Posted on 11/20/2006 7:44:59 AM PST by SmithL
He's packing up his congressional office. His wife, Annette, is moving personal items from their townhouse on Capitol Hill. He's preparing to hand his gavel as chairman of the House Resources Committee to a Democrat. His staff will soon turn over files to the man who stunned the political world by beating him, wind engineer and political neophyte Jerry McNerney.
The seven-term Republican lawmaker is already thinking about other things, like attending his kids' sports games and landscaping the yard on his cattle ranch in Tracy.
"My wife's got a to-do list that's 14 years old," he said, with a laugh that's half-wince.
The brash 45-year-old conservative, who's led a decadelong crusade to rewrite the nation's environmental laws, isn't sure what he'll do next. He's already getting job offers, but must wait because of ethics rules. He hopes to continue to push the agenda of property-rights groups. And he's not ruling out running to regain his congressional seat.
He's convinced that his successor, McNerney, will be ousted two years from now.
"There's no doubt," Pombo said. "We're already hearing guys are talking about running against him in the primary because they know in a different atmosphere the chances of him holding that district aren't that great. Because he's going to have to vote. Nobody would cover him before, who he was, but as the incumbent they will have to. He's going to be voting on things that the people in that district don't like."
He said there are several Republican mayors and state legislators in the district who would make good candidates.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Pombo was an awesome rep.
There are many truly decent Republicans at every political level throughout the U.S. who are also in the same boat after the November 7 elections.
There WILL BE a lot of 'one term wonders' hitting the unemployment line in January, 09.
Bay area ... "GO HOME !!!!"
Pombo may have been a good guy, but a new crop of Republicans may be needed to change the Party's mind set that developed in the last 12 years. Get back to the roots and be real conservatives. Weed out the eastern RINO-Rockerfellers and hold onto the center-right voters.
Sorry a common sense guy lost here. The left coast goes deeper off the end every year. I am just waiting for a few years when the deficits again start to crush California, and the people finally realize they are sitting on a gold mine of offshore oil, whether you all will come to your sense and allow off shore drilling. The royalties the state could get may very well be the only way to save your state. The illegal immigration migration is taxing your health care, your schools, your prisons, and the current surplus your state enjoys is a mirage, which will disappear soon. Good luck
The enviros got Pombo even when they said it couldnt happen
in "pombo country"
WE SHALL SEE what the enviros do when their state is broke, which will happen sooner rather than later. The tax siutation is driving people out of calif already, but with the huge bonding issues for goofy stem cells, infrstructure, and everything else, the Bay State is on a collision course with reality.
It's happening now. I heard this morning California's housing market is cooling faster than any other left coast state. Add the rest of the goodies you mentioned and Katie bar the door...
It will require a good lesson to change their ways.
It's coming...just not here yet!
The funniest part of this is that the enviro's turn a blind eye to the greatest threat to the environment in the state, the out of control illegal immigrant population that is pushing the population through the roof, straining all the services and the environment to the max.
Everywhere liberals go, they ruin the communities. They're like a virus.
thats true but this was a big win for them either way
That is one of the most astute comments I have read about illegal immigration. To tie it in with the environment is genius, but since the liberal envirowackos aren't that bright, the connection will go way over their head. I hear that populations in Idaho, and other inland states are booming because of the eastward migration from the left coast.
I knew that the uninformed American people would turn out the WRONG people on Nov. 7. They just can't figure things out.
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