[crossposted at LoadedOrygun, Oregon's Progressive Community...]
(Apologies for not embedding into this post, but the direct link to it is here.)
Drip..drip..drip.....
Another local news outlet is reporting that Gordon Smith is siding with anti-science Dick Cheney on the Klamath Basin fish kill.
This time it's KVAL TV in Eugene:
Smith maintains there's no evidence it was caused by water diversions to farmers. Smith also defended Cheney's role in intervening with Federal Officials to help farmers in the Klamath Basin.
The House Natural Resources Committee is investigating whether Cheney exerted improper political influence to override scientifically based management of the water resources.
A study by the California Department of Fish and Game found that the water diversions played a key role in the deaths of some 77 thousand salmon.
{a little more below}
Wow. That's exceptionally devastating video of the newscaster reading the copy while pictures of thousands of dead salmon bob gently in the shallow water. A visceral reminder of the dirty dealings that went on.
This represents the first time I'm aware of, that local TV news stations in Oregon have acknowledged the growing buzz about Smith's involvement in the fish kill plan. After calls for apologies by the Dem Party of Oregon, Smith finally responded to the allegations--and that's when major state media started biting. The TV piece was predicated on print media finally taking notice, which was predicated on the blogosphere screaming bloody murder about it.
The first batch of stories began right at the turn of August, the same time that Jeff Merkley was entering the race. Then there was a second wave, started by Dave Steves at the Register-Guard. If there is one member of the traditional media which has really given the story the focus and the investigative interest it deserves, it's been Steves and the R-G. Bravo. Last Thursday they published the story on their interview with Smith, where the Senator sided "with humankind" and said he was unaware of what Cheney had done, and that the kill wasn't related to what he did since it took place 18 months later and was the result of "gill disease." Noting the stir it caused, the editors then decided to print the entire transcript. Again, Bravo. The various errors and mendacities in his responses got a going over from us here.
We're now in the middle of the third wave, which developed over the weekend and crested with the TV spot Carla showed us yesterday. The Oregonian picked up on the R-G's interview and decided well hell, let's ask Gordon ourselves. That caused the R-G to return the favor and begin asking some of the same questions we had had, and checking Smith on his backtracks. They discovered that some of the things he said were crap--and even allies were willing to say so. This piece (again, by Steves at the R-G) is the best piece of traditional journalism so far on the story.
For more on what Smith told the papers, and how much of it is an embarrassing attempt to rewrite history that not even some of his allies buy, here's the full story on that.
Is this over? Oh no--it's just beginning. To tease you all, over the weekend I received results from LO's Freedom of Information Act request for communications between Smith and the Department of Interior, the agency tasked with administering the Endangered Species Act. There are some summarized conversations that look verrry fruitful; we'll be getting into that next. Stay tuned...