Battle for the Klamath airs on PBS station KRCB

on September 4th at 9:00pm. Check the listings here.

Senator Gordon Smith and the Klamath

The blog Loaded Orygun, which describes itself "as a left-leaning journal of Oregon's politics and culture" has been all over Senator Gordon Smith's statements about the Klamath River water shutoff and fish kill, both covered extensively in the documentary.

Every time Smith opens his mouth about his role (and Cheney and Rove's role) in the Klamath controversy, he seems to dig himself a deeper hole. Many thought Smith's biggest problem in his 2008 reelection bid would be his support for the Iraq war. Now it appears that issues surrounding the Bush Administration's role in water releases on the Klamath River may be the greatest impediment to another six years in the Senate for Smith.

By the way, one of the issues is Smith's role in lobbying for more water for the farmers with the White House in 2001. In Battle for the Klamath, Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR) tells me on camera how he and Smith personally lobbied President Bush on Air Force One, with Rove sitting next to him explaining to the President how the Endangered Species Act actually works.

House committee wades into Klamath water dispute

Coverage of the Congressional hearing yesterday. The major news was that when the Department of the Interior Inspector General investigated political manipulation in the Klamath Basin by Karl Rove and others, they never asked about Vice President Cheney.

As I say in the documentary, I asked the Inspector General's office whether they ever actually talked to Rove as part of the investigation. The answer was no.