On Environmental Issues, Hillary Clinton is a No-Brainer Over Rivals

[babylonsister]

http://bluenationreview.com/environmental-issues-hillary-clinton-brainer-rivals/

On Environmental Issues, Hillary Clinton is a No-Brainer Over Rivals
Shawn Drury | 5 hours ago


In a better world, presidential candidates would debate how to solve the climate change crisis. Instead, climate change and other environmental issues are another area where Republicans and Democrats disagree. In fact, most leading Republicans won’t even admit climate change is happening.

Conversely, Hillary Clinton’s record during her eight years in the Senate should be encouraging to environmentalists. The League of Conservation Voters issues a report card every year on members of Congress. During then-Sen. Clinton’s time in office, she amassed a lifetime score of 82 out of 100.

As a means of comparison, current Republican Senators Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio have lifetime scores of 11, 11, 9, and 9, respectively. There is no comparison.

While in the senate, Clinton voted to:

Keep drillers out of public lands, including Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Support clean, safe, renewable energy.
Protect families by ensuring water and air are clean.
Seek alternatives to coal.
Provide assistance for low income families for help with energy bills.

The challenge for environmentalists is to push their issues up the priority list so they make it into the discussion of a general election campaign. That would benefit Clinton, given her record, and it would help her with younger, undecided voters for whom the environment is a priority.

H/T: League of Conservation Voters

[cali]

1. Of course she's better than the repubs. she's much like Obama on environmental issues-

meaning a decidedly mixed bag. She's gung ho on fracking. She has supported drilling in sensitive offshore areas. And she takes and has long taken a HUGE amount of $$$ from oil companies.

How Hillary Clinton's State Department Sold Fracking to the World
A trove of secret documents details the US government's global push for shale gas.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/09/hillary-clinton-fracking-shale-state-department-chevron

More:

Why Environmentalists Are Anxious About a Hillary Clinton 2016 Run

http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/why-environmentalists-are-anxious-about-a-hillary-clinton-2016-run-20150410

[rhett o rick]

2. Why won't the Conservative Wing of OUR Party speak about Fricking-Fracking? I guess if

they ignore the problem, it really doesn't exist.

Is HRC better than a Republicon, of course, but we deserve even better.

[hrmjustin]

5. Conservative wing?

[rhett o rick]

7. Are you ignoring all the signs indicating that the Democratic Party is fracturing into

two distinct wings?

The Progressive Wing sides with the 99% and are against fracking, the TPP, the Patriot Act, NSA/CIA domestic spying, drone killing, continuous wars in the Middle East, the domination of our economy by the Banksters (Goldman-Sachs) and Wall Street.

The Conservative Wing agrees with the 1% and supports the above mentioned issues.

Progressives are calling for breaking up the banks. Conservatives are ok with Goldman-Sachs and Larry Summers and Trickle-Down.

[hrmjustin]

8. I don't see Hillary or her supporters as conservatives.

I know I am not conservative.

[rhett o rick]

10. OK, that's fair. But there is a clear rift. One Wing identifies itself as the Progress or Populist

Wing and supports Sen Warren and Sen Sanders. The other Wing, that seems to agree with Republicons on lots of issues like fracking, the TPP, the Patriot Act, Wall Street domination of our economy, etc. are clearly not Progressive. Maybe I should call it the Third Way Wing. The Third Way agrees with the Progressives on social issues and agrees with the Republicons on economic policy, foreign policy and maintaining a strong, unregulated NSA/CIA Security State.

As I see it one either supports the 1% or the 99%.

[hrmjustin]

11. I am a progressive guy and I support Hillary.

[rhett o rick]

14. How can a progressive guy forgive her decision to betray Democrats and

help Bush lie us into a war? A war that brought death to maybe a million people. She not only gave her full support to Bush, she actually pushed the lies. If she is the best our Party has, we are in serious shite.

[hrmjustin]

15. Are you saying you doubt me?

I voted for kerry so how can I hold it against her?

Did you forgive Kerry his vote?

[rhett o rick]

16. I don't doubt you for a minute. I believe you are an honest and decent guy.

In 2002 many knew what was ahead and pleaded to our representatives to not trust Bush & Cheney. Those Democrats turned their backs on us and helped the Republicons and share responsibility for the deaths of a million people, and ruin tens of thousands of American troops lives. That is only a fraction of the damage done by the Republicons aided by some Democrats.

In 2002 I stood in front of the TV and watched the vote in disbelief. I swore never to support any Democrat that shrugged their duty and bowed before Bush. Yielded power to him to wage war. All responsible should be held accountable.

We can't continue on this path to tyranny. I think it's probably too late to reverse it but am going to stay and fight. I see hope in the Populist Movement all across the country. I see hope in the likes of Sen Sanders and Sen Warren. We must not settle for more of the same as we've had the last 30 years. Our children and grandchildren are suffering today and we need change today.

[hrmjustin]

17. Ok I understand how you feel but did you vote for Kerry?

And thank you for the kind words.

[rhett o rick]

18. I voted by secret ballot. It's secret for a reason. nm

[hrmjustin]

19. Ok.fair enough.

[brooklynite]

20. No, not fair enough...

You have a legal right to keep your ballot secret. You don't have a right to have your political outrage accepted if you won't stand up and make clear how principled (or hypocritical) you are.

[bvar22]

23. Who made up THAT rule.

I just reviewed the TOS, and it doesn't appear there.

Did you just make that up?

[brooklynite]

25. I'm not arguing about your RIGHT to post or withhold what you want...

I'm saying you have no right to expect any to respect your stated opinion, if you're not prepared to stand behind it.

[bvar22]

26. Then why did you attack Will?

Looks like Cognitive Dissonance combined with a flexible moral compass to me.


You remind me of the Cops who say,
"You have the RIGHT to remain silent,
but that means you have something to hide."

The RIGHT to a Secret Ballot is as American as America gets.
If you demand to know WHO someone voted for, YOU are the one who loses respect.

NOW....what is your problem?

[brooklynite]

28. Who's Will?

Rhett o rick said it was unforgivable for Hillary Clinton to have voted for the IWR. He was asked if he applied the same principle to John Kerry in 2004 and refused to answer. He has the right to not reveal his vote. I have the right to assume he's a hypocrite if he won't state that he voted against Kerry.

[bvar22]

29. ..and I have the right to "assume" many things about you too,

but posting them would violate the ToS,
so use your imagination.

[hrmjustin]

33. Well the poster is not going to reveal who he voted for to me.

There is nothing more I can do.

[Smithryee]

21. Correct. Conservative wing. As in Third Party.

As in Hillary Clinton who is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative.

Hillary supports fracking. A no-no on environmental issues.
Hillary supports Keystone Pipeline.. a no-no on environmental issues.

Here's an article from 2012..

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/09/hilary-clinton-and-obama-s-dismal-record-on-the-environment.html

[hrmjustin]

22. .

i give you A for effort.

[Jim Lane]

9. Exactly! It's very misleading to use "rivals" to refer to the Republicans

None of those people will be Hillary Clinton's rival until after the party conventions next year -- if then.

Right now her rivals are the people who, like her, are considered likely to contend for the Democratic nomination. I'd list O'Malley, Sanders, and Webb. Expressions of interest by Chafee and about Warren put them in the second tier.

The environmental magazine Grist ran a laudatory article about O'Malley, republished by Mother Jones: "Martin O'Malley Is A Longshot Presidential Candidate, and a Real Climate Hawk". Clinton supporters would do well to address the types of issues raised in that article. Despite her long public career, I don't have a sense of her as being a "climate hawk" beyond making suitable but vague noises about the issue. See, for example, that article's discussion of where each of them stands on fracking.

[dirtydickcheney]

3. Would someone explain what she does that deserves any left-wing support?

Honestly she'd be far better off running as a Republican.

She's a Blue Dog to the core and as we know a true Republican will beat 'Republican Lite'.

No reason for her to run for the Democratic Nomination when she could be the best Republican on the ticket.

[JaneyVee]

4. She has a 90% Liberal voting record. Cheers!

[rhett o rick]

12. Funny how the liberals are scrambling to find someone else. nm

[dirtydickcheney]

13. I'm guessing some of that 10% is voting for the Iraq War.

Voting for the Iraq War should be an automatic disqualification for the Nomination.

I like the way that sounds BTW!!

[bvar22]

24. Voting Records are easy to manipulate.

I used to believe that the "Voting Record" was the end all,
until I learned about the scams that go on the Senate/House Floor.

Still, with ALL of that smokescreens on voting records, a 90% on "Liberal Issues",
and an 80% on Environmental Issues is not very good.

"Democrats are willing to support ANY Liberal Issue,
as long as there is NO chance it will pass."

http://www.salon.com/2010/02/23/democrats_34/

[99Forever]

27. It's almost all a dog and pony show.

Everything is manipulated and massaged by the owners. Can't have us prols operating with honest truthful data to form ideas and loyalties with.

[bvar22]

30. If you are a junkie,

and find an important vote has been delayed until after mid-night,
tune in to C-SPAN and watch the circus of vote swapping.

One thing is consistent.
If a "Progressive" Issue is up for vote,
or an issue that will help the Working Class & Poor,
there will be just enough Democratic defectors who cross over to the Republican side to make sure the 1% WINS (again), but just barely (1 or 2 votes).

THAT little scam is good for BILLIONS during campaign season.
They get paid twice:
Once by the 1%ers that bought the legislation,
and then again when they can plead with voters for more money because
"We ALMOST won!!!
If you send in a few more dollars, NEXT TIME we can do something."



Too many years of watching this charade.

[99Forever]

34. Precisely.

And they wonder why some of us have become cynics that no longer buy their bullshit and try so hard to silence us.

[Art_from_Ark]

51. Yup

[Cha]

47. The OP just told you. Our Environment.. the number one issue on the Planet.

[seveneyes]

6. Tune in, turn on, burn out in the acid rain

In the western sky
My kingdom come ...

[Cheese Sandwich]

31. This is comical. It presumes she's already won the nomination. Her first rivals will be other Dems.

Hillary Clinton's environmental record is one of serving the oil and gas industries. Including heading up the State Department when they had ex-Trans Canada employees write the impact assessment for the Keystone Pipeline, and then trying to cover that up.

[babylonsister]

32. Good! Then bring on other Dems serious about running.

I love competition, and she hasn't been crowned.

I love Bernie myself!

[Cha]

48. No, it doesn't. But, she has announced and she is light years better than the gop.

[Cheese Sandwich]

50. That's cool

thanks

[Zorra]

35. On every issue, Bernie Sanders is a no brainer over rivals. Democratic rivals included...

League of Conservation Voters

Lifetime Scorecard: Hillary Clinton: 82%

http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/hillary-rodham-clinton

League of Conservation Voters

Lifetime Scorecard: 95%

http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/bernie-sanders

[Buzz Clik]

38. He's not running. It's irrelevant.

[NorthCarolina]

39. He's not running? Where did you read or hear that?

Last I heard he was "contemplating a run". Is there some requirement that dictates he MUST announce before Hillary announces or else he forfeits his right to enter the primaries?

[Buzz Clik]

40. Ok. He's running.

whatever

[tabasco]

36. Not bad.

Most assuredly better than ANY republican.

[Buzz Clik]

37. But she totally equivocated in 2007 and 2008 -- the run up to the 2008 Presidential campaign

http://scorecard.lcv.org/sites/scorecard.lcv.org/files/LCV_Scorecard_2007.pdf
http://scorecard.lcv.org/sites/scorecard.lcv.org/files/LCV_Scorecard_2008.pdf

Her LCV lifetime average ended at 82%, but in 2007 she was 73% and in 2008 was 36%! Her average going into 2007 was 89%.

Obama has been a bit of a disappointment on the environmental front; not an abomination, but I expected much more. His lifetime average was 72% with 67% and 18% in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

So, she will likely be better than Obama, but not by much. As with Obama, she sees environment as a core issue for the left but is willing to compromise with the right for her political gains.

[Fearless]

46. The question is how much is she willing to compromise away

And I'm afraid I already know the answer to that. This is the reason I will not vote for her. When push comes to shove, she will not stand up for the liberal values I believe in if it doesn't suit her personally.

[bvar22]

52. You mean she will be better than..

.. the Drill, Baby, Drill Obama Administration?

[Buzz Clik]

53. Obama is the "Drill, Baby, Drill" administration? Really?

?

[bvar22]

54. There is MORE drilling in sensitive areas under OBama..

..than at the peak of the Bush administration. In fat, we are drilling new wells at a RECORD pace.
The environmentally sensitive Atlantic Coast has recently been opened for drilling.
It took a Democrat to do that.
Bush could have never opened the Atlantic Coast for drilling.

Drill, Baby, DRILL!!!!!


[font size=3][div class="excerpt"
How Obama Became the Oil President
[/font]He once talked of plans to reduce oil consumption—now the US drills more than ever. What happened?

That was then and this is now, and Obama ain't talking that way no more. Instead, he regularly boasts of America's soaring oil output and points to all he's done and is still doing to further increase domestic production. Thanks to the sort of heightened investment in domestic output his administration has sponsored, he told a cheering Congress in January, "more oil [was] produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world—the first time that's happened in nearly twenty years."


http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/09/how-obama-became-oil-president-gas-fracking-drill

[Buzz Clik]

55. That looks like a good read. When I get a minute...

[LWolf]

41. Interesting how her list of rivals

has been reduced to a handful of Republicans when primary campaigns haven't even started. I'll bet there will be rivals who offer equal to better than HRC on my ballot.

[mmonk]

42. Anyone ok with fracking is not ensuring clean water and air.

[Beacool]

43. Of course she is better on this issue than any Republican candidate.

Who would think otherwise?

[blkmusclmachine]

44. 0 is larger than -1.

[WillTwain]

45. She is ranked the eleventh most liberal senator in recent history.

On many issues she is outstanding.

[Agschmid]

49. This.