For the files of some bloodthirsty Discovery Channel sweeps-week special, I give you the predatory lame duck: a clumsy, gimpy, bedraggled creature known for its unpopular status in the aquatic ecosystem and the unexpectedly razor-sharp teeth hidden inside its goofy-looking beak.

Faced with its own near-extinction, the Bush Administration last month proposed sweeping changes to the Endangered Species Act (we're talking about actual species here, as opposed to, say, banks) that would severely weaken wildlife protection. The proposed legislation would weaken section 7, eliminating crucial government oversight and independent review on federal projects that have an environmental impact (such as, a highway that might cut through a bald eagle habitat).

The Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife are among the many environmental groups urging you to voice your opposition to this latest Bush-led attack on the environment:

Protect the Endangered Species Act (Sierra Club)

Stop the Eleventh Hour Assault on Endangered Species (Defenders of Wildlife)