No apology, no explanation yet from Smith
As newspapers, broadcasters and bloggers report on Gordon Smith’s political abuse of the Klamath River, Smith still won’t apologize or explain his coordination with Cheney, Rove and Bush for abusing an environmental and commercial resource for political gain.
Two days after DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith called on U.S. Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) to apologize for coordinating with Karl Rove, Vice President Cheney and President Bush to earn votes by endangering Oregon’s fishing industries and salmon population, Smith is still silent on the issue.
But, the media is raising more and more questions for Smith about his coordination with Cheney and other White House leaders to choose politics over science to earn him votes.
“Gordon Smith should not stay silent on his political abuse of the Klamath River,” DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith said. “In 2002, Gordon Smith couldn’t stop running television ads and boasting to Oregonians about turning on the water. Now that 70,000 salmon are dead, countless fishermen have lost their livelihood and the U.S. House is looking into his actions, he’s suddenly media shy. Gordon Smith should take responsibility for his actions. Gordon Smith should explain when he first contacted Dick Cheney and the White House, what he asked of Dick Cheney, and why Dick Cheney made personal calls on his behalf to divert the water to earn Smith re-election.”
Read the facts on the jump!
NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK ON SMITH’S COORDINATION WITH CHENEY, ROVE AND BUSH TO PUSH POLITICS OVER SCIENCE TO WIN VOTES
Just this week, The Oregonian, The Bulletin, Oregon Public Broadcasting and blogs LoadedOrygun.net, MyDD.com, DailyKos.com and Senate2008Guru.blogspot.com have all raised questions about Smith’s coordination with Cheney, Rove and Bush.
Some of the reports:
“A congressional committee on Tuesday questioned whether the Bush administration exercised improper political influence in the 2001 dispute over water in the Klamath Basin.
The House Natural Resources Committee hearing focused on the decision to divert water to farmers, despite federal scientists' concerns that the move would kill protected salmon and more broadly at whether the Bush administration has placed politics over science in its environmental decisions.”
(The Oregonian, 8-1-07)
“The Committee on Natural Resources is chaired by West Virginia Democrat Nick Rahall. He said the point of the hearing was to look into allegations that the Bush administration has a habit of letting politics not only influence policy, but the science supporting that policy.”
(OPB News, 7-31-07)
“Now that reporters and congressmen are uncovering the politics of the Klamath River decisions, Smith is reluctant to take credit. No more TV ads. No more ribbon cuttings with administration officials celebrating Cheney’s water plan. No more interviews on the subject he campaigned on in 2002.”
(Loaded Orygun, 7-30-07)
“The OR-Dems are taking Gordon Smith to task on SalmonGate. Outside of Oregon, this may not seem like a big deal, but inside Oregon this is huge. Smith's efforts contributed to the decimation of fishing businesses in Oregon, and Smith has been conspicuously silent on the issue as a Congressional investigation on the issue approaches. Stay tuned.”
(Senate 2008 Guru, 7-31-07)
“On Monday, the state Democratic Party demanded an apology from Oregon Republican Sen. Gordon Smith for allegedly playing a part in the death of 70,000 salmon in 2001.”
(The Bulletin, 8-1-07)
“In a statement Monday, Meredith Wood Smith, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Oregon, called for Smith to apologize for his involvement in the Klamath.
‘If Gordon Smith can open an irrigation system to release thousands of gallons of water,’ she said, ‘surely he can open his mouth and apologize to Oregonians.’"
(The Oregonian, 8-1-07)
“In January 2002, Walden and Republican Senator Gordon Smith met with President Bush on Air Force One to talk about the Klamath River Basin. The President mentioned Smith and Walden at a rally in Portland.
George W Bush: ‘I share their concern about people who make a living off the land. And I told these two good men that we'll do everything we can to make sure water is available for people who farm.’ (Applause)
The Wall Street Journal reported in a 2003 story that a day after the President spoke those words, White House advisor Karl Rove gave a PowerPoint presentation to about 50 managers at the Department of the Interior.
According to the Journal, Rove made it clear whose side the President was taking in the Klamath River controversy. This year, the Washington Post did a series of stories on the behind-the-scenes influence of Vice President Dick Cheney. The paper said he was on the phone with mid-level federal officials talking about the Klamath River Basin and got regular updates about it.
In April 2002, the Bureau of Reclamation turned on the spigots for the farmers. That fall saw the largest ever fish die off in the American west on the river.”
(OPB News, 7-31-07)
SMITH’S SILENCE ON HIS POLITICAL COORDINATION WITH CHENEY, ROVE AND BUSH IS TELLING
“Gordon Smith coordinated with Cheney, Rove and Bush to abuse the Klamath River to win re-election,” Wood Smith said. “He must be ashamed of his political coordination with Cheney, Rove and Bush. Otherwise, why is he now silent on the issue?”
Posted August 1, 2007 Smith + Bush 1 comments
Comments
I think all that have been spineless and bows to Bush need to go, no matter what party they claim to be.
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