2008 Elections--What About a Little Thing Called "The Environment"??

Hello dear readers. I am an English Literature major and I will be exploring the presidential candidates' platforms on environmental issues such as Global Warming (*A.K.A. "Climate Change" by the current administration), greenhouse emissions, the U.S.'s role in global pollution, the candidates' proposed solutions, and the impact of "green" movements during this election season. Unfortunately, amidst the recent controversy surrounding Reverend Jeremiah Wright, crucial issues such as the environment fell further into the political backdrop. We are well into 2008 and the presidential candidates have devoted little time toward addressing environmental issues.


The 2008 election candidates--Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, and Barack Obama--counter the Bush administration's denial of global warming/climate change, but to varying degrees. Senator Clinton's lofty environmental goals include switching from carbon-based to "clean and energy-efficient," holding oil and coal companies accountable for emissions, encouraging "green," or environmentally-friendly/efficient, homes and commercial structures, implementing programs for lower- and middle-income buyers to buy green, and advocating a reduction in electricity consumption and oil dependence. Although McCain introduced an environmental climate change bill in 2003, he has skipped out on crucial votes in the Senate regarding the use of oil, versus so-called "clean" coal, as well as crucial votes to overturn generous tax benefits for oil companies. His official presidential website mentions McCain's platform agenda on the environment, but there are few details on what specific strategy McCain intends to pursue. McCain states his belief in Americans' "patriotic responsibility" toward sustaining clean water and air resources and keeping our national treasures intact, however, there is a dearth of information regarding his questionable Senate voting record and his proposed resolutions for environmental issues. Senator Obama's detailed "Plan for a Clean Energy Future" involves investing over $150billion in clean energy initiatives, coupled with skilled training for youths via a "Green Jobs Corps," requiring renewable electricity, reducing oil dependence by 2030, encouraging the production of green products, and advocating cleaner technology from companies--especially large corporations, the biggest polluters and waste producers.

While the November 2008 elections are several months away, the candidates must keep environmental issues at the forefront of their campaigns. The most recent controversy involving Reverend Wright has overshadowed the Democratic candidates' messages regarding several election issues, however, within the coming months, Senators Obama, McCain, and Clinton owe the voting public more than broad statements on their campaign websites. For example, the recent revelations about pharmaceutical drugs in drinking water, a major concern, have largely gone ignored by the candidates. This is no small matter. If such important environmental issues are not addressed now, why should we believe the candidates' daily campaign rhetoric about other issues?

McCain: Congress shares blame for bridge collapse

(CNN)–Senator John McCain says Congress should share some of the blame for the collapse of the bridge in Minnesota, because of the diversion of money meant for transportation spending that goes to pet projects for members of Congress.

"Clearly inspections of bridges are needed and that's why the Department of Transportation has ordered them," the GOP presidential candidate said. "That we have to spend 233 million of those dollars earmarked for transportation, that are already intended for transportation, on an outrageous earmark of a 233 million dollar bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it, its an argument for reforming this broken system of corruption and earmarking in Washington." McCain said that money should have been used to fund inspections and repairs of the nation's infrastructure.

McCain has been a vocal critic of "ear marks", narrowly targeted projects that members of Congress tuck into appropriations bills. Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, faced criticism for an appropriation of 233 million dollars to build a bridge in an area of his state with a small population.

McCain made the comments to local reporters on Saturday in Ankeny, Iowa following a town hall meeting. He is due to participate in a debate Sunday with the other Republican presidential candidates in Des Moines.

–CNN Political Desk Editor Jamie Crawford

History

At this juncture in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, the Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, is poised to become the first black Democratic nominee for the presidency of the United States of America.

Sen. Obama is leading in the popular vote and the pledged delegates. Since February 5, he has reportedly gained 50 superdelegates, inching closer to the New York Senator's lead in superdelegates.

According to MSNBC's "First Read" http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/24/800406.aspx, Obama leads Clinton 1,626-1,506 overall. This includes the pledged count of Obama 1,408, Clinton 1,251 and the superdelegate count of Clinton 255, Obama 218.

In the popular vote, Obama is ahead 13,405,271-12,706,194.

It's a tense moment in history for many who await the June 5 outcome of this historic Democratic primary.

introduction

i'm a phd history student and will be giving brief commentaries on the presidential race for the white house.

Hillary Clinton on LA Public Transportation

February 6, 2008

In yesterday's LAist interview with Hillary Clinton, we had to ask about public transportation. Clinton said she would increase federal funding for public transit by $1.5 billion per year, link funding to local land use policies that encourage mixed-use and transit-oriented development (discouraging sprawl) and invest $1 billion into intercity passenger rail (think high speed rail from Los Angeles to San Francisco, or more locally, the MagLev concept from Orange County to Las Vegas.

Speaking of federal funding, the LA Times reported yesterday that the Federal Transit Administration is awarding $23.3 million towards the funding of bus lanes for a portion of Wilshire Blvd. on the Westside. Not including Beverly Hills, the lanes will go from the "Santa Monica-Los Angeles boundary to Valencia Street, which is just west of downtown Los Angeles." The project is expected to save 12-minutes from Santa Monica to downtown and be completed in early 2011.

By Zach Behrens

Obama's National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank

From The Page - by Mark Halperin , Senator Obama is proposing a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank today:

"For our economy, our safety, and our workers, we have to rebuild America. I’m proposing a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over ten years. This investment will multiply into almost half a trillion dollars of additional infrastructure spending and generate nearly two million new jobs – many of them in the construction industry that’s been hard hit by this housing crisis. The repairs will be determined not by politics, but by what will maximize our safety and homeland security; what will keep our environment clean and our economy strong. And we’ll fund this bank by ending this war in Iraq. It’s time to stop spending billions of dollars a week trying to put Iraq back together and start spending the money on putting America back together instead.”

-Barack Obama

Clinton's and McCain's recent comments on Hugo Chavez

Senator Clinton's comments.
Senator McCain's comments.

I couldn't find anything from Obama...

So we're at it again

Recently, the U.S. engaged in a brief airstrike (excuse the euphemism) and bombed a village in Somalia which had suspected links to Al-Qaida. The Associated Press termed the radical Somali factions as part of a "lawless African nation" in the very first paragraph. It's a bit hard on my stomach to continue with the Western-leaning contortions that pass for "unbiased" journalism. Indeed, the U.S. bombed a government that has resisted through organized struggle UN-imperialist actions - I mean, don't forget, we did bomb them a year ago, under the same pretense of "terrorism" (cf. BBC). Yet, nothing we do seems to stop the growing tsunami of discontent with U.S. Foreign Policy. Just recently, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela denounced Columbia's imperialist actions as promulgating more U.S. imperialism. Yet, this time, Chavez is mobilizing troops against America's pet-regime (Columbia that is). One can only wonder how long the U.S. will tolerate Chavez before labeling his government as having "suspected ties to terrorists"? Anyhow, what is certain with the Somalia episode is that the Somalis have not taken to U.S. imperialism kindly, and some have protested, denouncing the act as one of terror in that four of the eight reported killed were not Al-Qaida henchmen, but innocent children. No doubt, the pentagon will label them as "collateral damage". Sad. Strangely, with the U.S. patroling the "hostile" waters off the coast of Somalia-waters which have linked East Africa to Asia via the Indian ocean in historic trade routes- one can only feel an eerie sensation of preemptive war in the works again. Will the American people ever wake up? Better yet, will the international community ever wake up? Hope so.

Americans Who Are Denied the DREAM

With an astounding number of undocumented immigrants belonging to the largest minority group in the United States, close attention needs to be focused on issues that are important to immigrants. Simply because their vote will count! Throughout the course of the debate, voters and non-voters who are concerned with providing opportunities for immigrants to attain citizenship, will be observing the sentiments of the 2008 presidential candidates on the failed DREAM legislation. This legislation would have allowed children who have grown up in the United States, but are not native to the country, to attain citizenship through either military services or higher educational opportunities. The positions of four of the current candidates are as follows:


Sen. Hillary Clinton- supporter of DREAM Act


Sen. Barack Obama- supporter of DREAM Act


Mike Huckabee- opposes DREAM Act


Sen. John McCain- supporter of DREAM Act

Group Blog Assignment

Each student assistant within Founders Reference Department will participate in a group blog covering pertinent issues surrounding the 2008 Presidential Elections.

You are to choose a topic/issue from the list herein and post, once a week, how that topic is addressed, discussed, debated by the current six presidential candidates via newspapers, campaign and general media websites.

As of today, the current candidates are: Clinton (D), Huckabee (R), McCain(R), McKinney(GP), Nader(I), Obama(D)

Pick an topic/issue:

1 Immigration -- Richardson / Ukaoma
2 Health Care -- Jackson
3 Economy -- Gamble
4 Education K-12 -- Golden
5 Education Higher Education -- Nelson
6 Environment -- Ajala
7 Technology --
8 Domestic Issues (Infrastucture, Employment) -- Young
9 International Issues (National Security) -- Newsome
10 Housing --

Assignment Guidelines
1. Use RSS to track online resources.

2. Posts should be, at minimum 2-4 sentences. Must have embedded links to cited resources.

3. Each post should have labels with (1) your initials, (2) the issue you are covering and (3) the last name of the presidential candidate discussed in the post.