The Hunter is a lonely heart
Former GOP prez candidate left up the creek without a wildebeest
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), one-time contender for the Republican presidential nomination, had the best of intentions for a trip to Africa. Having heard that there are 230,000 hungry refugees from Darfur currently residing in Chad, Hunter's staffers called the country's embassy and proposed that their boss come hunt wildebeest and distribute the meat to refugees.
Problem? There aren't any wildebeest in Chad. And even if there were, "the Government of Chad does not permit the hunting of large mammals," according to a missive from Chad's embassy.
Actually, wildebeest and other large game aren't all that common in the places they usually reside on the continent. Wars have also taken their toll on the animals, and their annual migration between Kenya and Tanzania has been threatened by poachers.
The embassy offered him the opportunity to take part in a more traditional method of food distribution to refugees, but apparently Hunter has decided instead to try a commercial hunting expedition in Kenya, Tanzania, and Southern Africa.
ProPublica reports that this isn't the first, er, misguided hunting proposal from Rep. Hunter. …
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http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/7/25/104047/764