The two candidates for president didn’t exactly make green issues a priority this year, though they like to talk up their credentials on the stump, based on the League of Conservation Voters National Environmental Scorecard issued today.
The 2008 Scorecard includes 11 Senate and 13 House votes dominated by energy but also encompassing other environmental issues. This year, 67 House members and 27 senators earned a perfect 100 percent score, which is significantly higher than the 33 House members and 3 senators who earned a 100 percent in 2007. This year, 70 House members and 2 senators earned an appalling score of zero percent, compared with 48 house members and 9 senators in 2007.
The average House score in 2008 was 56 percent, and the average Senate score was 57 percent, which is slightly higher than the 53 percent House and 52 percent Senate averages in 2007. California, Connecticut, Michigan, Montana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin all had perfect Senate averages of 100 percent, while Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina’s senators averaged just 9 percent. In the House, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and Maryland all averaged above 90 percent, while Montana and Wyoming were both below 10 percent.
According to the scorecard, Sen. Barack Obama missed nine of the 11 “key” environmental votes in this year’s Senate, though his two votes were considered “pro-environment.” His overall grade for the 110th Congress was 46 percent pro-environment (he received a 67 percent rating for the first session in 2007) and 96 percent for the 109th Congress.
As bad as Obama’s rating was for this year, his opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona missed all 11 votes this year and received a 0 score for 2007. His scores have been 41 percent for the 109th Congress, 56 percent for the 108th Congress, 36 percent for the 107th Congress, 6 percent for the 106th Congress. Anyone sense a pattern? In the two years leading up to his two runs for the White House — this year and in 2000 — McCain’s score has tanked.
In the end, the League endorsed Obama:
“Senator Obama’s proven record and his commitment to a clean, renewable energy future make him the best choice for President,” LCV President Gene Karpinski said. “At a time when this country must reinvent itself for a new energy future, we can imagine no better steward than Barack Obama. Under his leadership, America will finally achieve the economic growth, environmental protection, and national security that are possible with a new, clean energy economy.”
“We have a real choice here,” said Carol Browner, LCV board member and the longest-serving EPA Administrator in the agency’s history. “Barack Obama has been a committed leader and has offered bold and comprehensive proposals when it comes to global warming, energy and the environment. John McCain, whose plan will be a continuation of Bush-era political gimmicks, will carry on Bush’s legacy of failure when it comes to energy policy.”
Vice-Presidential candidate Joe Biden, the Democratic senator from Delaware, scored a 64 percent this year — he missed four votes and cast seven considered pro-environment. His earlier scores: a 67 percent for the first session of the 110th Congress, 93 percent for the 109th Congress, 92 percent for the 108th Congress, 96 percent for the 107th Congress and 88 percent for the 106th Congress.
Other key votes: Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, the Democratic senators from New Jersey, both scored 91 percent. Lautenberg, who is running for re-election against former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer, was endorsed by the LCV:
“Senator Lautenberg has the second highest LCV lifetime score in the Senate” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “His record on the environment with a LCV lifetime score of 96% in our annual National Environmental Scorecard proves his dedication to protecting New Jersey and the health and safety of all Americans. Senator Lautenberg is not just someone who votes consistently pro-environment. He is also a real leader and a champion, and that’s the kind of person we need in the Senate.”
Lautenberg continues to be a strong proponent of the program that ensures polluters pay for cleanup of their own sites and has fought to ban offshore drilling by oil and gas interests.
Last year, Sen. Lautenberg continued his pro-environment voting on key pieces of energy legislation, including his support for the renewable electricity standard that was ultimately unsuccessful in Senate and stripped from the final bill. Lautenberg is a long-time supporter of incentives for renewable energy sources.
And Rush Holt, the Democrat who represents the 12th District in the House, scored 100 percent — one of three New Jersey Congressmen to do so and 67 nationally.
Hank Kalet 