President-elect Barack Obama is being applauded by party leaders for his cabinet appointments. By reaching across both sides of the aisles for his nominees, it seemingly fulfills at least some of his candidacy promise to unify the country.

However, approval is not universal. His nomination of Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., as secretary of the interior is a matter of grave concern to advocates of animal rights and opponents of animal abuse. Salazar’s voting record on those issues is abysmal, so confirmation of his appointment could sound the death knell for thousands of wild and domesticated equines annually.

Laws currently disallow the slaughtering of animals in the U.S. for human consumption elsewhere, so slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada are the final destination for unwanted creatures that are packed into trailers without food or water for the days during transit, only to be butchered on arrival.

Sen. Olympia Snowe is a co-sponsor of the Downed Animal Protection Act, concerned with the humane disposition of downed cattle, as well as the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, voted out of committee and presently on the Senate legislative calendar.

Maine’s two senators should be encouraged to vote against confirmation of Sen. Salazar as secretary of the interior.

Loren Feldman, Sabattus