The Cobell trust fund lawsuit, the Jack Abramoff scandal and a myriad of environmental and other issues await new Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne.

On his first day on the job, Kempthorne met with the National Congress of American Indians, held a teleconference call with environmental groups, met with ethics officials and visited the National Mall and the Washington Monument. He said President Bush told him to use the Interior Department as a bridge for its stakeholders, whose interests are often in conflict.

Kempthorne only has 30 months to make a difference. "I'm coming in in the seventh inning. I'm the relief pitcher," he told The Washington Post.

Get the Story:
The Interior Department's 'Relief Pitcher' (The Washington Post 6/1)
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Relevant Links:
Interior Department - http://www.doi.gov

White House Announcement:
President Bush Nominates Dirk Kempthorne as Interior Secretary (March 16, 2006)

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