Bush's sorry environmental record

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Administration rolled back progress


By RUSSELL E. TRAIN
and RICK RUSSMAN
For the Monitor


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September 23. 2004 8:01AM


E
xcept in a few instances, the environmental policies of the Bush administration are a disgrace.

As lifelong Republicans who have worked for decades to protect and restore clean air and clean water, we find the turning back of the environmental clock by this administration profoundly disturbing. And New Hampshire suffers from these backward policies.

Republican President Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency. In his 1970 State of the Union message, he called the environmental cause "as fundamental as life itself." With bipartisan leadership in Congress, Nixon initiated many of the environmental protections we enjoy today.

Republican President George H.W. Bush signed the Clean Air Act of 1990, one of the most protective environmental statutes.

Unfortunately, President George W. Bush's administration is reversing course from 30 years of bipartisan leadership to protect our health and environment.

http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040923/REPOSITORY/409230303/1017/OPINION

[ohio_dem_52186]

1. I wish the environment was an issue this year!

With all of the other crazy stuff going on, nobody seems to worried about the environment.

That is a shame, because Bush is no environmentalist.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. No one ever mentions one of the biggest scandals involving Bushco

Koch Industries, one of the nation's largest energy companies was facing 97 felony counts and a $357 million fine by the EPA for dumping 91 metric tons of carcinogens into the Texas landscape while Bush was governor. The Clinton Administration was prosecuting them and Koch executives were facing the potential of a combined 100 years behind bars. The major crime was not just the dumping of carcinogens, but the attempted cover-up of the crime.

About two months after Bush came into office, he had the justice department dismiss all counts except one and he reduced the $357 million to a slap on the wrist punishment. No one served time. Koch had contributed zero, nada, 00000, to Democrats but $800,000 to Republicans and a sizeable campaign contribution to George Bush.

I remember seeing Ari Fleischer do some of the most artful song and dance of his career when he was asked whether Bush would return the campaign contribution from a convicted felon that dumped 91 metric tons of a known carcinogen and tried to hide the fact. Fleischer explained that the contributions were received from Koch family members, not from the company itself. Koch, however, is wholly owned by the Koch family and is not a publicly traded company.

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Koch_Industries

[OneBlueSky]

3. "GEORGE BUSH IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER!"

is the line Kerry should be using because . . .

- it's true - and there's plenty of evidence to back it up;

- it's synergistic - BushCo's environmental policies are crystal clear examples of the illegality, the cronyism, and the sleaze that characterize this entire administration;

- if Kerry doesn't raise the issue, no one will - because you can be damn sure that the environment is something that Bush does NOT want to be disussing in this campaign; and

- IT WILL GET HEADLINES! - it's a line that will be quoted in newspapers and on tv repeatedly . . . great sound bite, great header, something people will remember . . . and something that will resonate with them, regardless of political affiliation . . .

"George Bush is an environmental disaster!" should be one of the tag lines of this entire campaign . . .