.

- In his Colorado cabinet role, he established reforms that forced mining and oil operatons to better protect the surrounding environment.

- As Colorado Attorney Genereal, he created the Environmental Crimes Unit - to prosecute companies and individuals that did harm to the environment.

- He has a 60% rating from the "Defenders of Wildlife".

- He has a 81% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters, including a 100% rating for the year 2008.



In general, he is a center-right Democrat..... but on issues related to the environment, he's been on the good side more often than not.


Nobody is a perfect choice.... but he's a solid pick in my opinion.

[Robb]

24. I agree, and I'm actually from CO

I've said it several times, on issues he'll be facing at Interior, he's got his head right. He's going to be great, and bring some western issues front and center just by his name.

On almost everything else... let's just say a big thank-you to Obama for getting him out of the Senate. :D

[11 Bravo]

25. Facts? FUCKING FACTS?!? How dare you?

[scheming daemons]

27. I apologize... Apparently Salazar's opinions on ALL issues must be progressive, or he's a bad choice

:eyes:

[polichick]

28. Thanks for posting that - I didn't know much about him.

[Mojambo]

7. Plead your case.

Maybe you'll change some minds.

I'm open to hearing about some of Salazar's positive qualities, if they exist.

He seems to be about as clear cut a corporate Democrat as one could find. But perhaps I'm missing something.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Obama is just plain evil.......

He may just be the anti-christ after all, if not, then the Motherf*cker that Blago said that he was! :sarcasm:

I'm sure that will be the next Counterpunch article that you will post.

[HamdenRice]

14. Obama IS DEAD TO ME !!!! ...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Already, he's a war criminal, per DU as of this morning!

:hi:

[cali]

5. counterpunch is a disgusting piece of shit. no better than worldnut daily.

[brentspeak]

8. yep. whatever you say.

(that was a parody)

[Thrill]

6. YAWN

[brentspeak]

9. Do you do anything other than post effete "YAWN"s?

[QC]

20. Narcolepsy? n/t

[Thrill]

21. Thats all this post deserves

[MadBadger]

11. You are pathetic.

[brentspeak]

15. You make it sound like I'M the one who picked Ken Salazar to head Interior.

Wasn't my idea.

[RollWithIt]

12. Ok Ralph, whatever you say Ralph, Fuck you Ralph

Buff off Ralph

[OKNancy]

13. From his webiste

A quick read here doesn't sound like he is some right-wing hack ( everyone right of Milosovich is a rightwinger according to Counterpunch)
http://salazar.senate.gov/issues/environment.html

[brentspeak]

17. According to his own PR department? Well that settles it then.

:eyes:

What part of the Counterpunch article is wrong? Thanks in advance.

[OKNancy]

22. It may be his PR, however his statements are

there and his voting record. That's about all one has to go on for politicians.
The counterpunch piece is not an article but an opinion piece IMO.

What part of his positions on my link are wrong?

[S_E_Fudd]

18. Who should we get to run against him in the 2012 primaries....

Clearly he is already a failure....





























:sarcasm:

[QC]

19. HOW BRILLYUNT!1!1!! YUO AR A PUMA!!!!1!!

[OKNancy]

23. Oh and PS... here is another article from this same author

just so everyone will know where he stands

http://www.counterpunch.org/realthreat.html
The Real Threat is Gore, not Nader

He also wrote a whole book slamming Gore.

[brentspeak]

26. That was a stupid article, but it doesn't negate the facts he points out about Salazar

Fact: Ken Salazar delivered a speech on the Senate floor in support of Alberto Gonzalez

Fact: Ken Salazar vocally supported Gale Norton as head of Interior

Fact: Time Magazine is not Counterpunch:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1867337,00.html

Salazar at Interior: For Greens, Not a Dream Choice
By Bryan Walsh Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008

But not all greens are so sure about the Colorado Senator, and Salazar's nomination could represent Obama's first conflict with the environmental community. Although mainstream green groups like Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) were quick to praise Salazar — Dan Grossman, head of EDF's Rocky Mountain office, calls Salazar a "rare talent" — other environmentalists were far less impressed. "His environmental record is pretty mixed," says Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, based in Tucson, Ariz. "He's far from the most antienvironmental guy out there, but he's no environmental hero." (See members of Obama's White House.)

The chief complaints about Salazar — a rancher who worked as Colorado's attorney general before his election to the Senate in 2004 — center on his ties to the ranching and mining industries and some of his votes as a Senator. As attorney general, he threatened to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — which he would lead as Interior Secretary — over the listing of the black-tailed prairie dog as endangered. (In Colorado, the animal is still classified as a "pest" to ranchers.)

A relatively conservative Democrat, typical of the new centrist Western wing of the party, Salazar voted in favor of President George W. Bush's Interior Secretary nominee Gale Norton, who has been roundly criticized for her mismanagement of the beleaguered department. He also supported his friend Alberto Gonzales for U.S. Attorney General, even escorting Gonzales into the U.S. Senate on the first day of his nomination hearings. Although Salazar has since said that he was wrong to support Gonzales, who eventually stepped down after being accused of politicizing the Justice Department, his critics view the votes as evidence that the Coloradoan lacks judgment. "This is the guy who will be in charge of picking the head of the Fish and Wildlife Department and countless other positions," says Suckling. "If you look at his record for sussing out personal character, it's bad."