Thompson up for Interior Secretary | Napa Valley Register

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Thompson up for Interior Secretary

Friday, November 21, 2008

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By ERICA WERNER
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — Napa County’s congressman who hunts, fishes and grows wine grapes is being promoted for Interior secretary by two prominent fellow lawmakers.

California Democratic Reps. George Miller and Anna Eshoo sent a letter to the incoming administration in the past week urging consideration for Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St.Helena, said Miller’s chief of staff, Danny Weiss.

“They believe that he would make an excellent secretary, has a broad base of support and knows the issues very well, both from the environmental side and the natural resources side, and they encouraged the transition team to consider him strongly,” he said.

Miller and Eshoo are close with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, as is Thompson.

Nearly three dozen sportsmen’s groups, including Ducks Unlimited and Wildlife Forever, also sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team supporting Thompson. Thompson backers are heartened by comments Obama made in an interview with Field & Stream magazine in September. He said his Interior secretary probably would be a sportsman or sportswoman.

“I think that having a head of the Department of Interior who doesn’t understand hunting and fishing would be a problem,” the magazine quoted Obama as saying.

Thompson, 57, won re-election in November and will start his sixth term in January. He serves on the Ways and Means and Intelligence committees, and co-founded the Wine Caucus when he arrived in Congress in 1999. He is an avid hunter and has pushed legislation and disaster relief on behalf of salmon fishermen in Northern California.

In a statement Thursday, Thompson said, “It’s an honor to be recognized by the many groups I’ve worked with over the years, but no one associated with President-elect Obama has contacted me.”

39 comment(s)

napanative53 wrote on Nov 21, 2008 3:38 AM:

" Please Democrats. We just barely have a hold of the congress and are probably losing Hillary. Northern California just reelected Mr. Thompson and would not like him to leave just like that. I am sorry if you have ambitions Mr. Thompson but come on now. Who loves ya baby and for all these years? Don't run out on us. We need ya, OK.
Really,
A progressive independent who is trying to stay on the Demos side n the fight against you know who. "

kevin wrote on Nov 21, 2008 5:01 AM:

" Pleeeese! This seems to be the ONLY way we will ever get RID of Thompson as our useless Congressman.

Thank you, B.O.! "

jimmie wrote on Nov 21, 2008 7:39 AM:

" That's exciting. Congratulations to Rep Thompson for recognition of all his hard work and agility in the political system. I'm sure the naysayers are chomping at the bit here but I consider it an honor for us in the North Bay and Napa County. Matters! "

Jane Eyrehead wrote on Nov 21, 2008 9:18 AM:

" Thompson would be a wonderful choice, although we would miss him in Congress. "

manxkat wrote on Nov 21, 2008 9:40 AM:

" Elevating Thompson would be the perfect example of the Peter principle - "In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence."

But we can only be thankful because it will give get him out of here and give us a chance to have a congressional representative for once that might be worthy. "

Raven wrote on Nov 21, 2008 9:58 AM:

" and do you actually think there is a republican candidate out there who can do better representing his district, kevin....not likely "

14obama wrote on Nov 21, 2008 10:01 AM:

" I asked Mike to get some money back that was taken from my Social Security for Medicare that I didn't want or need.
He couldn't do it ! It makes me wonder if he could wipe his own you know what.
Someone else would be a better choice for Interior Secretary. Sorry Mike,just the way it is. "

toratora wrote on Nov 21, 2008 10:10 AM:

" PLEEEEEEEEESE! take him obama!. This man (thompson) has to go he is nothing more then a trough feeding fraud. This will open up the chance of getting someone fresh in his place, This guy has had his head buried in this district deeper then an alabama tick for way to long, Time to pluck him out!!!! "

reason-ator wrote on Nov 21, 2008 10:20 AM:

" Out of respect for the Interior, couldn't we just send him to a foreign country as an ambassador ?

I'll do most anything to get Thompson out of Congress, but I don't want to sell Yosemite to the highest briber. "

telebender wrote on Nov 21, 2008 10:34 AM:

" Mike would be a great Interior Sec, and then maybe we could get a congressperson who isn't so eager so throw billions at Wall Street criminals. "

zanchin wrote on Nov 21, 2008 10:41 AM:

" Congratulations to Mike for being considered for this prestigious post. I would hate to see him go but I think he would be a great Secretary of the Interior. I've been proud to have Mike as my Congressman. "

kevin wrote on Nov 21, 2008 11:26 AM:

" Raven, NOBODY could be a worse Congressman than Mike Thompson. He turned his back on our brave servicemen and women by refusing to provide them with the materials and funding they require to perform their job and protect themselves and he pretends to be a "fiscal" conservative while at the same time voting for huge government bailouts and spending increases.

Even if we get another Liberal Representative, maybe we can get one that doesn't lie about what they stand for... "

nightwatchman wrote on Nov 21, 2008 11:29 AM:

" 14Obama--

That's how Medicare works, buddy. It works because everyone is enrolled and costs are spread out. If you don't want it you can opt out.

Also, if you don't like Social Security and Medicare, maybe you should have voted for McCain. He wanted to pretty much do away with them as we know it.

Thompson would be an inspired choice. "

nightwatchman wrote on Nov 21, 2008 11:30 AM:

" Yes, Kevin, he's been sooooo terrible that he's being considered for a cabinet position. I wish I was that bad at my job. "

rational-one wrote on Nov 21, 2008 11:32 AM:

" Kevin and reason-ator,

How incredibly wrong can two human beings be? Mike Thompson has been a champion for our district for many years, you are so very mistaken and ill informed.

Let me guess, you are boycotting the Chef's Market too, since it changed nights! "

Rich wrote on Nov 21, 2008 11:39 AM:

" See ya Mike, don't let the door hit you in the butt.

Yall don't come back now hear? "

toratora wrote on Nov 21, 2008 12:25 PM:

" rational-one you name is an oxymoron you are from it! Thompson has been a champion for himself not for you me or anyone. He back stabbed our great military, Voted for that hideous 800 billion dollar bail out and so on. You sound like just another party hack! "

Hear Ye wrote on Nov 21, 2008 12:56 PM:

" He backstabbed our great military? Anyone who believes that probably shouldn't be calling anyone else a party hack. "

toratora wrote on Nov 21, 2008 1:33 PM:

" hear ye, What about that little trip thompson took over to iraq paid for by saddam,Hmmmmmmmm! This guy should have been kick out on his arse this last election but the people spoke and that sure goes to show how many here are so uninformed about this fraud! "

sickothis wrote on Nov 21, 2008 2:12 PM:

" Rational-one - Kevin was bleating for months that the democrats couldn't field an electable candidate. Tells you his level of acumen.

Don't bother feeding the trolls. "

Hear Ye wrote on Nov 21, 2008 2:48 PM:

" Oh you mean the State Department approved trip? That dang Saddam had the State Department in his back pocket too! "

Raven wrote on Nov 21, 2008 2:56 PM:

" kevin, kevin, kevin.....my oh my.....you really shouldn't let you dislike for Thompson make silly claims like that6, that you know aren't true... and if he was doing such a poor job for his district why haven't all the Thompson haters been able to pull together and get a candidate to defeat him....

He must have been doing something right...in the last election he got 68 percent of the vote...so some of the republicans are looking at someone who delivers for his district and voting for him it would appear... "

jmo wrote on Nov 21, 2008 3:31 PM:

" WOW can I use the same reasoning as raven on 8 with 52% of the vote?

Well the wine industry will now be perfectly positioned to get Obama's ear on a bailout for them. lol. "

TracyK wrote on Nov 21, 2008 3:59 PM:

" Congressman Thompson would make an outstanding Interior Secretary and the Obama Administration would be very lucky to have Thompson in his cabinet.
It's an honor to have Thompson represent us! While I would hate to lose him as our Representative, it would be GREAT to have our guy in the Obama Administration. "

reason-ator wrote on Nov 21, 2008 4:02 PM:

" rational-one,

I'm sorry. I must have mis-judged Mike Thompson. He stood on my mom's doorstep and told her he was just going to run for one term and would not run to be re-elected.

So either he's a one-term Congrassman, or he's a liar. I'll do some research and get back to you on what he is.

Until then, I reserve the right to not trust anything he says.

If you want to trust him and worship him, go ahead. You can be on the same list as Mike Thompson about "How incredibly wrong can two human beings be ?" "

14obama wrote on Nov 21, 2008 4:09 PM:

" "nightwatchman" I thought Medicare was free,so,I must've signed up. I didn't know this until I had given up 1500 dollars out of my SS check. If I had known, I wouldn't have signed up because I already had an HMO. Surely,Mike's boys n girls could've gotten back my much needed money. Medicare is presented to us older folks in a less than honest way. If we want it,we'll ask for it. Not rammed down our throats then have fight to stop it ! Ain't nothing wrong with SS or Medicare ! Listen to me,man ! "

nightwatchman wrote on Nov 21, 2008 4:17 PM:

" After that absolute spanking the American people laid on them Election Day, the bleating of the Usual Suspects around here seems to have lost a bit of its pep.

You guys need to take a sabbatical and recharge your batteries, maybe figure out how to govern rather than whine and name-call. No matter what you do, Mike Thompson is still the most popular and effective Congressman we've ever had and Democrats will still be in charge for at least the next 4 years. "

Raven wrote on Nov 21, 2008 4:25 PM:

" actually the 69 percent was from the entire district..in Napa County he got slightly over 40k out of 56k cast...about 71 percent....total number of registered voters is slightly more than 71k..so yeah...in Thompson's case he got a clear majority of the voters

as far as prop 8 is concerned....about 6 million out of 17 million registered voters voted for it....no where close to a majority of possible voters... "

reason-ator wrote on Nov 21, 2008 5:05 PM:

" nightwatchman,

Just in case you're talking about me, I'm a Democrat. A Democrat who is very concerned that Democrats come up with the Power Players that we do.

Fortunately, the media seems to ignore all the crooked deals that the Dems make while they fixate on the tricks that the Republicans have pulled.

When I think about the back-door deals that the climbers in Clinton's party have to make to get the top, it makes me feel kinda slimy. Especially someone like Thompson, who gives me the feeling he can only do something if there are cameras or possible headlines around. I can't predict if he'll flip or he'll flop, but he IS amazingly good at landing on his feet. Which is ALWAYS his first priority. Not a bad thing, for sure, but not always good for the people he has to step on to get where he's got his sights set.

I'm excited about the possibilities of the next four years and I hope the media honeymoon lasts long enough to get things done. "

kevin wrote on Nov 21, 2008 5:22 PM:

" nightwatchman; it only took Bill Clinton two years to turn Congress back over to the Republicans.

I'm sure that B.O. can do the same... "

les wrote on Nov 21, 2008 8:12 PM:

" I thought the discussion was about Thompson, just like a conservative, change the topic to defuse attention and pick on someone who hasn't been around for almost a decade. "

arttow wrote on Nov 21, 2008 8:42 PM:

" Yes take him. At least in four years we'll be done with this sorry sack. It just blows me away the people that think Mike walks on water. He isn't that sharp. If he was he wouldn't spend his entire career in goverment. Looking forward to a replacement no matter which party. "

Raven wrote on Nov 21, 2008 9:07 PM:

" dont count your chickens kevin..I have a hunch you thought Shrub would be a great prez too...

as for thompson not being very sharp....he seems to have been sharp enough to keep his district happy ...hasnt faced a serious challenge in years... "

kevin wrote on Nov 23, 2008 7:56 PM:

" Never said he wasn't "sharp".

I just have problems with his integrity and his patriotism... "

Raven wrote on Nov 24, 2008 8:42 AM:

" his patriotism?....the last refuge of a scoundrel is accusing someone else of not being patriotic....and he;s integrity is less than let's say, Cunnigham or Stevens? "

flacoman wrote on Nov 24, 2008 10:08 AM:

" It's pretty scary either way. He's long been a lap-dog of the Sierra Club. Witness his refusal to wade in on the destruction going on at Lake Berryessa. Better for him to jump into the pockets of the influence peddlars hovering around the Interior Dept.
And lets face it, with the full support of the "Register," nothing could have pried him out of office.
Oh, and by the way "Napa Register," genius call on your presidential endorsment. It shows how much you've got your finger on the pulse of your readership. "

nightwatchman wrote on Nov 24, 2008 12:07 PM:

" Yes, Kevin, way to go buddy, always a good idea to question the patriotism of a decorated veteran. The Republicans' go-to maneuver. And you wonder why people are disgusted by your party.

I hope you've served. "

kevin wrote on Nov 24, 2008 2:13 PM:

" According to the NVR:

WASHINGTON — Saddam Hussein’s intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

The three anti-war Democrats made the trip in October 2002, while the Bush administration was trying to persuade Congress to authorize military action against Iraq. While traveling, they called for a diplomatic solution.
Prosecutors say that trip was arranged by Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a Michigan charity official, who was charged Wednesday with setting up the junket at the behest of Saddam’s regime. Iraqi intelligence officials allegedly paid for the trip through an intermediary and rewarded Al-Hanooti with 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil."

So which is it? Is Thompson unpatriotic or just stupid? Or both? Regardless, Napa (and the Country) deserve better... "

nightwatchman wrote on Nov 24, 2008 4:25 PM:

" I'm shocked, SHOCKED! That you left this part out:

"Thompson released a statement Wednesday saying the trip was approved by the State Department.

“Obviously, had there been any question at all regarding the sponsor of the trip or the funding, I would not have participated,” he said.
In an interview Wednesday afternoon, Thompson said prosecutors have not suggested improper conduct by the members of Congress. The charity was investigated two years ago and was cleared to continue its work.

“The charity that paid for the trip, they didn’t do anything wrong,” said Thompson. “It was somebody involved with them that is alleged to have taken money inappropriately.”

So is your GOP President's State Department unpatriotic or just stupid? Oh, that's right, only Republicans make honest mistakes. When Democrats make them, they're treasonous.

So, Kev, you didn't answer my question: which branch of the military did you serve in? Which war? Where were you stationed?

Or is it just the "Support the Troops" magnet on your Corolla that you think gives you the right to impugn a veteran's patriotism? "

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