Richard Pombo & The GOP Heart The Oil Industry

SFChron: Energy lobbyists fuel Pombo re-election bid

"As Congress scrambles to address the public outcry over record high gas prices, Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, jetted off to Houston for a campaign fundraiser Friday, hosted by several leading energy industry lobbyists.

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Pombo, who was joined on the campaign trip by his chief of staff, Steve Ding, also had a private meeting in Houston with executives from Shell Oil.

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Pombo was well-acquainted with at least of one of the hosts of Friday's fundraiser -- Belcher, the lobbyist for Shell, worked for him as staff director of the House Resources subcommittee on energy and mineral resources until 2004.

Pombo has long held positions in common with the energy industry: He has lobbied to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, and has pushed legislation to allow states to opt out of the federal moratorium on offshore drilling to increase production off the Outer Continental Shelf.

Pombo also was tapped by House GOP leaders to craft new legislation to address rising gas prices, which includes opening the Arctic refuge to drilling and limiting the number of fuel blends required by different states.

Oil and gas interests have been among Pombo's top donors during his political career, giving $179,000 to his campaigns since his first run for Congress in 1992" (More-At-Source)

California Democratic Party: The Pombo Page

"Republican Rep. Richard Pombo (CD-11) has long been known for his anti-environment stance, but more recently he's been gaining notoriety for his "induction" into the Republican Culture of Corruption Hall of Fame.

Let's Just Call The Whole Thing . . . "Pombo-Gate"" (More-At-Source)

Grist Magazine "interview with retiring Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, a GOP leader on environmental protection"

"Q. We still see some leaders, such as Sen. James Inhofe and Rep. Richard Pombo, dispute the science on climate change. How do you talk with them about this?

A. Well, you don't really. I know both of these guys well. I used to sit side by side with Inhofe when he was in the House and on the transportation committee. I talk with them about a lot of things, but it's almost like hitting your head against a wall to try to talk with either one of them about something like this, because they have made up their mind. They don't want to be confused by the facts, and they are very determined to present the opposite point of view." (source)

More Goodies

The Record: Pombo has new press secretary (source)

Bloomberg: Senate Republicans Propose $100 Gas Rebate, Alaska Drilling (source)

NYTimes: A Campaign in California Shapes Up as an Abramoff Bellwether (source)

ModBee: Analyst: Pombo the man to beat if Demos want Congress back (source)

USAToday: 1 in 5 pay more in Medicare Rx plan (source)