Like water for health care

From the National Republican Congressional Committee:

Is this Another Backroom Deal to Force Obama’s Bill Down the American People’s Throats?

As a vote approaches on Obama and Pelosi’s government takeover of healthcare, Code Red is now considering two supposedly “undecided” California Democrats, Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa, to now be “yes” votes.

The U.S. Department of Interior announced yesterday that it is increasing water allocations for the Central Valley of California, a region that depends on these water allocations to support local agriculture and jobs. The region has recently been starved for water and as a result unemployment has soared. Not surprisingly, Cardoza and Costa had a hand in the announcement:

“Typically, Reclamation would release the March allocation update around March 22nd, but moved up the announcement at the urging of Senators Feinstein and Boxer, and Congressmen Costa and Cardoza.”(“Interior Announces Increased Water Supply Allocations in California,” U.S. Department of Interior news release, 3/16/10)

Will Cardoza and Costa come clean about this apparent backroom deal for their votes?

Call Cardoza's district office at (209) 383-4455 and Costa's district office at (559) 495-1620 and ask. (emphasis added)

From the Department of the Interior press release on the revised water allocation:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the Bureau of Reclamation’s 2010 Central Valley Project Water Supply allocations have increased throughout the valley as a result of additional precipitation, improved snowpack, and improved storage at Shasta Reservoir. As forecast by Reclamation on February 26, California is having a near-average water year following three years of drought.

“The Department is deeply committed to working with all stakeholders to find solutions to the challenges – both short term and long term – facing water users throughout the Central Valley,” said Secretary Salazar, who was joined on the teleconference by Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Mike Connor. “In this case, we accelerated our reporting of updated allocations, hoping to get the best available information to agricultural water service contractors as quickly as possible. This allocation update shows improvements from the previous allocation – just as we hoped in our recent announcement.”

It remains to be seen whether drought-weary California voters will be swayed by this uncannily, timely reversal.  Remember this?