Clean Water Currents|Online, Fall 2008, Volume 35, No. 2

Every presidential election cycle, there's a secret wish that the major party nominees will be as equally good on environmental and conservation issues, so forgoing the need to choose one over the other.

That is not the case in 2008. This year, there are clear and marked differences between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party nominees. And it is based on these significant differences, that Clean Water Action is endorsing Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States.

While millions of citizens prepare to elect our next president this fall, around us are the ominous and deadly signs of eight years of environmental infrastructure neglect by the Bush administration. Cut backs in the oversight and research budgets of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have resulted in toxic chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs polluting the nation's drinking water.

As part of its cozying up to corporate interests and big energy lobbyists, the Bush administration has applied pressure to members of Congress and state legislators to permit offshore and wilderness oil drilling, with no environmental protection or thought for the long term impact.

The Bush administration to the environment has been more than just benign neglect. It has proactively worked to undo many of the environmental safeguards put into place over the past four decades. Over the past eight years, the Bush administration has implemented environmental decisions to benefit a powerful and wealthy few while blatantly disregarding the health and safety of the vast majority of Americans.

And, when its own scientific experts have spoken out against these policies, the administration has ignored their warnings, discarded their advice and ridiculed their conclusions. The result has been a massive retreat from serving the public good, putting polluting special interests ahead of the health and welfare of America's families.

John McCain, with his words and legislative action, is clearly showing he's for "more of the same" when it comes to America's water and environment. He's signaling at every opportunity that he shares the Bush administration political and budget priorities on our drinking water - priorities that have left our communities and our health vulnerable.

That's why there is just one clear choice for president in 2008: Barack Obama.

As a state legislator in Illinois and, over the past four years, as a United States Senator, Barack Obama has established a clear record of standing-up for, and speaking-out on, environmental issues.

In the state legislature, Senator Obama took political risks to tackle tough - and often unpopular - environmental problems like air pollution in Illinois, a heavily industrialized state. His legislative record includes working to eliminate cancer-causing toxins in drinking water, and supporting more funding to communities for safer, cleaner water.

He co-sponsored a measure requiring 10 percent of the electricity generated in the state to come from renewable resources by 2012. He supported another bill tightening energy-efficiency codes in residential and commercial buildings.

As a United States Senator, Barack Obama has taken on Washington insiders and special interests, voting to cut tax subsidies to the oil and gas industry. He has established the goal of achieving 25 percent of America's electricity from clean energy by 2025. During this cycle's hard-fought Democratic primary contest, Senator Obama took time out from campaigning to return to Washington, D.C. and cast a vote in favor of renewable energy.

In 2005, Senator Obama voted in favor of an amendment to the Transportation Bill to include $900 million over six years for the management of pollution and flooding caused by runoff from highways and roads.

The next four years will be challenging ones for all Americans committed to the restoration of conservation-friendly policies. As president, either Barack Obama or John McCain will set the environmental agenda for their administration. Most importantly, they will have the opportunity to use the presidency as a "bully pulpit" and to, in the words of Theodore Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

As we survey the debris and wreckage that is our inheritance from the Bush years, and as we seek to pick up the pieces and rebuild an America focused on the safety of its drinking water and the health of its families, there is - and can be - only one choice for president in 2008: Barack Obama.

by David Phelps

In this issue of Clean Water Currents|Online:

The Electoral Map: Turning Red & Blue to Green

Clean Water Action's community organizers work to turn red and blue into green knowing that this election - from Congressional races to the Presidency - will determine whether or not the country turns the page on congressional gridlock and the Bush era of hostility to environmental issues.

Political Activism Translates to A Better World, A Clean, Safer Environment

John DeCock, Clean Water Action's CEO, explains more about our involvement in the political process, and how we work with supporters to hold government accountable.

The Five Most Important Tasks for the Next President

With the sun setting on eight years of the most anti-environmental administration in modern history, the to-do list for the next President is a long one. Clean Water Action surveyed our members and staff and here's what we came up with as a short list of priorities for the next administration.

On Clean Water, is John McCain George Bush Redux?

A close examination of John McCain's legislative record on clean water issues shows adopting an "anybody but" position on election-day would have far-reaching, negative consequences in a McCain administration.

Our Pick for President

Every presidential election cycle, there's a secret wish that the major party nominees will be as equally good on environmental and conservation issues, so forgoing the need to choose one over the other. That is not the case in 2008.

Path To A Greener Congress Focuses On Eight Battleground States

In addition to electing a president that will make the right choices for America, we need to elect enough congressional members to get us to the veto-proof magic numbers of 60 Senators and 261 Representatives who support protecting our waters, our health and our future through strong environmental policies.

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