Larry Craig: The Fall of an Anti-Fish Politician

I saw this in the most recent edition of MidCurrent - never thought I'd see the "bathroom sex" and "salmon protection" used in the same sentence, but there you go.

You can find the post here: http://www.midcurrent.com/news/2007/...of_an_ant.html

Larry Craig: The Fall of an Anti-Fish Politician
As we noted a couple of weeks ago, U.S. Senator Larry Craig, who is in the news for pleading guilty then not-guilty to soliciting bathroom sex, is known for a fact to see salmon protections as bad for business (see "Larry Craig's Parting Words?"). Now the Associated Press's Matthew Daly has picked up on the story and talks in detail about how conservationists think Craig's ouster is the best thing that could happen to northwest salmon stocks. "The surprising fall of Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, removes a longtime obstacle to efforts by Democrats and environmentalists to promote salmon recovery on Northwest rivers. Craig, who was removed from leadership posts on the Senate Appropriations and Energy committees after a sex scandal, is known as one the most powerful voices in Congress on behalf of the timber and power industries."



Here's another article about it posted by the AP:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g...BkbNgD8RV0BE80

Craig's Fall May Benefit Salmon
By MATTHEW DALY ? 4 days ago

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The surprising fall of Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, removes a longtime obstacle to efforts by Democrats and environmentalists to promote salmon recovery on Northwest rivers.

Craig, who was removed from leadership posts on the Senate Appropriations and Energy committees after a sex scandal, is known as one the most powerful voices in Congress on behalf of the timber and power industries. Environmentalists have fought him for years on issues from endangered salmon to public land grazing.

Now Senate Democrats, exercising their slim majority, have waded into two contentious issues ? both related to Snake River salmon.

First, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada asked federal regulators to require passage for salmon and steelhead for relicensing of the Hells Canyon Complex, a series of dams on the Snake River between Oregon and Idaho.

Reid says the passage would allow salmon to return to their historical spawning grounds in northern Nevada, where the shimmering fish used to run thick nearly a century ago.

Meanwhile, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has asked her colleagues to undo Craig's bid to use a federal spending bill to dictate water flow for Snake River fish.

Salmon advocates were thrilled at the actions of the two western Democrats, which they say could go a long way to protect and restore salmon and steelhead in the Snake River Basin, which spans Washington state, Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming.

"The only way we protect this fish and ensure they don't go extinct is if folks stand up now and take some leadership on these issues. I think that's what Senator Reid is doing and for that matter Senator Cantwell too," said Nicole Cordan, policy and legal director for the Save Our Wild Salmon, an advocacy group.

Under language inserted by Craig this summer, the Interior Department would be directed to implement "without further delay" a controversial Bush administration biological opinion on the Upper Snake River issued in 2005.

U.S. District Judge James Redden ruled last year that the opinion did not do enough to promote recovery of threatened salmon, violating the Endangered Species Act. He ordered federal officials to submit a new salmon recovery plan by the end of October.

Salmon advocates say Craig's language would nullify Redden's ruling and direct officials to rely on a discredited policy that does not provide enough water to allow salmon to thrive and shifts costs for recovery of the threatened fish to the states.

In a Sept. 19 letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chair of the Senate Appropriations Interior subcommittee, Cantwell said Craig's action could undermine the ongoing planning process for salmon and disrupt a judicial order.

"In addition, it could further threaten salmon in the Columbia-Snake River Basin, and the communities that depend on them, by delaying the development of a legally valid" policy, Cantwell wrote.

Dan Whiting, a spokesman for Craig, accused Cantwell and Reid of meddling in Idaho issues.

"Basically the bottom line is Larry Craig is out to protect Idaho water," Whiting said, adding that Craig believes that the 2005 opinion rejected by the court is one that will "balance all the interests of water issues in the region, for irrigation, power use and for salmon."

Democrats control both chambers of Congress "and I'm sure they are looking for opportunities to get their way," Whiting added. "Whether they are taking advantage of Senator Craig's current state I don't know."

Craig is expected to remain as Idaho's senior senator at least until a Minnesota judge rules on his effort to withdraw a guilty plea in a men's room sex sting.

As long as he is in office, Craig "will represent Idaho's interests," Whiting said. "Natural resource issues and salmon and water are things he's worked at for 27 years."

Of all things! JGW

Well what goes around comes around even if it is in a bathroom full with fish

I don't know, not much to say on this as we have our own brand of strange and wonderful politician's

I remember reading a thing in the paper where they listed a bunch of crimes and the number times they had been committed and it turned out that the numbers were from a list of politicians...

SAD

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flyfishfairwx

Well what goes around comes around even if it is in a bathroom full with fish

I don't know, not much to say on this as we have our own brand of strange and wonderful politician's

I remember reading a thing in the paper where they listed a bunch of crimes and the number times they had been committed and it turned out that the numbers were from a list of politicians...

SAD

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Misbehavior is not contained within borders. It's an equal opportunity problem shared around the globe. We just happen to have a media with a voracious appetite for dirt, regardless of where it comes from.

I share your sadness.

Joe

Thanks Joe

It is just too bad we only have only get an opportunity to do something about it about every four years or so and if the guilty Bustard (you know the word I really want use) makes it to the senate the he/she is in for life at least here in Canada.

I believe Mr. Craig was responsible for cutting off funding for the Fish Passage Center (FPC) which was responsible for counting fish as they made they way up the Columbia and Snake rivers. No way to count the fish; no way to know how many are affected by the dams and water flow control. Nice piece of work Mr. Craig. I hope they drag your *** through the mud all the way to Washington DC and back to Idaho. Nothing better could have happened to the Columbia and Snake river salmon.

What's Valuable?? Money?, Power?, Lot's of Friends?, Great Image?, Positive Press?, NO, what is Valuable is your Good Name, your legacy, your HONOR. Larry is living in a bubble, unable to Relate to Reality. I feel sorry for his Family.
Doug :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DShock

What's Valuable?? Money?, Power?, Lot's of Friends?, Great Image?, Positive Press?, NO, what is Valuable is your Good Name, your legacy, your HONOR. Larry is living in a bubble, unable to Relate to Reality. I feel sorry for his Family.
Doug :(

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TRUE TRUE