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Government

Another Obama Cabinet Member Resigns: Interior Sec. Ken Salazar Stepping Down

Jan. 16, 2013 7:00am Jonathon M. Seidl

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Resigning

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 06: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar speaks during the annual lighting of the National Christmas tree on December 6, 2012 in Washington, DC. This year is the 90th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Credit: Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who oversaw a moratorium on offshore drilling after the BP oil spill, will step down in March, Obama administration officials said Wednesday.

Salazar has run the Interior Department throughout President Barack Obama’s first term.

A former senator from Colorado, Salazar pushed renewable power such as solar and wind, but gained the most attention for his role in the drilling moratorium, a key part of the administration’s response to the April 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico. It was one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history and led to the unprecedented shutdown of offshore drilling.

Business groups and Gulf Coast political leaders said the shutdown crippled the oil and gas industry and cost thousands of jobs, even aboard rigs not operated by BP PLC.

But Salazar said the industry-wide moratorium was the correct call.

“I think we’re in the right direction,” he told The Associated Press during a July 2010 tour of the Gulf, adding that his ultimate goal was to allow deepwater operations to resume safely.

Salazar acknowledged that the drilling ban caused hardship, but he said his job was to protect the public and the environment even as the administration tried to boost domestic energy production.

The moratorium was lifted in October 2010, although offshore drilling operations did not begin for several more months. Some Gulf Coast lawmakers continue to complain about the slow pace of drilling permits under the Interior Department, which renamed and revamped the agency that oversees offshore drilling in the wake of the spill.

Salazar also approved the nation’s first offshore wind farm, Cape Wind, off the Massachusetts coast.

On land, Salazar has promoted solar power in the West and Southwest, approving an unprecedented number of projects, even as oil and gas continue to be approved on federal land.

Salazar also oversaw the settlement of a multibillion dispute with Native American tribes that had lingered for more than a decade.

Salazar tangled with oil companies throughout his tenure.

“We don’t believe we ought to be drilling anywhere and everywhere,” Salazar said in 2010, before the BP spill. “We believe we need a balanced approach and a thoughtful approach” that allows development of oil and gas leases on public lands while also protecting national parks, endangered species and municipal watersheds.

Salazar criticized the Bush administration for what he called a “headlong rush” to lease public lands. Early in his tenure, Salazar suspended 60 of 77 leases in Utah that had been approved by the Bush administration.

“In the prior administration the oil and gas industry were the kings of the world. Whatever they wanted to happen, happened,” Salazar said in January 2010, adding that those days were over.

Salazar, 57, is the latest Cabinet secretary to leave the administration as Obama heads into his second term. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Pentagon chief Leon Panetta, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis are also leaving. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is widely expected to leave, though his departure has not been announced. Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson has announced that she will leave.

The administration officials who discussed his plans spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly before any announcement.

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Comments (21)

Eyeball
Posted on January 17, 2013 at 1:44am
Good riddance. He kept the U.S. dependent on foreign oil. No improvement. However, knowing Obama to always pick the worse person possible for a position, we may wish that Salazar would come back.

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noslave
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 1:55pm
LIKE LISA JACKSON BAIL OUT BEFORE THEY FIND OUT WHAT CROOKED THINGS YOU’VE DONE??????seems those jumping ship are afraid of being prosecuted???they bail-out,and obama will cover-up what they did??skim money??etc.??

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fgarvin
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 1:13pm
His Legacy:
1. He helped to destory the American economy and many lives unnecessarily. Good job FTARD.
2. He reduced America’s energy independence by 40% and it will take over 10 years to get out of his destruction. Good job FTARD.
3. His worthless promotion of windmills has killed more birds than any other misguided environmentalist initiative. Great job FTARD.
You’ll be admired in history as one of America’s great failures when she really needed help. Outstanding job FTARD.

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montana-bill
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 12:51pm
I would bet on our former gov.Swietzer. He has done a lot of ass kissing in Washington.

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- JeffMT
  Posted on January 17, 2013 at 8:04am
  I hate to have to agree with you but I think you are right. Christine Gregoire, former guv of Washington, is supposedly the front runner to replace Salazar but the libs think BS is one of their golden boys (speaking slots at the last two Democratic National Conventions) so I would not be surprised if he gets this post. I also would not be surprised if he leaves this post in a year to come back to Montana to run against Baucus in 2014.
  
  I hope I am wrong because I think Montana and the world has had enough of BS but I suspect you are correct, he will get this job.
  
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Grand design
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:59am
Good! He was a poor choice for that job n the first place!

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LC LaWedgie
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 10:54am
Now O’Bumble can appoint Darryl Hannah and have another womyn in the Cabinet.

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- G-WHIZ
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 11:33am
  Sallad-Tsarr has done as much DAMMAGE as he can do, so he can be thrown-under the OBAMABUSS!! But, donna worry…SOROS has a great job waithing for him to shoe-in!
  
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LoneStar50
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 10:21am
I’m sure Obama can, and will, find someone equally radical to replace him.

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bbaustin
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 10:12am
Just wondering if these people were brought in to accomplish one or two things; now since they have accomplished their tasks its time for them to leave ‘to step down to allow someone else to come into power.’ (or whatever Mark Lloyd said) Also, wouldn’t it cause some Chaos losing so many key appointments at the same time? It all seems staged… like a con man doing the “shell game”.

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zoro51
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 10:12am
place one whose for AMERICA not the damn SOCIALIST FAKE DICTATOR OBAMA.. impeach n throw out of the usa this HATER of america. american liberties american coal american oil and our RIGHT TO BER ARMS.. HITLER ACTED AS SUCH… SO DOES OBAMA,.. IMPEACH N REMOVE NOW

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Gonzo
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 9:54am
I’m going to miss his little Howdy Doody cowboy hat.

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Southernsoul
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 9:25am
I wonder how many of these people have a real good idea of what obama has in mind for our country and they want to get away before the fan becomes smelly and messy?

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- SamIamTwo
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 9:49am
  Heck yes, they cranked out the regulations that will grip the nation. I’d not want to be there when that happens. They always leave after they make their MARK!
  
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Zipit
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 9:16am
I hope the little Pipsqueak runs out of gas on the way home, and while walking to the gas station, a windmill falls on him! Is that better, Blaze?

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Michigander
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 8:38am
Good. How soon can he be gone?

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GETLIFE
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 8:32am
Now keep an eye out for Sen. Bennet of Colorado, a fake grass roots Coloradan, who was raised in D.C.– the grandson of a Roosevelt economic advisor, and son of an ex-CEO of NPR, who held major positions in both the Carter and Cinton administrations. Bennet was appointed to replace Salazar in the Senate, even as he was being considered for Sec. of Education by Obama. Made his millions with Anschutz Investment — BIG oil, Qwest Comunications, Railroads.

Bennet, Co. Gov. Hickenlooper, Salazar all go “way back”–and are all “way in” with this administration– trying to turn Colorado into a true blue state.

Oh yeah, there were lots of those ES&S voting machines in Colorado.
Election Systems & Software, founded by CHUCK HAGEL.

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pccop
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 8:26am
Hmm, I wonder if this is the job Joe Manchin was promised. He sold out WV and all gun owners after having an A rating from the NRA. I don’t think he has a chance to ever be re-elected here so the only thing left is a political appointment. Keep an eye on it to see what Joe’s price of selling out is.

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MiCurmudgeon
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 8:08am
One incompetent will just be replaced by another incompetent is my bet.

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capecod1
Posted on January 16, 2013 at 8:07am
I live on Cape Cod and love to see this. He came to approve the proposed wind farm fiasco in a cowboy hat and went for an hour long boat ride. He gave his “green” approval for the project and hopped a plane as fast as he could. As an aside, perhaps we could lose Deval Patrick with an appointment to the open position. I would not miss him either!

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- pavepaws
  Posted on January 16, 2013 at 7:25pm
  Love the Cape. Vacation in Dennisport. Eat at The Squire and Swan River Seafood.
  
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