Bush administration ignores Palin’s objections, puts beluga whale on endangered species list.

Yesterday, the Bush administration placed beluga whales that live in Cook Inlet in Alaska on the endangered species list, rejecting Gov. Sarah Palin’s (R-AK) efforts “against increased protection.” During the 1990s, these whales declined by almost 50 percent, and have struggled to recover. In an August 2007 written statement, Palin said she was “concerned” that listing the species as endangered would “unnecessary,” doing “serious long-term damage to the vibrant economy of the Cook Inlet area.”