Club activists encouraged to help Pete McCloskey defeat Richard Pombo

Richard Pombo is one of the most anti-environmental representatives ever to serve in Congress. He entered the House with a stated goal of unraveling the wildlife protections of the Endangered Species Act and supporting a radical vision of property rights that undermines environmental laws and enriches polluters and developers. He aligned himself with the most extreme members of the House Republican leadership. He is the largest California recipient of money from the convicted lobbyist-felon Jack Abramoff and the clients he defrauded, and owes his Resources Committee chair to his close association with disgraced former Republican leader Tom DeLay.

Pombo has often had a free electoral pass in the Republican-dominated 11th Congressional District, which snakes through the Central Valley to the East Bay, taking advantage of his political safety to channel large sums of campaign contributions to family members and to other candidates who share his narrow political vision. The Sierra Club has dubbed him an "eco-thug", and he has been named one of the 13 most corrupt members of Congress by the Committee for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

But Pombo's political free ride may be coming to an end. Abramoff's conviction and DeLay's retirement in disgrace, coupled with Pombo's own heavy-handed brand of politics, has drawn the ire of Republicans and Democrats alike. Few incumbents in this nation enter a re-election campaign with as much political baggage as Richard Pombo. What's worse for Rep. Pombo is that he has drawn a primary challenge from a respected and canny campaigner, former Rep. Pete McCloskey.

Pete McCloskey's campaign embodies much of the public outrage about congressional corruption and the attacks of Republican leaders on environmental protections. McCloskey, a highly decorated Korean War veteran, author of the original Endangered Species Act, and one of the original Earth Day organizers, is a spirited campaigner who is galvanizing 11th District voters of all political stripes fed up with Pombo's ethical lapses and extremist agenda. He bristles at how Pombo and DeLay have moved the GOP away from fiscal responsibility and environmental protection. McCloskey's campaign is generating national notice and excitement, and win or lose, will force Pombo to spend down his campaign war chest and raise issues that will weaken the incumbent against the winner of the Democratic primary in November - should Pombo make it that far.

At press time we have just learned that Pombo has agreed to debate McCloskey on May 15 at 7 pm at Williams Middle School gymnasium.

WhatYouCanDo

The Sierra Club has made defeating Richard Pombo our top 2006 California congressional election priority. We urge our members to volunteer in Pete McCloskey's campaign, and plan to help engage them in every way we can.

To plug into Sierra Club and environmentally themed campaign events and activities such as precinct walks, phone banks, etc., contact carl.zichella -at- sierraclub.org (preferred) or (916) 557-1100 (leave message at general mailbox).

Please join us in defeating Richard Pombo and building a more environmentally responsive Congress. The primary is Tue., June 6 - get involved today.