Dems host "Caucus Party" Jan. 3

Nicole Novotny, communications director for the Laramie County Democrats, sent this reminder:

On January 3, 2008, the Laramie County Democratic Party will host a "Caucus Party" at CB & Potts on Dell Range Blvd. in Cheyenne from 6-10 p.m. Please drop by and see which presidential candidates are pulling ahead at this point in 2008! See you there!

FMI: Nicole Novotny, 307-514-4685

Who'll win in Iowa? Today's polls show front-runners in both parties ranked neck-and-neck. Who would you caucus for in Iowa if you could?

Wyoming Year in Review: 2007

While it’s tough to predict the coming year, it’s easy to crack wise about events of the previous 365-or-so days. Esquire Magazine once cornered the market with its "Dubious Achievements of (insert year here)." It stopped offering dubious achievements in 2001 but resumed in 2003 due to popular demand. It usually features a photo of the late Dick Nixon with the caption, "Why is this man laughing?" In 2007, his laughter was caused by a poll showing that Dubya (and not Tricky Dick) was "the worst president ever." Thus Nixon is off the hook, posterity-wise.

Esquire taught me how to write headlines. Some of the worst transgressions against America featured in DA carried this headline: "The Thanks of a Grateful Nation." So, you could feature any of Dubya’s incomprehensible quotes under this headline. How about this one from April 2003: "You’re free. And freedom is beautiful. And you know, it will take time to restore chaos and order – order out of chaos. But we will." For this, Bush receives the thanks of a grateful nation. And how about this from April 2005: "I’m going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it’s the mother in me."

Before you accuse me of poking fun at a man who rose from humble beginnings to be the leader of the free world, remember that Dubya was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and experienced many of life’s advantages, including an Ivy league education. So why can’t he speak in complete sentences? Is it an affectation, designed to appeal to the Bubbas in the Republican Party? Is he just dumb, as many suspect? Or is it his dyslexia at work, which was talked about in the early days of his presidency but dropped post-9-11?

But let’s get back to the year in review. The major problem with 2007 is that Bush is still president. That will change with the 2008 elections, which truly will earn the thanks of a grateful nation. The Iraq War continues to rage, with 2007 becoming the worst year for American combat deaths. Democrats, with a majority in the House and senate, attempted to end the war several times but kept running into lunkhead Republicans standing shoulder-to-shoulder in defense of Bush’s lunkhead policies. The Dems – except for the crusty Christopher Dodd – forget how to play politics and filibuster and hold their breath until they turned blue to get their way. The Democratic Majority was a big disappointment in 2007.

What about Wyoming? The Associated Press’s top stories for the state were also political ones. They include the death of U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas and his replacement by John Barrasso, a celebrity-physician from Casper who might yet become a free-thinking Republican from Wyoming if he could quit his addiction to voting with the Know-Nothing bloc of his party on issues such as stem-cell research and health insurance for poor children.

Another big political story: Barbara Cubin decided to retire from her U.S. House seat. This would seem like good news for Democrats except that Cubin was a big target, losing many voters in her own party to Gary Trauner in the 2006 election. Trauner is running again, but no big-name Repubs have entered the fray. State Sen. Colin Simpson, son of former U.S. Sen "Big Al" Simpson, says he will not run. We’ll have to wait and see what 2008 brings.

The state’s Repubs also made news with their decision to move up their presidential delegate selection to Jan. 5, making the Wyo. event among the first in the nation. The Republican Party has severely disciplined their high-plains brethren and sistren, withholding any signed photos of Dick Cheney until they change their ways.

Wildlife issues entered the fray. Ranchers and other big guys with big guns want to shoot wolves and grizzly bears. The feds have entered the fray and I can’t figure out all the ins and outs of their decisions. Suffice to say that with Bush and Cheney’s hand-selected wildlife conservators in control, the wildlife will lose. I have a practical question. While the loss of stock is a blow to ranchers, how many cows and sheep are killed annually by wolves? What does it add up to in dollars? Now, balance that against the tourist dollars spent annually to see (or attempt to see) the wolves and bears in Yellowstone National Park. Tourism is our largest economic generator along with energy development (oil, gas and coal). Agriculture and ranching are a distant third or fourth, depending on whose statistics you accept. You’d think those staunch bottom-line members of the state Republican Party would be allies in protecting wolves. But many legislators continue to be ranchers or those beholden to the ranching lobby. They are living in the last century or maybe the one before that.

One of the best things about Wyoming in 2007? The Governor’s first annual Arts Summit in Casper. Wyomingites convened from across the state in October to listen to some common-sense advice about how the arts can help Wyoming prepare for the future. Gov. Freudenthal has convened his own summit conference for Jan. 10-11, 2008, focusing on "Building the Wyoming We Want."

The University of Wyoming’s energy institute has added a school to study wind power. There is a gradual awakening in the state that global warming will also affect us. Strange but true. We produce tons of low-sulphur coal each day and ship it around the country, only to have it come back to haunt us in drought and acid rain and higher temps and the ravages of the pine bark beatle. On the plus side: a millennium from now, we’ll have some bitchin’ surf in Cheyenne.

Wyoming’s economy continues to hum along. Population is increasing, but at a measured pace. Baby Boomers are discovering Wyoming as a retirement haven (see preceding post), which could be good news or bad, depending on your P.O.V.

We face 2008 with angst and hope. I’ll offer some predictions in upcoming posts. They will be wildly unpredictable.

Herds of Boomers choosing Wyoming

I am pleased to report that my nefarious plan is working. When I moved to Cheyenne in 1991 to work at the Wyoming Arts Council, I pledged to help transform the state into an arts mecca. This, in turn, would cause my fellow Baby Boomers to abandon their Yuppie ways and come to Wyoming, the Rocky Mountain Nirvana. As Horace Greeley might have said in 2007: "Go West, aging Baby Boomers -- and don't forget your medication for restless leg syndrome and erectile dysfunction."

Today's AP story on CNN.com says that migrating herds of Baby Boomers are heading this way in ever-increasing numbers:

Demographers say thousands of people...are heading to the Rocky Mountain West in their later years. Forget the warmth of Florida and Arizona. Baby boomers, in particular, are gravitating toward the peaks and sagebrush basins of Wyoming and Montana, promising to turn these states from relatively young into two of the nation's oldest.

They're drawn by low crime, fresh air, little traffic and abundant outdoor activities, said Larry Swanson, an economist and director of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Missoula, Mont.

Although people of all ages like those things, older people tend to be flexible enough in their careers, families and finances to finally kick up their boots on a porch rail, he said. "If you're 25, you say, `I'd like to live here, but maybe someday in the future.' But if you're 45 or 55, the future is now."

The populations of Montana and Wyoming are not very old. In 2000, Montana ranked 18th and Wyoming 43rd for the relative size of their 65-and-over populations. But by 2030, the Census Bureau predicts Montana will rank fifth and Wyoming third in the nation for their over-65 populations.

The two states are not seeking out older people; they are being discovered.

The AP story by Mead Gruver cites some examples of people who’ve taken the plunge and moved to Wyoming. John Kerr, 69, retired from Boston's PBS station and became a seasonal Yellowstone ranger. Laurie Lyman, 55, quite her teaching job in San Diego and she and her husband are joining their friends in "snapping up property around Yellowstone." Ms. Lyman said she visited Yellowstone a few years ago and fell in love with its wolves. She plans to live close to them. I advise that she keep a close eye on her Yorkie, as gray wolves consider them a delicacy.

It’s easy to understand why Boomers with means are moving to the Yellowstone area. The scenery is gorgeous, crime rates are low, and there are lots of outdoor activities. The article does not mention that Wyoming has no income tax, which could be part of the draw. It also doesn’t mention that Teton County property tends to appreciate because there is only so much open space to build on. So, a pretty solid investment, even in this era of mortgage scandals and rampant foreclosures. And there are some celebs to ogle in Jackson Hole. The Dick Cheney Air Force drops out of the sky with alarming frequency. His gated community is lousy with CEOs, both indicted and unindicted. Harrison Ford, once a full-time resident, is occasionally spotted buzzing bewildered tourists with his helicopter. The cry goes out: "Indiana Jones! Run for it!"

Jackson is Wyoming’s cosmopolitan outpost. There is a plaque downtown that celebrates the first latte served in Wyoming. In some of the quaint shops downtown, you can buy clothing items that cost more than your "Greatest Generation" parents paid for their first house. Jackson features all of the state's great restaurants.

Jackson Hole's biggest draw? The arts. It features the Grand Teton Music Festival in Teton Village. Scores of arts galleries. And best of all -- the new Center for the Arts in the middle of Jackson. It houses the state's only full-time dance company in Dancer's Workshop, two theatre companies, the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, two film festivals, and scores of others. The Center houses classrooms, a dance rehearsal studio, a state-of-the art theatre, and a huge pottery studio with kilns. This facility gives the rest of us something to shoot for.

But what about the rest of the state? Does art exist in Casper and Green River and Cheyenne? And will Boomers want to dwell in these windswept outposts?

Yes, I'm happy to report. And so are AP and CNN. The reporter located a couple that relocated to my town of Cheyenne:

Working was what Lee and Beth Dix had in mind in 1999 when they began thinking about leaving Washington, D.C., where he was a systems analyst for IBM Corp. and she was a corporate planner for Fairchild Corp.

Lee Dix, 62, said the couple researched dozens of communities in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, then flew to Denver and started driving. The couple ended up in Cheyenne, the first overnight stop on their trip.

Lee Dix said the couple did not even consider Florida or Arizona after sweltering in Washington. "Except for the wind here, this is a pretty ideal place for us," he said.

This is an encouraging development. I've lived in the Washington, D.C., area and I'll take Wyoming's wind to the Beltway's swelter and bombast any day. But approaching Cheyenne from the south as the Dixes did can be a daunting experience. At the border, motorists must negotiate a scary line-up of giant brightly-lit billboards (they can be seen from space) and then a series of big-box fireworks' outlets ("More bang for the buck!"). Roaming herds of buffalo and pronghorn antelope lurk in the tall grass, waiting to pounce on wayward tourists. Beware of the roving bands of gay married couples trying to sneak their illicit lifestyles into The Equality State! Republican legislators warned us last session about this, said we needed to change our lax marriage laws to stem this rising tide. And now look!

The constant west wind can send cow-sized tumbleweeds barreling across I-25. Last fall, a particularly large t-weed swallowed a Toyota Prius and sent it tumbling off to Nebraska. The occupants, a trio of consultants from Denver, were never heard from again. The City of Cheyenne's gateway is notable for its truck stops, car dealerships, and tumbledown motels. Mile-long freight trains rumble along the tracks. Tourists crashing at the motels stay awake all night just so they can hear that lonesome whistle blow.

Still, it's a town where the arts are increasing in quantity and quality. And we're anxious to welcome other adventurous Boomers. We hope you're not here just for the tax breaks or the housing prices. Bargain hunters or part-time residents make bad neighbors. They also tend to be Republicans -- we don't need any more of those. We hope you are good citizens who contribute to the town's cultural vitality. We have a great symphony and theatre company. We have an active arts scene. Our new library is top-notch. This is a community full of readers, people curious about the world. We come out in force for events sponsored by the Arts Council and the Wyoming Humanities Council. The State Museum has a great lecture series focusing on Wyoming history.

Welcome Boomers! We've been setting the table for years, awaiting your arrival for the feast that is Wyoming. Hope you remembered those little purple pills.

DCCC gives boost to Trauner campaign

Mcjoan on Daily Kos posted this on Dec. 20 about Gary Trauner’s new visibility (and viability) in the 2008 race for Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat:

The DCCC's fundraising efforts have been successful enough that they can look beyond defending seats of vulnerable incumbents, so they're looking at targeting key open seats, currently held by Republicans. These include state Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson in Illinois’ 11th district; state Sen. John Adler in New Jersey’s 3rd; state Assemblywoman and 2006 nominee Linda Stender in New Jersey’s 7th; Franklin County Commissioner and 2006 nominee Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio’s 15th; state Sen. John Boccieri in Ohio’s 16th; and most exciting for us, Gary Trauner in Wyoming’s at-large.

Mcjoan also includes this quote from Frank Luntz:

Luntz, who has been most often associated with the Republican Party, was not as certain about whether the Wyoming GOP can hang onto the U.S. House seat to be vacated by incumbent Barbara Cubin. "In this current environment, I don't count on anything anymore," he said. "Wyoming is not as Republican as people think it is," Luntz added. "Voters have such a deep independent streak, and they don't like Washington."... "Do you realize how angry the American people are right now? They're angry at the war. They're angry at the economy. They're angry at illegal immigration," he said. They also are angry at the waste and corruption in Washington.

Here's what Mr. Trauner has to say about this turn of events:

The support of the everyday people through the netroots means a lot. There may be some issues where we disagree, but their financial support will make a huge difference going forward.... I welcome the DCCC's support, but I'm still running a race for the people of Wyoming and what matters to them. That's doing the right thing for the people of Wyoming and our country, and I'm glad the DCCC willing to stand behind that.... For me, I'm optimistic, buoyantly optimistic. It's more clear than ever that people aren't happy with the path we're on, with the representation that they have. It's gotten worse since 2006. We need representatives who are willing to be leaders and tell it straight.

Act Blue! Contribute to Trauner!

Blue Majority has endorsed Gary Trauner for Congress. The site bills itself this way:

We may have re-taken Congress, but our work is by no means done – in fact, this is just the beginning. Now, we need to support and strengthen our caucus. This page will feature candidates selected by DailyKos, OpenLeft, and the Swing State Project whose presence in Congress will make our party stronger.

Trauner won in most of WYO’s cities in 2006 but lost in the rural north. Trauner’s challenge will be to woo those voters in 2008, no easy task. The good news is that there isn’t yet an announced Republican candidate to replace Barbara Cubin, the right-wing kook who’s (finally) retiring. Many Repubs thought that the candidate would be State Senator Colin Simpson, son of former Sen. Big Al Simpson. But Colin tendered his regrets a few weeks ago, saying that he didn’t want to go to D.C. because the change would be too much for his young family. Colin Simpson has not been particularly noteworthy during his time in the State Senate. He tows the party line most of the time, but that’s not to unusual in this state. If he does decide to run in the future, let’s hope he exhibits his father’s tendency to cross party lines and work with the other side of the aisle.

Here’s what Blue Majority says about Mr. Trauner:

In deep red Wyoming, Trauner stands up for the Constitution. He nearly beat Republican Barbara Cubin in 2006, and forced her into retirement. He’s now gearing up to take the seat, while speaking out strongly on core Constitutional principles like the rule of law and illegal wiretapping by private phone companies. No matter what the pundits say, the Bill of Rights is popular everywhere in the country, with the possible exception of DC.

Blue Majority is collecting funds for Trauner. So far, it's racked up more than $1,100, which goes a long way in WYO. You can also contribute at his web site. Trauner will need lots of dough to counter the deep pockets of the WYO GOP, an outfit which specializes in casting aspersions through expensive TV ads.

Wandering in the wilderness since 1968

This comes from Jim Wallis's Dec. 19 column, "My Prayer for 2008," at Sojourners Online:

1968 was the turning point when everything began to go wrong in America. I remember my feelings at the time vividly. King had been the leader of the movements that had captured my imagination and commitment as a young activist; and Kennedy was the only politician who won my political trust. I was getting ready to take a break from college to work on his presidential campaign when he was killed. Ever since 1968, the door has been closed to real social change in the U.S. Since 1968, we have been wandering in the wilderness. The coming New Year -- 2008 -- marks 40 years of that wandering, a passage of time I have been pondering as we enter into it.

I agree with Jim. We have been wandering in the wilderness since 1968. We have a chance for a major upheaval in the 2008 elections. But it's not just elections that make big changes. As Jim says:

Real social progress seems to require that combination -- strong social movements and open political doors. I believe we may be approaching just such a time.

Maybe we are. Those doors have been closed for such an awfully long time.

Read the entire column at http://www.sojo.net/.

WDP offers daily news roundup on blog

Bill Luckett, the Wyoming Democratic Party's PIO, has been compiling a daily news roundup on the party's blog. To check it out, go to http://www.wyomingdemocrats.com/ and click on "blog" on the sidebar.

He carried this listing yesterday:

Not too much today. First up is a new story today in the Casper Star-Tribune on Chairman Millin’s recent letter to the Denver Post: Dem leader ruffles feathers

I read the story yesterday in the CST. Some of the state's Dems have complained about what they saw as the party's endorsement of Brack Obama for president. Millin said that he was only voicing his personal opinion and not speaking for the WDP. Still, the rules committee will probably look at this during the state convention over Memorial Day weekend 2008 in Jackson.

Wyoming's Cheney featured on Time's "Magazine Cover of the Year"

As did so many smart-asses of my generation, I devoured each issue of National Lampoon when it hit the newsstands. All those great humor writers: Michael O'Donaghue, who later found fame in strange one-man sketches on Saturday Night Live; P.J. O'Rourke, who grew up to be a "Republican lounge lizard" (his term) and author of one of my favorite books, "Holidays in Hell;" Bruce McCall, comic writer and illustrator, inventor of the "Bulgemobile;" Tona Hendra; and Doug Kenney (notice all the Irish-American surnames?). The magazine's covers were designed to grab the attention of teens and twenty-somethings, mostly males. The most infamous is the one pictured above: "If you don't buy this magazine, we'll shoot this dog." I don't know this for a fact, but I'm sure that issue sold out quickly. Not that we were dog haters. Almost everyone I knew had some big gallumphing mutt. We just loved dark humor.

Maybe that's why I was pleased to see a Texas Monthly homage to that National Lampoon issue chosen as Time's "magazine cover of the year." As you can see above, it features a gun-toting (and always snarling) Dick Cheney with shotgun. It refers to the famous incident in 2006 when Cheney went duck hunting and all he did was wound a Republican supporter. Funnier still was his victim's apology a few days later. Apparently he was concerned that the Veep might wield some of his limitless power to do him harm. His apology went something like this: "Sorry I got in the way of your shotgun pellets, Dick. Please don't send my family to Gitmo!" Texas Monthly is a fine magazine, one that almost makes me want to live in Texas. I first started reading it back in the late 1970s when Bill Broyles as editor. Broyles is a fine writer and now a famous Hollywood screenwriter who (like many Texans) lives in Jackson Hole. He's written movingly of his experiences as a Marine in Vietnam. Way to go, Texas Mo. Keep up the good work.

Arthur C. Clarke wants "to be remembered as a writer"

"Sometimes I am asked how I would like to be remembered," said Arthur C. Clarke at his 90th birthday Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka. "I have had a diverse career as a writer, underwater explorer and space promoter. Of all these I would like to be remembered as a writer."

Clarke, author of 100 sci-fi books including "2001: A Space Odyssey," listed three wishes on his birthday: for the world to embrace cleaner energy resources; for a lasting peace in his adopted home, Sri Lanka; and for evidence of extraterrestrial beings.

"I have always believed that we are not alone in this universe," he said.

Humans are waiting until extraterrestrial beings "call us or give us a sign. We have no way of guessing when this might happen. I hope sooner rather than later."

Wyo. Democratic Party responds to Millin

The Wyoming Democratic Party web site offers several links to stories about State Chair John Millin's letter to the editor last week in the Denver Post (see previous post). The letter dissed Hillary Clinton's candidacy because, according to Millin, she would be a drag on the efforts of Democrats in Wyoming. The state is red as red can be, and many of these Reds have an irrational hatred of the Clintons. His letter also promoted the candidacy of Barack Obama. So, the WDP web site offered this caveat:

Please note that the opinions expressed by Chairman Millin in the Denver Post article are his personal opinions only, and they do not reflect any official position of the Wyoming Democratic Party. The party remains neutral in all Democratic primary elections, and the party will enthusiastically support our presidential nominee. Every one of our party’s major candidates for president would make a better president for this country than any one running on the Republican side. As a state party chairman and as a superdelegate to the national convention, Chairman Millin is free to endorse whichever candidate he prefers for president. Part of our presidential election process involves the candidates trying to earn the endorsements of unpledged delegates to the convention. But any delegate’s endorsement of any candidate does not change the position of the Democratic Party, which remains neutral in the presidential primary.

Last week was an active one, media-wise, for some of the state's top Democrats. First you had Gov. Freudenthal say he wasn't going to attend the Democratic National Convention in August 2008 down the road in Denver. He did a switcheroo on that one, once he was informed that he was a superdelgate to the convention and his presence would be missed. And then came Mr. Millin's letter and the responses to it.

I believe in standing up as a Democrat. I did like Millin's letter's list of Dems' accomplishments in Wyoming. The best was Gary Trauner scaring Barbara Cubin into retirement. We're all very happy about that, as Ms. Cubin continues to miss crucial votes in Congress. Considering her right-wing voting record, maybe that's not such a bad thing...

Regarding Millin's Denver Post comments

Here are my comments to a recent letter to the editor by Wyoming Democratic Party Chair John Millin which appeared in the Denver Post. His comments about a Hillary Clinton candidacy and its effects on other WYO Democratic Party candidates (local and national) have caused quite a stir. I thought I'd provide some context:

I'm a Wyoming Democrat and recently served as secretary to the Laramie County Democrats when John Millin was its chair. So, my comments come to you completely biased. Yes, Hillary Clinton will not be a fave among Wyoming voters. Obama may get a few more votes if he's the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. The same goes for Edwards. But let's face it: the Republican candidate, no matter who HE is, will win Wyoming and its crucial three electoral votes. Democrats voting for president in Wyoming are throwing away their vote. We saw how little the popular vote counts in the 2000 elections, when Gore was elected prez by the majority of Americans but Bush won the electoral contest thanks to Republican Party hacks in Florida and some tired old cranks on the Supreme Court.

But the alternative is to vote for the Republican candidate. We can't afford another eight years of compassionate conservatism. Look what's happened the past eight years. Bush and Cheney have taken us to the brink of World War III and keep pressing war against Iran.

I will vote Democratic for president, Hillary or not. My neighbors will vote for Mitt or Fred or Rudy. Republicans will continue to turn our government over to corporate interests and Christian know-nothings. They will continue to wage war against the planet.

Our only choice for salvation lies with the Democrats. My first choice for president is not Ms. Clinton. I like Edwards and Kucinich and Richardson. But if she's chosen at the Denver convention, I will vote for Hillary Clinton. I reckon that John Millin will also do so, as will other Wyoming Dems.

Calls to impeach WYO's "favorite son"

Democrat.com carried news on Friday about a call by Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida to impeach V.P. Dick Cheney, the quiet young man who grew up in Casper, Wyoming, and went on to become the scourge of the universe. Joining Wexler in this effort are two other Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee: Luis Gutierrez of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. They called on their committee to begin impeachment hearings. Here's what they said:

"The charges are too serious to ignore. There is credible evidence that the Vice President abused the power of his office, and not only brought us into an unneccesary war but violated the civil liberties and privacy of American citizens. It is the constitutional duty of Congress to hold impeachment hearings."

They wrote an op-ed outlining their position, but none of the nation's leading newspapers would publish it, according to Democrat.com. No surprise there. As A.J. Liebling said, "The free press belongs to those who own one." So it's been up to progressive bloggers to spread the word. Some of those links are on my sidebar.

To sign a petition supporting Wexler's efforts, go to http://wexlerwantshearings.com/

A fine mishegoss you got us into

In Wednesday’s New York Times, Maureen Dowd writes about a recent speech at the American Enterprise Institute by Iraq War architect Douglas Feith. He was part of Donald Rumsfeld’s stable of neo-cons who did such a great job in Iraq. Dowd says this about Feith and his chickenhawk pals:

"He was simply trying to put an egghead gloss on his Humpty Dumpty mishegoss."

Mishegoss? That’s a new word for me. Here are its meanings:

"Noun 1. mishegoss -- (Yiddish) craziness; senseless behavior or activity meshugaas, mishegaasfoolery, tomfoolery, lunacy, craziness, folly, indulgence -- foolish or senseless behavior."

That pretty well sums up our Iraq misadventure.

Bush's "hoodoo science" on global warming

Ronald Reagan believed in voodoo economics. This president believes in voodoo science (maybe that's hoodoo science). Or maybe he just believes in the power of ignorance. Rep. Henry Waxman’s House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued its report Monday about the Bush Administration’s interference with climate change science. It obtained more than 27,000 pages of documents from the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Commerce Department, held two investigative hearings, and interviewed officials. Most of this info has never been publicly disclosed.

The findings are available on Waxman’s site at http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1653. Here’s an executive summary:

The evidence before the Committee leads to one inescapable conclusion: the Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming.

On a gut-level, we always knew this to be the case. Now we know for sure. We have proof, which is something the Republicans never pay attention to.

Coal-powered projects snuffed in WYO

Casper Star-Tribune energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer reports this in today’s issue:

Two coal-based power projects planned for southwest Wyoming have been snuffed due to an uncertain political climate regarding greenhouse gases. PacifiCorp, which operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, said it has pulled all coal-based power generation from its plan to meet increasing load demand within the six Western states it serves. The action scraps a planned 527-megawatt, "super-critical" pulverized coal unit at the Jim Bridger power plant in Sweetwater County. It also scraps a coal-gasification, carbon capture and sequestration demonstration project in partnership with the state of Wyoming at Jim Bridger, according to Rocky Mountain Power spokesman Dave Eskelsen.

"The situation the company finds itself in now is a significant amount of uncertainty about what climate change regulation might do to the cost of coal plants," Eskelsen said Monday. "Coal projects are no longer viable."California, Oregon, Washington and other states across the nation are forcing utilities to consider the additional cost of curbing carbon dioxide emissions in proposed coal-based generation, due to increasing pressure to address climate change. The world's top scientists say human-caused CO2 is almost certainly a key factor in global warming.

This is good news for all of us, including Wyomingites. Republicans will blather on about this, I’m sure, but global warming affects Rock Springs as much as Palm Springs or Warm Springs or any other similarly-named place on the planet. Cancelling (or at least postponing) coal-fired plants is a good thing. In the meantime, we can invest more in solar and wind energy, as well as biofuels.
But the CST story gets more intriguing further down the page:

The outside pressures against coal-fired generation are in complete contrast with the treatment conventional coal projects have received from Freudenthal's administration and Wyoming regulators. At least three new coal-fired power plant projects have been approved in Wyoming in recent years, with no carbon capture or sequestration requirements. All three plants are planned for construction in Campbell County over the next three years. Among them is Basin Electric Power
Cooperative's 385-megawatt Dry Fork Station.

As a Democrat, this distresses me. Many pressures are brought to bear on a Dem governor in our fair state, but Freudenthal shouldn’t be so quick to approve these coal-fired monsters. While he’s talked about global warming and attended some of the regional/national conclaves about renewable energy, Freudenthal needs to take the same kind of proactive stance shown by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter. Less coal, more renewable sources of energy. Gov. Freudenthal also needs to put some money into play.

Home from Iraq for Christmas

Our plane was late. Good thing for the eight Air Force guys who showed up right before the regular boarding time. Some were in desert camouflage uniforms, others wore civvies. All had short haircuts. "Iraq," I guessed. "Maybe Afghanistan."

Iraq, it turns out. One of the airmen sat next to me in row 31 on the flight to Denver. They had been eight months in Kuwait. Their job was driving the trucks that supply to U.S. military throughout Iraq. The guy next to me, Greg from southeastern Idaho, estimated that he drove 20,000 miles in his eight-month stint. Sometimes he drove, sometimes he rode shotgun – in this case, a government-issue automatic weapon. I asked him if they had any problem with I.E.D.s. He looked at me as if I was crazy. "Yeah," he said simply. "It wasn't any fun.

That may be the understatement of the year.

Greg and his buddies had departed Kuwait Sunday morning. A five-hour flight to Germany. Eight hours to Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI). Four hours to Denver. Greg’s next flight was to Spokane where he was stationed at Fairchild AFB. Then he was off to his family near Idaho Falls for Christmas. His brother won't be there because he's in Afghanistan until April.

Before joining the Air Force two years ago, he was part of a harvesting crew that spent the summer and fall roaming the high prairie cutting wheat, corn, and soybeans. Wheat in the Dakotas, corn in Kansas and Nebraska, soybeans in Missouri. He said that he dropped on Cheyenne Frontier Days a few times during his travels. A few days in Cheyenne and then, like an 1880s cowhand, he was off to greener fields, or maybe I should say ripening fields? So now he travels the world with the Air Force. Join the Air Force and drive a big rig to Kirkuk and Ramadi and Fallujah!

Greg and his buddies threw back the drinks. Who could blame them? They were young and fatigued and happy to be out of the war zone. They all had I-Pods. Greg’s was stored in a sturdy black metal case. I didn’t have to ask him why. His buddy across the aisle wore civvies and a do-rag on his head. He was plugged into music, as was the buzz-headed airman in front of him. A few rows up, another airman was reading a book about Iran. Didn’t see the whole title, but he was reading up, just in case our presdident makes yet another dumb move.

Many of us had short connections in Denver. One airman had six minutes to catch his flight to Salt Lake City. Greg and his pal Matt had 30 minutes. I only had 15 minutes and a colleague and I ran to the A concourse only to find that it had been cancelled and we had to wait two hours for another. But, as I sit here on a Monday morning in Cheyenne, I realize I’d only been gone five days to an arts conference in Baltimore. These guys hadn’t seen family for at least eight months. I wish them well and hope they don’t have to return to Bush’s Insane War in Iraq.

How do we build a Wyoming we want?

Governor Dave Freudenthal will convene a conference called "Building the Wyoming We Want" on Jan. 10-11 at Casper College's Krampert Theatre. Tickets are $25 each. Anyone can attend, but registration is required. To register, click here.

FMI: Mark Toft at 307-777-8922 or Wendy Curran at 777-3654. I’ll

To see the conference schedule, go to http://outreach.uwyo.edu/conferences/buildingthewyowewant/agenda.asp

First suggestion: Let's quit socking money away in the Rainy Day Savings Account ($4 billion and counting) and spend it on infrastructure.

Even in Wyo., King Coal may lose crown

Bill Sniffin's column in today's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle is the second of his I've read that addresses coal's precarious future in Wyoming.

Sniffin, a long-time Wyo. journalist who once ran for governor in 2002 as a Republican, seems to know his subject. He notes that the state has 250 years worth of low-sulphur coal in the ground. He adds: "Wyoming is North America's Saudi Arabia when it comes to coal."

We are in the midst of an energy boom that began back in 2002. Coal, oil, and natural gas are partners in the boom. Sniffin doesn't mention this, but this also coincides with a Republican president and a Republican Congress, all friends of fossil fuel. Not to mention Wyoming's own, Dick Cheney, whose secret meetings with corporate energy tycoons early in the Bush presidency set us on our current path of energy dependence and Middle East wars.

But Sniffin, at least, recognizes that coal's days are numbered. And why is that?

"A bogeyman named global warming has entered the nation's consciousness and is starting to put a crimp into some of these developments, especially coal."

While Bush has spent most of his tenure denying that global warming exists, he now at least acknowledges that there's a slight possibility that it could exist. Even Texas, Dubya's home state, has cancelled "a huge development of coal-powered plants that would have used 7 percent of Wyoming's coal." Not even Texas wants a new batch of coal-fired plants polluting the atmosphere and ratcheting up the global CO2 index. Sniffin also notes that Utah residents are up in arms over plans for a coal-fired plant next door in Nevada.

People everywhere, it seems, are taking global warming seriously.

Meanwhile, battles rage over keeping energy development out of the Wyoming Range and the Red Desert. While energy development is king in Wyoming, hunters and ranchers and environmentalists are forming alliances to save those natural places which make up the true bounty of the state. It's ironic that fossil fuels pulled from beneath the high prairie and rugged mountains may be the cause of a warmer planet that will kill alpine forests and turn grasslands into desert.

Bill Sniffin wraps up his column by saying that "the public relations advantage is definitely in the hands of the global warming folks." His wording implies that he is not one of these folks, nor are most Wyomingites.

But it's not just a mater of P.R. Global warming is a real threat with dire consequences. Republicans, too, have only one planet to call home.

Journalists: Iraq more dangerous than ever

From the Project for Excellence in Journalism:

In a new PEJ survey, journalists reporting from Iraq say the conditions are the most dangerous they've ever encountered. Ninety percent say most of Baghdad remains too dangerous to visit. Nearly 60% of the news organizations have had at least one Iraqi staff member killed or kidnapped in the last year. The survey is of 111 journalists from 29 news organizations reporting from Iraq.

Adobe Town could get stronger protection

On Wednesday, the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council decided to back stronger protection for an area known as Adobe Town in southwest Wyoming. The meeting was held in nearby Rock Springs. According to an article in the Casper Star-Tribune:

The council voted 5-1 to approve a petition from the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and seven other conservation groups that designates about 180,000 acres in and around Adobe Town as a "very rare and uncommon" area. Commissioners concluded that Adobe Town has the significant scenic, archaeological, historic, wildlife, or surface geological values necessary for the designation.

Here's a description of Adobe Town from the Friends of the Red Desert web site.

Carved into intricate shapes by water and wind, Adobe Town is possibly the most astonishing and remote set of badlands and geological formations in the entire state of Wyoming. Throughout the area, which is virtually untouched by human activity, wide patches of desert and rolling sand dunes stretch across the open spaces between colorful rock formations and rugged canyons. Fossils of long-extinct mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates show visitors what once inhabited this landscape. And several high priority plant species that have adapted to thrive off 5 inches of average rainfall sprout from the arid soil.

I've been to many sections of the Red Desert, including Adobe Town. It's a severe and beautiful landscape, one that needs protection from the ravages that have been inflicted upon other parts of Wyoming. I attended the "Red Desert Symposium" at the UW Art Museum in September. Annie Proulx was there, speaking about her new book, "Red Desert," which chronicles -- in words and stunning photos -- the scope of this wonderful region. I'll keep you posted on the release date for the book.