Environmental Strategies

The Conecticutt Senate race has caused a division of sorts among formerly Democratic stalwarts among the environmental movement, as described in a recent aticle in Grist

Joe Liebermann, who is currently running ahead of Democratic nominee Ned Lamont by anywhere from two to ten percentage points-depending on the poll-just received a much needed boost by way of the Leaque of Conservation Voters. Tony Masserro, Leaque Vice-President of Political Affairs, announced the endorsement.

David Willett, spokesperson for The Sierra Club, has as yet to make an endorsement in the Connecticutt Senate race, but insists that party politics is not nor will be a factor. The environmental group has already drawn ire over this stated policy by way of it’s endorsement of Republican Senator Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island, notably from New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who warns that-

"If the Democrats gain only five rather than six Senate seats this November, Sen. James Inhofe [R-Okla.], who says that global warming is 'the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people,' will remain in his current position as chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. And if that happens, the Sierra Club may well bear some of the responsibility,"

Still, Wilett insists that those who vote favorably for environmental causes should be rewarded, despite party affiliation. As such, the group stands by Chaffee, as enumerated by Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope. The Leaque of Conservation Voters, meanwhile, seems just as steadfast in it’s support of Liebermann, whose environmental record is indeed impressive.

He co-sponsored, with Senator John McCain, the Climate Stewardship Act of 2003, and reintroduced the bill in 2005, which he has vowed to continue to push.What it does is propose a “cap and trade” program for greenhouse gases. It would impose limitations on emissions and allow companies to meet that limit by buying and selling the right to pollute.

He also helped draft the 1990 Clean Air Act. And just last year he worked on a bi-partisan basis to enact the Vehicle And Fuel Choices for American Security Act, which would reduce U.S. oil consumption by 10 million barrells a day in the next twenty five years.

Overall, the Leaque Of Conservation Voters has rated three term Senator Joe Liebermanns pro-environmental Senate voting record at 86%.

Still, though Liebermanns overall environmental record has been lauded as progressive, there are some areas of complaint. According to Lamont, one cause for concern is Liebermanns support of the recent Energy Bill –

"which features billions in subsidies to big oil and does little for conservation and energy efficiency."

Adam Warbach, former President of The Sierra Club, has also raised the Senators support of the Iraqi War as an issue-

"Lieberman's party should be irrelevant if you're an environmental-issue voter. The big question is whether you believe the Iraq war is an 'environmental' issue. I do. For me, the Iraq war is a travesty -- ecological and otherwise -- that far outweighs Lieberman's stellar environmental record."

Defending the Connecticutt Senators’ all around environmental record, Don Gerstein, Liebermann’s Communications Director, has pointed out that-

"Without him, climate politics changes. The whole landscape of environmental policy changes. ... Joe Lieberman has been at the forefront of pretty much every effort to block the administration's rollbacks of environmental standards."

It has also been pointed out that Lamont has no environmental record, nor does he have the bi-partisan standing or Liebermans experience as a leader on environmental causes, specifically on Senate committees, though it is generally conceeded that he would vote the Democratic party line on environmental, as well as other, issues. Moreover, it is generally felt that Liebermanns victory would require his working to attract not only independent voters, but Republicans, who would be inclined to vote for the three Republicans running for the House Of Representatives, possibly assurrnig the Republicans of a victory in one, two, or possibly all three of these races This could also result in the Republicans maintaining control of the House of Representatives, as pointed out in The New York Times. Without Liebermann, all three Republican seats are in danger, including the one held by current Representative Christopher Shays, perhaps the better known of the three.

Once you consider this factor, it becomes easier to understand the Republican position in all but endorsing Liebermanns independent run for the Senate, and the uncomfortable position it puts his former Democratic allies in, including Senior Connecticutt Democratic Senator Chris Dodd. He has endorsed Lamont, and encouraged Liebermann to drop out of the race, as has a host of other Democratic Senate colleaques.

Liebermann seems intent on staying in the race, on holding his ground-and seat. It is easy for me to appreciate the Leques and Sierra Clubs relative positions. After all, what good is it to promote environmental causes among Republican members if a pro-environmntal voting record is outright disregarded due to mere party affiliation? These groups seem to have learned the hard lessons of various civil rights groups, who were by the nineteen seventies all but written off by the Republican Party.

Sure, you can make the case that a Senator or Congressman should vote their conscience, first and foremost. That, of course, is a perfect world scenario. A perfect world, it should be pointed out, is one in which there are no problems. No greed, no corruption, no discrimination-and no pollution. Not the world we live in, it seems.

To be sure, these endorsements are gambles, ones that are possibly, and hopefully, worthwhile. If, however, it causes the Republicans to maintain control of the Senate-and the House-it might go down as the most irresponsible political crap shoot in history. If so, the only environmental changes you can look forward to will be the house cleaning from the top at The Sierra Club and The Leaque of Conservation Voters.

As for the Republican strategy in Connecticutt, if it is successful, it might well make Joe Liebermann among the most powerful, influential-and despised-Senator in U.S. history