Friday, September 29, 2006

Musgrave & Allard - Mutt & Jefff, Frick & Frack of Colorado's Congressional Team

Ah, the flatlanders have done it again.

Supposedly working with Colorado's Senator Ken Salazar (D) on a bill that would provide the Rocky Mountain National Park with "wilderness" designation/protection, Colorado Senator Wayne "Potted Plant" Allard (R) and Colorado Representative Marilyn "Fear the Queer" Musgrave suddenly on Thursday submitted a separate bill that essentially provided for the same thing Salazar et. al. have been working on for over a year, thus probably guaranteeing that no bill will be passed in this session to protect this magnificent national park.

Why? Well, Senator Salazar opined that the second bill was presented so Ms. Marilyn could be noted as a sponsor to--Oh, tell me it isn't true--help her reelection bid.

Said Salazar: "When people start playing politics with Colorado's agenda and Colorado's crown jewels, it's wrong."

Seems also that Allard and Musgrave have refused to attach their names to the original bill which, as I noted, is essentially the same as the Allard/Musgrave version.

Final word from Colorado Congressman Udall: "A cynic might think that this timing is aimed at helping Mrs. Musgrave in her re-election campaign."

Oh, really?

Spokesman for Musgrave, Aaron Johnson suggested that one of the differences between the two bills was that the Allard/Musgrave version would give wilderness protection to the park WITHOUT embracing that protection within the Wilderness Act. Thus (ho-hum) assuring that if the Wilderness Act happened to be modified, Rocky Mountain National Park's wilderness status would not be affected.

Said Salazar: "The chances of the Wilderness Act being changed are about the same as putting a human being on Jupiter in the next year."

GAWD don't ya'll love election years.

No comments: