Grijalva for Interior & Solis for EPA

Latinos voted more than 2-to-1 for Barack Obama, basically providing him his margin of victory. Young people, who care the most about global warming, did the same. Solidifying the long-term voting patterns of these two groups could ensure a "center/left" political realignment in the near future.
The good news is that we have a chance to solidify the Latino vote connection with his appointments, and do so in a way that also solidifies the attraction of the new administration to young people, based on the key environmental issues that they care about strongly.
The President-Elect has the chance to appoint Raul Grijalva & Hilda Solis to key environmental posts, two talented, experienced House members with strong "green" credentials, both of whom hail from the West, and both Hispanic--a strong statement to the Latino community, especially on top of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's expected appointment to the Commerce Department!
Rep. Raul Grijalva is a strong advocate for our public lands, and would make an outstanding Secretary of the Interior.
Rep. Hilda Solis has long been a leader in the fight for "environmental justice", and would make an excellent EPA head.
And both are among the most progressive members of Congress. Si, se puede!

Comments

[ecoprofessor]

Patricia Madrid has spent her time since being Attorney General as a special consultant to Dickstein Shapiro -- the DC law firm where convicted felon Scooter Libby worked -- while Raúl Grijalva has been working hard in Congress and just released "A Report on the Bush Administration Assault on our National Parks, Forests and Public Lands (A Partial List)".

Compare the interests being represented at Dickstein Shapiro, such as lobbying for mega-coal producer Peabody Energy (http://www.implu.com/lobby/271445) with the Grijalva report
(http://grijalva.house.gov/uploads/Grijalva_Public_Lands_Report_10_22_20081.pdf).

Far from being an "ideologue from the left" Grijalva has been an effective conservation leader and would be an outstanding Secretary of the Interior.

[qofdisks]

New Mexico is a state with 22 Native tribes and Madrid has had extensive dealings with them over the years. As New Mexico AG, Madrid also held stewardship responsibilities for the state's land, water, natural resources, forests, wildlife and endangered species. She prosecuted environmental crimes, and was one of 14 attorneys general who obtained a decision from the Supreme Court on the regulation of greenhouse gases. The Court ruled that the EPA had authority to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act and directed the EPA to do so. New Mexico has 1.6 million acres of inventoried roadless areas. In 2005 the Bush Administration repealed the roadless rule that protects forests from road building and excessive logging of the National Forest system. Along with 2 other Western AGs, Madrid sued the Bush Administration (and won) to prevent them from dismantling this key forest protection.

[qofdisks]

Patricia Madrid is most certainly qualified to be the Secretary of Interior. She was a most active Attorney General of the State NM. She worked tirelessly to protect NM natural resources and water. She served two terms being re-elected by a huge margin garnering votes from both Democrats and many Republicans from conservative parts of the state.
That is because she has proven to understand the major issues that would face the Interior Secretary that require the ability to collaborate with and balance competing interests. She has already proven to wisely negotiate and deal with multiple and varied interest groups such as the Federal Government, the states, business and industry, environmental and recreational groups, Native Americans and farmers and ranchers which are all stakeholders in the management of our public lands and resources.

[qofdisks]

Madrid had many successes as Attorney General engaged in the process of promulgating and adopting regulations, including drafting them, conducting public hearings and assessing all comments. Her experience would be critical for the Interior Department as the Secretary reviews the regulations adopted during that last disastrous 8 years.

Beyond ideological purity Patricia Madrid has a record of action and competence. Ideological purity has been the GOP way of choosing leaders and has proven to be unsustainable. Given all her practical experience and actual accomplishments Patricia Madrid is way beyond being just an ideologue from the left as is Grijalva.