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A sit-down with Sen. Barack Obama, By John S. Adams Tribune Capitol Bureau
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

BUTTE — On the biggest night in Montana Democratic politics Saturday, Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York addressed a capacity crowd at the Butte Civic Center. After his address to the crowd, Obama sat down for a brief interview with the Tribune Capitol Bureau.
Sen. Clinton's campaign did not respond to a request for a similar interview.

Q:Here in Butte you've probably seen the Berkeley Pit. Butte is home to one of the worst environmental disasters in the country. Here in Montana we've also got the Libby asbestos mine. It's caused hundreds of deaths and cost millions of dollars to clean up. What would you do as president to make sure these companies are held responsible for their actions, and would you fight to properly fund federal agencies responsible for cleaning up these messes?

A:We've got to make the Superfund work.
Look, I've got a lot of Superfund sites in Illinois.
This is a program that, because of special interest lobbying, resistance, the lack of a strong commitment on the part of the (Environmental Protection Agency), has been withering on the vine. We've got to restore it and hold corporations accountable for the messes that they made.
They took these profits out of these communities and the least they can do is restore some sort of environmental balance. This is something that I've already been fighting for and it's something I will continue to fight for and actually implement when I am president of the United States.

Q:When you look at making appointments for heads of agencies such as the EPA, what will be your top priority?

A:My top priority is number one, excellence and a commitment to science — something we haven't had.
When you've got a president who thinks global warming is a hoax, that sends a signal that you are appointing political cronies instead of people who understand the science behind it.
So I want excellence, I want integrity. I don't want to just bring people in from industries who are industry lobbyists who are now going to regulate those same industries. And I don't want people cashing out of my administration and going to work for industries that they used to regulate. I want them to be committed, and have shown a commitment to public service.
And the third thing is independence. I want people who are willing to stand up not just to industry, but also to me, and say if I'm wrong on something, I want them to let me know. That's a top priority of mine.

Q:You talked about creating a high-level position at the White House for a representative from Indian Country to help you address Native American issues. Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe, has sued the federal government for the government's mismanagement of Indian trust lands. Do you have a position on the federal government's responsibility in the Cobell vs. Kempthorne lawsuit?

A:You know, I haven't looked at the lawsuit carefully. It's something that I want to find out more about.
But the basic principle is that we have to have somebody not just in the Bureau (of Indian Affairs), but somebody in the White House, who has my ear, directly, to communicate the needs of native populations, and a commitment for me to meet, at least once a year, with tribal leaders and hear directly about their concerns. That, I think, is what's needed right now.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has become sort of a backwater. It doesn't have a lot of clout in the administration. I want to put it front and center, along with other agencies, because on every indicator, Native Americans are having a much tougher time than the population at large.

Q:You recently talked about a fellowship program where you will train some of the young grassroots activists that have joined your campaign. Can you talk more about that?

A:Basically what we've done is we've been attracting so much volunteer talent, so many young people who have gotten involved in the campaign, that we wanted to give a handful of them an opportunity to have some more intensive training. So we've asked them to apply for fellowships. I think they're called Obama Fellows. They will get intensive training, and they will be put on staff and will have an experience, starting in June.

Q:The nomination may not be decided by then, are you sure you're going to be ready to set those grassroots volunteers loose in June?

A:We're still going to be interested in training. Even if I'm not the nominee, I'm still going to be somebody who cares very deeply about the Democratic Party winning in November, and still will hopefully have a little bit of influence on the process.

Q:In Montana, we have a tremendous amount of public lands. What will be your top priority when appointing heads of federal land management agencies such as the Forest Service and the National Parks Service?

A:Similar priorities to what I talked about on the environmental side: integrity, independence, competence and expertise. My overriding philosophy on these issues is sustainability. I believe that we can balance environmental interests with commercial interests and economic interests in a state like Montana.
But guiding that balance is, is what we're doing sustainable so that we are passing on to the next generation just as beautiful, air that is just as clean, water that is just as drinkable? Will timber still be there? Are forests still going to be there? Or will it have been decimated and denuded.
If something is sustainable, whether you're talking about salmon stocks or you're talking about forests, then jobs can be created, money can be made, but we know we're being good stewards for the lands.

Q:One of your biggest applause tonight came when you talked about getting out of Iraq. But you also talked about the importance of protecting America if military action is needed. What is your position on the doctrine of preemptive war?

A:I'm not a doctrinaire. I think each situation is different.
Here's my basic principle: That in each circumstance you weigh the costs and benefits of military action. You don't hesitate to take military action if that's what's required to keep the American people safe, but you understand that there are costs to military action — that unless there is a direct and imminent threat to the United States that has to be dealt with rapidly, that it is important for the president to help guide a discussion with allies and with the American people around good intelligence, and an understanding of all the ramifications of any action.

I think a great example of good decision-making was the first Gulf War. When George Bush's father had good intelligence, took the time to build the alliances, gained legitimacy, and by the time we acted, we had the power to do it quickly, do it efficiently and actually enhance U.S. power. What his son did in Iraq is the complete reverse.


April 6, 2008 | 12:32 PM Comments  0 comments

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