Myers, Wm

<p> ---</p><p>Griles ass't Cason  James E made #2 b/c no congr approval needed (ex #2 to

Watt, sweatheart deals , strip mining in parks; dep soliciter  Wm G Myers,

dir of WU front for <span style=" background-color: #ED1C24;"><b>cattlemen.</b></span> H VCraig Hanson (ex gov Sison F&G, ~ ESA</p><p>---

rev door sw 

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<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=William_G._Myers&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="William G. Myers (page does not exist)">William G. Myers</a> - "solicitor of the Interior Department. The government's top lawyer for cases involving exploitation of our public lands by mining and agribusiness corporations, Myers previously was a lawyer and lobbyist representing mining and agribusiness corporations. At interior, he has pushed for new rules to allow more cattle grazing, to limit endangered species protections, to require fewer environmental impact statements for the lands under his stewardship, and to open public lands in five Western States to oil drilling. Myers is under investigation by ethics officials for meeting with his former corporate clients, despite having signed a conflict-of-interest agreement to avoid such contacts. Meanwhile, George W has nominated this possible law violator to be a federal appeals judge."<a href="http://www.utne.com/web_special/web_specials_2004-06/articles/11232-1.html" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.utne.com/web_special/web_specials_2004-06/articles/11232-1.html" rel="nofollow">[17]</a></li>

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<div class="medtext longop">BUSH CONTINUES PUSH FOR ANTI-ENVIRONMENT CIRCUIT COURT NOMINEE

The U.S. Senate will vote later this week on whether to give a

lifetime seat on the federal bench -- with substantial influence

over environmental laws affecting 485 million acres of public

land in Alaska and the American West -- to a man judged barely

qualified for the position by the American Bar Association

(ABA).

Despite opposition from members of the California State

Legislature and more than 70 legal scholars and professors,

President Bush is urging the Senate to confirm William Myers,

his former chief attorney for the Department of Interior, to the

9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals. The ABA gave Myers its lowest

possible rating, with only a "slim majority" finding him

"qualified." More than a third rated him "unqualified" and no

one rated him "well qualified."<1>

Myers' nomination has generated opposition from more than 160

environmental, Native American, civil rights, labor, disability

rights, women's rights and other organizations, many of whom

"have never before opposed a judicial nominee by any President,"

said Sugameli.

"There is no good reason why any Senator should support Myers"

nomination and lots of reasons why Senators should exercise

their advise and consent duty to just say no to Myers, who has

the most anti-environmental and most anti-tribal record of any

of President Bush's appeals court nominees," Glenn Sugameli,

senior legislative counsel for Earthjustice, told

BushGreenwatch.

In a letter to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, members of the

California Legislature said Myers appeared to be "a singularly

poor choice" for the bench and urged her to "do all she can to

ensure he is not confirmed."

"Mr. Myers is neither qualified to serve on the Ninth Circuit

nor has he demonstrated the ability to be fair and impartial as

an appellate judge," the letter states. "Throughout his career

he has single-mindedly worked to advance the interests of

grazing and mining industries at the expense of the environment

and acted against the interests and rights of Native Americans

and tribal governments. His record as Solicitor of the

Department of the Interior indicates that if confirmed, he would

be a threat to California's strong environmental laws."<2>

Opponents have criticized Myers for helping to weaken

protections for endangered species and public lands, for helping

to tilt Administration policies in favor of extractive

industries and for loosening protections against overgrazing

public lands. Myers is a former lobbyist for the National Mining

Association and a former executive director of the Public Lands

Council, a trade association that promotes the interests of

ranchers who graze sheep and cattle on public lands.

He angered Native Americans when, as chief attorney for the U.S.

Department of the Interior, he reversed his predecessor's

opinion to clear the way for a cyanide heap-leach gold mine in

California that could cause irreparable harm to an important

spiritual site for the Quechan Indian Tribe. He has also been

the subject of two ethics investigations while serving at

Interior.</div>

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<p>

<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/132173/25-Most-Corrupt-Officials-in-the-Bush-Administration">http://www.scribd.com/doc/132173/25-Most-Corrupt-Officials-in-the-Bush-Administration</a></p>