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chron.com: Where Houston lives SUNNY, HIGH 71, LOW 49 / PAGE B10 ROCKETS WIN FOURTH
IN A ROW / PAGE C1

THURSDAY, MA RCH 18 , 2010


BR E T T C O O M E R : C H R O N I C L E

Marine comes home for the final time


N airplane from Dover, Del., delivered the casket of Lance Cpl. Garrett Gamble to
his hometown of Sugar Land, where saluting residents surrounded by American flags
waited on Wednesday to pay their respects to the young Marine who had wanted to serve
his country since he was a teenager. Gamble, 20, died last week after stepping on
a mine-type device while patrolling in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

PAIN CAN’T

HEALTH MAGAZINE

STOP THIS

COWBOY
STORY ON PAGE 2

How Clint Cannon prepares his body to take a beating.

DEMS MAKE HEADWAY ON THE LAST HEALTH BILL WILDCATTER
OIL AND GAS

‘Jim Bob’ Moffett has crafted a legendary career in exploration, and he’s not
done yet

NCAA

SPORTS

They lock in 2 more votes, but GOP confident it can block reform
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and ROBERT PEAR
N E W YO R K T I M E S

TOURNEY
Baylor faces Sam Houston State, and Texas meets Wake Forest in first-round action
today. FULL COVERAGE

TIPS OFF
ON C1, C6
B R ET T C OOM ER : C H R O N I C L E

WA S H I N G T O N — House Democrats locked in two more votes on Wednesday as they
inched toward the majority they need to pass health care legislation, giving them
added confidence as they worked out the last details of the bill and girded for a
historic showdown as soon as this weekend.

Behind the scenes, Democratic leaders were still working to secure backing for the
legislation from among roughly three dozen members of the party whose votes are considered
to be in play, even as they awaited a final price tag on the bill from the Congressional
Budget Office. But they sought to portray the measure as gaining momentum from the
public declarations of support from two Democrats: Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio,
who had previously opposed it, and Rep. Dale E. Kildee of Michigan, who had been
among a group seeking tighter restrictions on the financing of inPlease see REFORM,
Page A6

gas field dubbed “Davy Jones,” will have his company drilling at a depth few
have attempted.

RIDING HIGH: James R. “ Jim Bob” Moffett’s latest discovery in the Gulf of
Mexico, a major natural

By BRETT CLANTON
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

PREVIEW

HOUSTON’S

ULTIMATE

BARBECUE
Where the ribs are tender, the links are spicy and your napkin will get a workout.
STORY ON PAGE F22

AMES R. “Jim Bob” Moffett could have retired years ago with his legend fully
intact. Today, however, in the twilight of a long, storied and sometimes controversial
career, the 71-year-old oil and mining executive is taking what amounts to a victory
lap. Moffett, co-chairman of New Orleans’ McMoRan Exploration Co., is riding high
again after the recent discovery of a major natural gas field in the shallow waters
of the Gulf of Mexico, touted as the biggest there in decades. Called Davy Jones,
the discovery is


significant for more than its size: It is in an ancient layer of sediment buried
at a depth few in industry have ever drilled. As such, it could herald a new frontier
for oil and gas development in the heavily explored offshore region. “Nobody thought
we’d be sitting here with this kind of opportunity,” Moffett recently told a
group of geologists in Houston, during a technical presentation — liberally sprinkled
with “damns” and “dadgums” — that showed off both his acumen as a geologist
and his salty wit. Confirming Davy Jones’ potential will require further tests,
and huge technical challenges remain in extracting gas from

White’s board seat falls on a fine line

Support of Calderon’s drug war wavering

As death toll Then-mayor’s nears 18,000, service to energy critics call for a firm
wasn’t illegal, shift in strategy but was it ethical?
By R.G. RATCLIFFE and BRADLEY OLSON
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

By DUDLEY ALTHAUS
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Please see MOFFETT, Page A6

EPA scrutinizes flea, tick products that it warns can be deadly to pets
By MATTHEW DALY
A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S

WA S H I N G T O N — Products intended to treat cats and dogs for fleas and ticks
kill hundreds of pets each year and injure tens of thousands,

INSIDE
Business. . . . D1 Comics . . . . . .E6 Crossword . . .E5 Directory. . . . A2 Editorials
. . . B8 Lottery . . . . . A2 Markets. . . . . A2 Movies . . . . .F21 Obituaries.
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WE RECYCLE

the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday as it outlined plans to make the
products safer. The EPA said it will develop stricter testing and evaluation requirements
for flea and tick treatments that are applied to a pet’s skin. The agency also
will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need to say more clearly how
to use the products. The EPA’s effort follows increasing complaints from pet owners
that the “spot-on”

products have triggered reactions in dogs and cats, ranging from skin irritation
to neurological problems to deaths. Cats and small dogs appear particularly vulnerable,
the EPA said, especially when given products intended for larger animals. Steve Owens,
assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic
Substances, said new restrictions will be placed on flea and tick prodPlease see
FLEAS, Page A6

A U S T I N — Former Houston Mayor Bill White’s service on the board of an oil
field services company now facing a congressional inquiry is not illegal, but it
is unusual. A Houston Chronicle review of the personal financial disclosure statements
for more than a dozen state and local officials found half listing service on company
boards, but most of those were family-run businesses, mostly involving ranching or
real estate. Only White and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert showed up as serving as directors
of major corporations. White, the Democratic nominee for governor, made $2.6 million
during his tenure

Please see BOARD, Page A6

M E X I C O C I T Y — Having wagered his political legacy on a relentless campaign
against his country’s drug gangs, Mexican President Felipe Calderon refuses to
back down — despite a growing chorus of criticism and a death toll that rivals
many wars. Opinion polls show the public’s support for the campaign wavering, as
anaCALDERON lysts, journalists and politicians declare it a failure. His anti-crime
campaign is sputtering into its fourth bloody year with few signs of victory and
nearly 18,000 Mexicans killed. “To build this country

Please see CALDERON, Page A6