Print
Subscribe
Opinion: Kempthorne gives industry what it wants
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
"After serving for five years as Interior Secretary in the Bush Cabinet, Gale Norton, protégé of James Watt, quietly stepped down from her post overseeing the ruination of the American West.
To replace Norton, Bush called upon his old pal Dirk Kempthorne, the Idaho governor and former US Senator, who once cherished notions, fantastical though they may have been, of the occupying the White House. In picking Kempthorne, Bush has once again demonstrated that mindless consistency which will be one of his hallmarks as president. Far from moving to clean up an office sullied by corruption and inside-dealing, Bush tapped a man, who has over the course of his 20 years in politics, taken more money from timber, big ag, mining and oil companies than any governor in the history of American politics.
Unlike many other western conservatives, Kempthorne doesn't hit up the religious right for money. He goes to straight to the corporations who want something done in Boise: JR Simplot, the potato king; Boise-Cascade, the timber giant; mining companies, such as ASARCO, Hecla, and FMC Gold; and the power companies. And Kempthorne gives them what they want. Kempthorne is Jack Abramoff without the middleman, decision-maker and lobbyist rolled into one."
Get the Story:
Jeffrey St. Clair: Gale Norton in Slacks
(Counterpunch 5/31)
Related Stories:
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
skeptical of Kempthorne (5/29)
Senate
confirms Kempthorne as Interior Secretary (5/26)
Editorial: Kempthorne should settle trust fund
lawsuit (05/17)
Senate panel approves
Kempthorne nomination (05/11)
Editorial:
Kempthorne left questions unanswered (5/9)
'Shameful' lack of leadership at BIA decried
(5/5)
Kempthorne confirmation hearing to
start May 4 (5/1)
Interior Department
big on new regulations (04/24)
Kempthorne confirmation hearing slated for May
(04/10)
Interior nominee Kempthorne meets
with senators (4/4)
Tribal issues put
Kempthorne in hot seat at Interior (03/21)
Kempthorne offered DOI post on day of
nomination (03/21)
Kempthorne's Senate
record scant on Indian issues (3/20)
Tribes wary of Kempthorne, Interior nominee
(3/20)
Idaho governor nominated for
Interior Secretary (03/17)
Senators
expect to confirm Kempthorne at Interior (03/17)
Norton hopes Westerner will take helm at Interior
(3/16)
Montana-Wyoming tribes seek
Indian for BIA job (3/16)
Connecticut
tribes worried about BIA leadership (3/16)
Campbell touted for Interior Secretary Cabinet post
(3/15)
Campbell recommended to run
Interior Department (03/14)
Indian
leadership still lacking at Indian Affairs agency (3/13)
A rocky five years for Norton at Interior
Department (3/13)
Oklahoma tribal leaders
sad to see Norton leave (3/13)
Editorial: Norton missed chance to settle Cobell
lawsuit (3/13)
Norton denies Abramoff
played a role in resignation (3/13)
Bush
to look West to fill Interior Department position (3/13)
Editorial: Norton leaves behind an unhappy legacy
(3/13)
Secretary Norton to step down at
end of March (3/10)
Griles arranged for
Norton photo with Abramoff (01/30)
Norton refutes alleged influence of Abramoff
(12/15)
Watchdog group sues DOI over
Abramoff documents (12/07)
Eastern Pequot
Tribal Nation seeks recognition probe (12/01)
Inside the BIA, according to Jack Abramoff
(11/23)
Bernhardt nominated for Interior
solicitor post (11/21)
Salon: Italia
Federici a 'minor' Republican player (11/18)
Audio: Italia Federici testifies before Senate
panel (11/17)
Appeals court leaves trust
accounting to Interior (11/16)
Norton
lobbied on Shinnecock Nation recognition (11/15)
Report: Griles had repeated contacts with
Abramoff (11/07)
Editorial: No rewrite
for national park policies (11/03)
Interior drawn into Senate committee's lobbying
probe (10/26)
Interior claims shutdown
will cause 'grave injury' (10/25)
Interior ordered to protect Indian trust fund
systems (10/21)
Editorial: National
parks under siege by Bush (10/21)
National Park Service proposes management policies
(10/19)
Norton pushes for more drilling
in wake of hurricanes (09/28)
DOI spends
$30K to produce glossy report on trust (09/20)
Senate delays action on ANWR drilling in budget
(09/14)
Gale Norton: New approach to
conservation needed (08/30)
Cobell
fights effort to oust judge from trust fund case (08/29)
Appeals court stays Lamberth order on notices
(07/29)
Federal Register: Probate Reform Act
certified (06/28)
DOI denies
mismanagement of Indian trust funds (06/21)
White House told DOI to pay attention to
Abramoff (06/20)
BIA hopeful says he
won't bring 'baggage' to the job (06/20)
Norton defends Myers' record as Interior
solicitor (06/02)
Lamberth orders
Interior to turn over e-mails (05/27)
Gaming leads to new concerns about lobbyists
(05/26)
Miccosukee Tribe still fighting
state on Everglades (05/26)
DOI to go
ahead with wireless despite IG report (05/24)
South Dakota Democrat asks White House for BIA
job (05/23)
Norton won't reconsider
Paugussett recognition (03/31)
Gale
Norton: Drilling in ANWR won't hurt environment (03/14)
Pueblo leader endorsed as new assistant
secretary (03/04)
Editorial: Famous
Dave's background not enough (02/09)
Famous Dave Anderson: 'The bureau needs to change'
(2/4)
Anderson's resignation blamed on
lack of support (02/01)
Dave Anderson
resigns after year as head of BIA (2/1)
Copyright © 2000-2006 Indianz.Com
