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Bush Chooses Idaho’s Dirk Kempthorne as Secretary of the Interior

By Shea Andersen, 3-16-06

President Bush announced Thursday that Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthone is his pick as Gale Norton's replacement as the Secretary of the Interior.

Kempthorne, speaking from Washington D.C., where he was meeting on other issues, told reporters this afternoon, "I did not wake up this morning and think that by this time today I would be named his nominee to be Secretary of the Interior."

The New York Times reports that the president said in his announcement, "Dirk understands that those who live closest to the land know how to manage it best, and he will work closely with state and local leaders to ensure wise stewardship of our resources."

Kempthorne said in his meeting with Bush, the president told him he wanted him to be a bridge builder.

"He said 'I want you to reach out to all constituent groups. I want us to be an administration that reaches out to all sides,'" Kempthorne said.

The AP reported Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho told reporters, "I have known and worked with Dirk for many years. He is talented, energetic, and understands the issues that surround public lands and endangered species."

The Sierra Club has already released a statement saying the nomination "raises serious concerns," for the environment. "President Bush nominated someone who has consistently opposed protecting public health and public lands," Carl Pope, the Executive Director of the Sierra Club wrote in the release.

Kempthorne, who started his career as the mayor of Boise, was elected governor of Idaho in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. Before that, he spent six years as Idaho's senator in Washington D.C. (View his full bio here.)

Update:

Today's announcement caught the Idaho Statehouse, where the Legislature is in session, by surprise even as people suspected it might happen.

In fact, most of Kempthorne's own staff had to get the news the way everyone else did: via the media.

"I saw it on TV just like everybody else did," said Mike Journee, Kempthorne's press secretary.

The first Idahoan to get the news may have been Kempthorne's wife, Patricia, who said she got a call from her husband with the news around 11 a.m.

"It's been a fast-paced day," Kempthorne said in a conference call to reporters.

Kempthorne would be the second sitting Idaho governor to be tapped for the job. In 1977 Democrat Cecil Andrus was asked by President Jimmy Carter to take the job.

Just this week Andrus told reporters he hoped Kempthorne would take a position against the proposed sale of public lands, a proposition that is immensely unpopular in Idaho. Until then he should not expect support from Andrus.

Kempthorne declined to take positions on such matters, saying he did not want to affect his chances for Senate confirmation. He has in fact already begun to make the usual round of courtesy calls to Senate leaders in Washington, and to members of key committees.

For now, Kempthorne will remain as Idaho's governor. Norton's last day is March 31.

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