From Rural Updates of Defenders of Wildlife Forwarded by Jane Clark OUT THE DORR In a huge victory for family farmers, environmentalists and other rural advocates, President Bush's nomination of Thomas Dorr's as the USDA undersecretary of Rural Development has been declared dead on arrival. Dorr, a long- time advocate of factory farming and corporate agriculture had been awaiting review of his nomination by the Senate Agriculture committee for over a year. Yesterday that committee voted to send Dorr's nomination to the full Senate without a recommendation. "There are not the votes here for him. That's the end of it," said Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa. In a long, blistering statement to the committee, Harkin said Dorr was unfit for the USDA job, both because of his violations of farm subsidy rules as well as evidence that he was insensitive to the needs of rural areas and minorities. Though the message seemed emphatic, according to the Congressional Dailey, a USDA official said "the Bush administration wasn't giving up on his nomination. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]