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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Contact: Chuck Oxley<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>(208) 226-1815 or (208) 871-4976<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>chuck@idaho-democrats.org<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>January 5, 2006<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Stallings: Otter Still Doesn’t Get It<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>BOISE, Idaho – Idaho Democratic Party Chairman Richard
Stallings said Thursday that Republican congressman C.L. “Butch”
Otter still doesn’t understand that his job as a representative from
Idaho is to preserve and protect public access to federal lands – not
just stand silently while others auction it off. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>“Butch Otter still doesn’t get it,” said
Stallings, a former congressman from <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State>’s
2nd Congressional District. “It’s not enough for Otter simply to
take his name off the legislation. If he was doing his job, Otter would be
actively fighting against this bill and any others that would do the same
thing.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brady last month
denounced Otter’s co-sponsorship of H.R. 3855, a federal bill sponsored
by Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., which seeks to sell off 15 percent of the U.S.
Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other Department of Interior
lands. The bill would use proceeds from the sales to pay for reconstruction of
Hurricane Katrina. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>For the past several weeks, Otter, who is seeking the
Republican nomination to the governor’s office in 2006, has defended his
actions -- despite a cascade of calls from ordinary Idahoans who didn’t
want to see their favorite hunting, fishing or camping grounds sold off to the
highest bidder. Sportsman’s groups and former wildlife professionals also
criticized Otter’s decision to lend his name to it as a co-sponsor. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>An online newspaper poll by The Idaho Statesman earlier this
week indicated more than 85 percent of the people opposed the idea. Stallings
said it was highly suspect that just days after the poll came out, Otter
decided to change his tune. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>“He’s just trying to make this issue go away
before the election season. It’s too bad that Idahoans have to threaten
his job to get him to listen to them,” Stallings said. “While he
may have reversed course in this case, what will happen the next time? This is
not who we want as our state’s next chief executive.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>At a separate legislative discussion forum earlier on
Thursday, state Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum, said he
intends to sponsor an Joint Memorial to Congress that will put <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> firmly and
officially on record as being opposed to wholesale sell-offs of federal lands.
Stennett said later Thursday that he still intends to move forward with the
bill.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly used up,
totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"</span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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