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Ostrich Diplomacy by John Thiel Idaho Statesman - July 7, 2005

Judge Redden ruled that the Bush plan for saving the Idaho run of salmon and steelhead was more cynical than sincere. The court held that we must figure out a way to get the fish past the dams and into the ocean so that these fish can be saved to return to Idaho.

Instead of sincerity, our senior senator has responded to the ruling by attaching a rider to an energy bill to kill the agency that counts the fish. Since the fish count tells us how bad the problem is, Craig's solution is to put our heads in the sand to make the problem disappear. Unfortunately only the fish will disappear.

Craig's response to Judge Redden's ruling is to embrace ignorance as our salvation. That's cynical. Senator Craig apparently cares more for the big corporate interests that fill his campaign coffers than he does for the Idaho communities that rely on returning salmon and steelhead for their livelihood.