Environmental groups step up involvement in Pombo race

[Kadie]

Environmental groups step up involvement in Pombo race

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer

Last Updated: May 10, 2006, 04:40:29 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) - The League of Conservation Voters announced Wednesday it is endorsing former Rep. Pete McCloskey in his GOP primary challenge to Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, chairman of the House Resources Committee.

League officials said they would aim to contact about 50,000 Republican primary voters by phone and mail on McCloskey's behalf. McCloskey, a moderate, is running against Pombo in the 11th congressional district that straddles the San Francisco Bay area and the Central Valley.

"We're going to be going into the district and letting the folks know that as opposed to Rep. Pombo, McCloskey will be a reliable advocate for the environment," said League of Conservation Voters spokesman Chuck Porcari.

"It doesn't surprise us that extreme liberal groups are supporting Pete McCloskey," said Pombo campaign manager Carl Fogliani. "People outside of the district are trying to tell the people of this district who their congressman can be, and we're confident that U.S. Rep. Pombo's stellar record and performance for the district are going to resonate with voters of the district."

more..
http://www.modbee.com/state_wire/story/12164262p-12909703c.html

[BrotherBuzz]

1. Pombo, you're going down!

Heck, if I lived in the eleventh district I would register Republican just to vote against Pombo in the primary. Pete McCloskey, co-author of the Endangered Species Act, is an honorable and honest man and he's really pissed at the ass Pombo for attempting to gut the Endangered Species Act. Oh he's got a lot of other issues with Pombo, too.

Why Retire Pombo?

•Pombo has been named by non-partisan watchdog groups as:


"One of the 13 most corrupt members of Congress"-COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS IN WASHINGTON (CREW)

"One of the first six inductees to the Congressional Hall of Shame" - PUBLIC CITIZEN

• Richard Pombo is among the top recipients of money from admitted felon and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates.  (Source: Time)

• Pombo owes his chairmanship of the House Resources Committee to indicted former majority leader Tom DeLay.  Pombo, who votes in lockstep with DeLay 92% of the time, actively tried to change House Ethics Rules to protect DeLay (House Resolution 5) and donated thousands of dollars to the DeLay legal defense fund.

• Pombo used his official powers to protect a large donor, Charles Hurwitz, thwarting a Federal investigation in what federal regulators called, "a seamy abuse of the legislative process." (Source: LA Times 1/8/06)

• At a time when the average yearly income in San Joaquin County is $20,682, Pombo has funneled over half-a-million dollars in campaign funds to his wife and brother.  As Chairman of the House Resources Committee (which oversees Native American affairs), Pombo has received over $500,000 in donations from Indian tribes, many with ties to Abramoff. 

• He has joined DeLay in voting to absolve the manufacturers of the toxic gasoline additive MTBE from any responsibility for cleaning up an estimated $20 billion worth of polluted water in Northern California -water that our entire state needs for agriculture and economic growth.

• Pombo, a member of the congressional leadership, has helped move us from budget surpluses in 2000 to trillion-dollar deficits. 

• Pombo, who never served in the military, claims to support our troops but has repeatedlyvoted against VA and health care benefits for returning veterans, including prosthesis research for amputees (House Resolutions 1815, 2528, 1268, 27, HconRes 95 and HJRes 107).

• Though his district has higher than national average gas prices, Pombo supported giving $8.6 billion in tax subsidies to oil and gas companies (House Resolution 6).  It's no surprise that Pombo's largest political donations come from these same companies.

http://www.petemccloskey.com/

[GregD]

2. Take Back Red California

People wishing to help unseat Pombo should be familliar with www.takebackredcalifornia.org.

They have him, Doolittle and Herger in their sights.

[BrotherBuzz]

3. Good for them

Doolittle deserved to go down, too. I'm already supporting that endeavor by donating directly to Charlie Brown who is mounting a campaign against him. He's also a member of Band of Brothers 2006, and vehemently against the war in Iraq (kinda significant to this old dumb draftee that has been disenfranchised by this chickenhawk congress). I've met him and can honestly say 'He's the real deal'.


* Endorsed by the California Democratic Party.
* Endorsed by former Georgia Senator Max Cleland.
* Sen. Cleland campaigned with us all day on May 1st—recording radio spots, doing press interviews, participating in our veterans rally, and joining 100 plus supporters as a guest at our post- rally reception.
* Recent coverage in most of the District’s major newspapers and on talk radio.

http://brown4congress.org/index.htm

http://www.bandofbrothers2006.org/congress/