Repairing a national icon

Washington Post: During Senate confirmation hearings for Ken Salazar’s nomination as interior secretary, much was made of the advantages of him being a Westerner. True, many of the issues confronting the department are rooted in the West, but its reach is nationwide. So it was refreshing to hear this fifth-generation Coloradan talk of a “department for all of America” and set forth an agenda that — at last — lists preservation of the Mall as a top priority.

‘Special responsibility’

“The Mall and the places along it are national icons . ... We have a special responsibility,” Salazar told us Thursday as he outlined an expansive mission for a department that saw a decline in ambition and stature during the eight years of the Bush administration. In addition to doing something about the deplorable condition of the Mall and other important American places, Salazar wants to assist President Obama in developing a new energy frontier. Also on the agenda are new opportunities for youth and better programs for Native Americans.

It will, of course, take money to undertake these initiatives, and already Salazar was dealt a setback when Congress sliced $200 million from the stimulus bill for repairs to the Mall. A lot of bunk was said about this being pork-barrel spending.