Reid caves in to Bush, stabs environmentalists, Wyden in back
November 1st, 2007
I thought it was time to touch on something other than Measure 49 (vote yes!):
For the past six months, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has held up Senate confirmation of Lyle Laverty as assistant Interior secretary for fish, wildlife and parks.
Wyden, it seems, was upset that a member of the Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Services had leaked internal documents to industry leaders who opposed some of the FWS’s activities and that later showed up in lawsuits against the Department. The employee, Julie MacDonald, who had no training or experience in natural sciences also forced FWS scientists to “alter findings, often with no scientific basis”.
[...]
Wyden’s hold ended last week when Laverty was confirmed on a voice vote, called by Senator Reid while Wyden was away from DC to celebrate the birth of his twins.
Laverty’s nomination was supported by Ken Salazar (D-CO) and other Senators who want to open up protected forestland to recreational use. Laverty was put into this position because he will continue the work that McDonald engaged in for the Bush administration — to continue to threaten protected habitat and endangered species.
It’s pretty disheartening when those supposedly working FOR you start to rely on dead-of-night tricks like this.
Blue Oregon also touches on this.
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