FROM THE ARCHIVE

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In The Hoop
THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2002

Welcome to In The Hoop, Indianz.Com's occasional column about assorted Indian issues.

I Hate You Gale Norton!
Secretary of Interior Gale Norton is used to getting slammed in the press and in court for her actions (or inaction as may be the case) but yesterday she got it in person.

Or, well, on the phone. At least we got to see her face as she reacted to a rather irate caller on C-SPAN's Washington Journal.

"I'm having a hard time believing anything that you are saying," said the Democrat from Seattle, Washington. "And I'll tell you why. Because when you were in Colorado, you worked so hard not only to get rid of the environmental protections there, you also. . . "

The caller broke down and couldn't finish his thought.

"I'm just so upset with you," the caller continued as he mustered up the strength. "I can't believe a word coming out of your mouth."

Norton's expression then turned from a smile to a semi-scowl. Not terribly attractive as the camera stayed on her throughout the duration of the call.

"You guys in the administration made a total fool out of [Environmental Protection Agency Administrator] Christie Todd Whitman and she came back and took it," he said. "I don't believe that but she did."

"I know what I'm speaking of but I'm so upset that I can't bring it into words," he responded when asked by the show host to provide an "example."

Norton's face then turned into a sneer of sorts. It was not quite the look she gave when she threw up her hands and defended Ross Swimmer last month but it was close.

In The Hoop would tell you what Norton said in response to the caller but it was too boring. Something about her Colorado record being distorted and her funding not being cut too much. (You can watch her appearance in its entirety if you dare.)

Except for the disclosure that she, Whitman and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman "get together frequently" to discuss policies and such.

Sounds like a night out we don't want to miss. Sign us up Mark Pfeifle!

Affirmative Action
Poor Arthur Andersen. Everyone is distancing themselves and/or firing the embattled company as it faces federal indictment as early as today for its role in the Enron scandal.

Except for the Department of Interior that is. A hearty soul tells us that the firm's contracts on the historical accounting "projects" of the Individual Indian Money (IIM) trust are still in place, even after the White House ordered a full-scale review.

And within weeks, we shall learn whether Andersen has been chosen as an "adviser" to the Office of Historical Trust Accounting. Turns out OHTA Director Bert T. Edwards -- a former Clinton administration official -- was a former Andersen partner but In The Hoop is assured this ex-relationship has absolutely nothing to do with the firm's current ties to the department.

We guess this means Andersen can claim 300,000 American Indians as "clients."

In Your Hoop
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