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From: eLeader@mail.echampions2000.com Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 11:18 AM To: fhoot@aol.com Subject: eChampions: Call to Action Dear Friends, Your support is needed for one of President-elect Bush's Cabinet nominees, former Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton. Special interests and political extremists are determined to stop this able and well-qualified woman from serving as the steward of our nation's public lands. It's hard to see how reasonable people could oppose this nomination. Gale Norton is a consensus builder who has worked for more than 20 years on environmental and federal land issues. She is a true conservationist, who brings a real appreciation of the role private owners and local communities can play in preserving our environment. Here are some highlights of her outstanding career: -Gale Norton served as the Attorney General of Colorado from 1991 to 1999. Ms. Norton litigated state and federal constitutional issues, defended the state against federal mandates, and won a major court victory pressuring the federal government to adequately clean up hazardous wastes at Rocky Flats and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. She also served as Chair of the Environment Committee for the National Association of Attorneys General and established a strong record of getting Superfund cleanups completed. -During the Bush Administration, Ms. Norton was appointed to the Western Water Policy Commission, and she now serves as Environment Committee Chair for the Republican National Lawyers Association. -As Associate Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of the Interior in the Reagan Administration, she oversaw endangered species and public land legal issues for the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service. -And as a scholar at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, she conducted groundbreaking research on innovative ways to control air pollution. This is not a record to politicize; it is a record to praise. And this is not a nominee to attack; this is a nominee to applaud. Yet some environmental extremists are trying to deny our country the services of this fine public servant because of ideological differences. But as the links below point out, Gale Norton is very much in the mainstream of creative environmental thought. Ideology has never been used to prevent the nomination of a person to the cabinet. Yet that is exactly what these extremists are trying to do. They are trying to hijack the process. This is the politics of personal destruction. And this is exactly why the American people voted for a new president and new direction last November. Please do two things. First, let your Senator know you strongly support Gale Norton's confirmation. Go to http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm to find the contact information for the Senators from your state. It's time for a new conservation and common sense. Simply put, it's time for Gale Norton. Second, let the members of the Senate Energy And Natural Resources Committee know you support Gale Norton. The committee begins its hearings Thursday. Its members are: Democrats D (NM) Bingaman, Jeff (Chairman) (202) 224-5521, mailto:senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov D (HI) Akaka, Daniel (202) 224-6361, mailto:senator@akaka.senate.gov D (ND) Dorgan, Byron (202) 224-2551, mailto:senator@dorgan.senate.gov D (FL) Graham, Bob (202) 224-3041, mailto:bob_graham@graham.senate.gov D (OR) Wyden, Ron (202) 224-5244, http://wyden.senate.gov/mail.htm D (SD) Johnson, Tim (202) 224-5842, D (LA) Landrieu, Mary (202) 224-5824, http://landrieu.senate.gov/webform.html D (IN) Bayh, Evan (202) 224-5623, http://bayh.senate.gov/WebMail.html D (AR) Lincoln, Blanche (202) 224-4843, mailto:blanche_lincoln@lincoln.senate.gov Republicans R (AK) Murkowski, Frank (Ranking Member) (202) 224-6665, http://murkowski.senate.gov/webmail.html R (NM) Domenici, Pete (202) 224-6621, mailto:senator_domenici@domenici.senate.gov R (OK) Nickles, Don (202) 224-5754, mailto:senator@nickles.senate.gov R (ID) Craig, Larry (202) 224-2752, http://www.senate.gov/~craig/webform.html R (CO) Campbell, Ben Nighthorse (202) 224-5852 R (WY) Thomas, Craig (202) 224-6441, http://thomas.senate.gov/html/contact.html R (OR) Smith, Gordon (202) 224-3753, http://www.senate.gov/~gsmith/webform.htm R (KY) Bunning, Jim (202) 224-4343, mailto:jim_bunning@bunning.senate.gov R (IL) Fitzgerald, Peter (202) 224-2854, mailto:senator_fitzgerald@fitzgerald.senate.gov R (MT) Burns, Conrad (202) 224-2644, mailto:conrad_burns@burns.senate.gov The links below provide additional insight into the challenging and successful career of Gale Norton. Thank you. (Please forward this message to friends, family and co-workers and ask them to show their support for President-elect Bush by asking their U.S. Senators to support the confirmation of Gale Norton) Please Read These Additional Facts and Comments Relating to the Nomination of Gale Norton as Secretary of the Interior: "President-elect George W. Bush's appointment of Gale Norton as Secretary of the Interior is an inspired move. She is a true free market conservative, not an ideological conservative, and has built a strong record of going to bat for the state's environmental needs." Denver Post Editorial Board, December 30,2000 http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/edits1230a.htm Comments of United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (the only American Indian presently serving in either the House or Senate): "Gale Norton will be a superb Secretary of the Interior no matter how tough of a confirmation fight environmentalists mount." "She knows how to find the balance [to manage public lands]." "Gale will do a terrific job." Rocky Mountain News, December 31, 2000 http://www.insidedenver.com/election/1231ben2.shtml Environmental extremists claim Norton is responsible for pollution from a Summitville (Colorado) mine. Those involved know that is not correct. "In fact, during her tenure as state AG, Norton struggled to protect the public's interest at Summitville, despite legislative mandates that hamstrung meaningful action." Denver Post Editorial Board, January 11, 2001 http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/edits0111a.htm (More on Summitville) "The New York Times, for reasons that must be assumed to be political, has attempted to smear Gale Norton, President-elect George W. Bush's choice for secretary of Interior." "The article, which relied on a series of factual misrepresentations regarding the Summitville gold mine, also made a hash of explaining applicable environmental law." "The writer, Timothy Egan, clearly doesn't understand the history of Summitville, nor does he demonstrate any understanding of the ongoing dispute between the Environmental Protection Agency and various states, including Colorado, that have passed environmental self-audit laws." Al Knight, Editorial Writer, Denver Post, January 10, 2001 http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/knight0110.htm (More on Summitville) "But state regulators, federal lawyers and Norton's top deputy attorneys at the time paint a different picture from that of a state attorney general simply turning her back on pollution." "In fact, the Democratic lawyer Norton put in charge of environmental enforcement said she was unfettered by any conservative leanings in deciding which cases to pursue and how." "Norton's former colleagues contend environmentalists have oversimplified situations, or are outright wrong, and that Norton's office did, in fact, take action when state regulators sought her assistance." Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News, January 14, 2001 http://www.insidedenver.com/news/0114nort2.shtml ______________________________________________ Paid for by the Republican National Committee. If you wish to unsubscribe from the eChampion mailing list, simply click here: (unsubscribed line removed by fh) To become an eChampion click here:
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