Indian Gaming Now

Obama

Barack-etology: Obama's March Madness

Posted by Steven Light | Filed under:
Mar 15 2012
The NCAA men's basketball tournament is underway, and for many, "work" will become a distraction from hoops-watching.  March Madness is everywhere, and the White House is no exception.

President Obama's brackets were introduced by ESPN to much fanfare, and why not?  Obama is the Commander in Chief, after all, and a pretty good hoopster, to boot.  (He picks the UNC Tar Heels to win it all, in case you hadn't heard.  Harvard, his alma mater, didn't fare so well.)

With All Deliberate Speed: Hearing Held on Deputy Interior Secretary Nominee

Posted by Kathryn and Steve | Filed under:
Mar 16 2009
Despite high expectations, things have slowed down a little at the Interior Department. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has been the only confirmed nominee, and not much is happening on Indian affairs. However, former Clinton Administration Deputy Interior Secretary David J. Hayes is set to assume the same position under President Obama.

Hayes, an attorney, has been a partner at the Washington office of Latham & Watkins, well known as one of the leading environmental, energy, and natural resource law firms in the world. At Latham & Watkins, Hayes’ practice focused on counseling, litigation, and transactions, and he was, in effect, a lobbyist.

With a promised focus on tribal economic development, Hayes told the Senate Entergy and Natural Resources Committee that he is looking forward to “working with Native American communities,” which “was one of the most rewarding aspects of the job” when he worked at Interior in the Clinton era.

Although after leaving office last time around, Hayes was accused of violating anti-“revolving door” policies designed to prevent too much cozying up between lobbyists and government, a bipartisan investigation did not evidence that to be the case. Still, the relationship did not sit too well with Senator John McCain. Hayes did not represent any tribal clients during his time at Latham and Watkins.

Ken Salazar Tapped to Head Interior Department

Posted by Kathryn and Steve | Filed under:
Dec 18 2008
President-elect Obama has tapped Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) to head the Department of the Interior. Salazar is former director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and state attorney general. A first-term senator, he is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Who’s the Key to the Transition for Indian Country?

Posted by Kathryn and Steve | Filed under:
Dec 11 2008
Keith Harper, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is a Lead on Barack Obama’s Interior Department Review Team. This means he is in the process of shaping what the incoming administration’s Interior Department will look like in terms of personnel as well as ideological and political posture.

Obama and Indian Country

Posted by Kathryn and Steve | Filed under:
Nov 7 2008
Wow! We have a new tag for blog posts: Obama!

An historic election has come and gone, and now President-elect Obama has begun the process of building a transition team and his incoming administration. What will be the outlook for Indian Country? Let's try to suss out some informed predictions.