Former congressman, 78, running again

SAN FRANCISCO – Former Congressman Paul “Pete” McCloskey, a maverick Republican who opposed the Vietnam War and helped write the Endangered Species Act, said Friday that he will run against Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., a leading critic of how the government has applied environmental protection laws.

Nearly a quarter century after he last sought public office, the tough-talking, 78-year-old ex-Marine said in a telephone interview that he decided to challenge Pombo in the June 6 GOP primary because of the congressman’s efforts to weaken environmental laws and because of Pombo’s connections to figures in a Washington corruption scandal.

“This is no Republican Party I recognize today,” McCloskey said.

But he was candid about his chances, saying he wouldn’t have decided to run if he could have found someone else to take on Pombo.

“I do not have a clue about whether I can win or not,” said McCloskey, a lawyer who served eight congressional terms representing the San Francisco Peninsula. “It will take five months out of my life and is a worthy cause. We are going to debate critical issues. You could call this a battle for the soul of the Republican Party.”

Citing the current lobbying scandal in Washington, McCloskey called for a return to traditional Republican values of honesty and fiscal responsibility. And he called on Pombo to agree to a dozen debates.