Bill Ruckelshaus, well known in these parts for his leadership in efforts to save salmon and Puget Sound, is having his 15 minutes of national fame. The lifelong Republican has endorsed Barack Obama, with the timing meant to be helpful to Obama's primary efforts in Indiana, where Ruckelshaus is a still-revered native son.
Ruckelshaus has had his earlier moments of fame, notably when he joined Elliot Richardson in defying President Nixon by refusing to fire Archibald Cox. It was a moment of great integrity, typical of Ruckelshaus's principled character, and it may have cost him the White House. I can explain.
Gunther Herbig conducts the Seattle Symphony in a program full of spellbinding beauty. That's what happens when a conductor pays attention to the details and the essence of the music.
With healthy numbers, the gray wolf faces de-listing as an endangered species. Introducing trophy hunting into the management plan has arguably worked for other species, such as the mountain lion, and some think it will work for the gray wolf, but the idea is not without its staunch critics.