Advertise:   ads@blueearthmarketing.com   712.224.5420

Opinion
Opinion: Pombo a Republican in the DeLay mold


"Arctic natives and caribou got a reprieve last week when some House Republicans refused to go along with adding Arctic Refuge oil drilling to the budget reconciliation bill. Conservationists are jubilant, though the feeling is tempered somewhat by knowing that Arctic drilling may be re-inserted when the final bill is worked out with the Senate.

Still, this is a victory and a sign that the hard-core drill and spill crowd is not polling well these days. Republicans who want to save their political hides will continue to reject any budget bill that opens the Arctic Refuge to oil drilling. Fear of political backlash prompted the Republican leadership to also drop a provision ending the moratorium on off-shore oil drilling.

But removal of the Arctic Refuge and offshore drilling provisions should not clear the House budget bill for passage. Outrageous environmental poison pills remain. They are mostly the work of the Chair of the House Resources Committee, Mr. Richard Pombo, a real estate developer from Tracy, California.

Pombo is a Republican in the DeLay mold. Oil and gas interests keep his campaign cash barrel topped up; he pays his relatives inflated salaries from those funds; he is deeply involved in the gambling-industry / Indian-casino money machine; he took thousands of dollars from DeLay's buddy, indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff."

Get the Story:
Kelpie Wilson: Pombo's Poison Pills (Truthout 11/14)

Relevant Links:
Rep. Richard Pombo - http://www.house.gov/pombo
House Resources Committee - http://resourcescommittee.house.gov

Related Stories:
Budget amendment may allow sale of treaty lands (11/11)
Pombo has received $90K from tribes this year (10/20)
Pombo has taken $71K from tribes so far this year (07/14)
Shinnecock Nation backers hold Pombo fundraiser (7/13)
Pombo schedules New York land claims hearing (07/11)
Pombo asks DOJ to widen investigation of Abramoff (07/06)
Pombo supports settlement of Cobell trust fund case (06/27)
Democrats look for candidate to run against Pombo (06/09)
Pombo asked again to investigate Abramoff (4/15)
Pombo brings off-reservation hearing to California (6/7)
Pombo continues hearings on off-reservation gaming (05/02)
Pombo collected $40K from tribes so far this year (04/25)
Pombo asked again to investigate Abramoff (04/15)
House committee takes up off-reservation gaming (03/18)
Off-reservation gaming hearing set by Pombo (3/15)
Congress steps into off-reservation casino fight (3/14)
Pombo circulates draft of off-reservation bill (3/11)
Pombo took on controversial topics in 108th Congress (12/16)
Pombo took $5K from tribe with bill before committee (07/19)
Pombo accepts money from tribes, tribal lobbyists (06/22)
Pombo visit to South Dakota highlights tribal issues (04/20)
Pombo invited to buffalo hunt on Rosebud Reservation (04/09)
House chairman shares common concerns (11/18)
House chairman supports self-governance rider (10/14)
House panels change hands in 108th Congress (01/10)