Pombo defeat great for Canadian harp seals

[Omaha Steve]

Red Lobster continues to refuse to join the seafood boycott. As the world's largest customer of Canada's seafood, they could stop the hunt in a few days time.




Darden linked to lawmaker's improper trips

Tamara Lytle Washington Bureau Chief |
Posted October 19, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Darden Restaurants of Orlando has helped bankroll a foundation that improperly treated a powerful congressman to trips abroad, according to a report released Tuesday by the Center for Public Integrity.

Darden gave $574,000 to the International Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources from 2000 to 2004 -- about one-third of the nonprofit group's donations, according to a study of tax records by CPI and the radio group American Public Media.

The foundation has defended Darden on its Web site against protests from animal-rights groups. Those groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States, are angry that the Orlando restaurant chain hasn't boycotted Canadian seafood to draw attention to the clubbing of baby seals there. Darden owns Red Lobster and Olive Garden.



Nathan DeVault, a spokesman for Darden, said the company was surprised by the allegations. "While we don't currently contribute to this organization, we have provided contributions for educational efforts on international environmental isues in the past," DeVault said.

Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., chairman of the House Resources Committee, took two trips paid for by the foundation -- to New Zealand with his wife and to Japan with an aide -- at a total cost of more than $23,000, the report showed. Environmentalists complain that Pombo is trying to ruin the Endangered Species Act in a bill that would make major changes to long-held protections.

Most nonprofit groups are allowed to pay for international travel of lawmakers. But the IFCNR is a private foundation, so it falls under different rules that bar tax-exempt gifts of international travel to government officials.

According to CPI, neither Pombo nor IFCNR apparently paid taxes on the trip, which could open them to IRS penalties.

Brian Kennedy, spokesman for Pombo, said his boss will pay the taxes if they are owed. "This is the first he or any of his staff members have ever heard about this part of the tax code," Kennedy said.

Tamara Lytle can be reached at 202-824-8255 or tlytle@....

[texpatriot2004]

1. Hey Omaha Steve, my green friendly friend, isn't it fantastic that

Pombo is OUT!

Hot damn the witch is dead.

[Omaha Steve]

4. Perhaps the best of the results Tuesday

I'm so glad the voters in his district woke up.

[acmejack]

2. Pombo defeat wonderful for all living things!

Environment delighted, Gaia smiles!

[NJ_Lib]

3. Could Pombo be any more disgusting...?

What a vile human being...