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CLCV Holds June 26 Presidential Candidate Forum in L.A.
Democratic hopefuls rip Bush's environmental record
On June 26, CLCV and the national League of Conservation Voters sponsored the first ever presidential forum focusing exclusively on the environment. Five candidates competing for the Democratic Presidential nomination attended the event at UCLA.
Hear an audio recording of the forum and read a transcript, from NPR's Living on Earth.
See the forum on RealVideo from C-SPAN.
Statement from Rico Mastrodonato, CLCV Interim Executive Director:
June 26, 2003 (Los Angeles) -- Tonight we made history with the first-ever Presidential Candidates Forum specifically on the environment.
We heard time and time again that the Bush Administration is out of touch with mainstream America when it comes to the environment. We heard about rollbacks on safeguards that protect our families, and our air and drinking water. We heard about opening up our last remaining wild places to oil drilling, roads and commercial development. We heard about corporations polluting our communities and taxpayers getting stuck with the bill.
The result of tonight's discussion is this: we need a President who will stand up for the environment. There is a vast difference between the Bush record on the environment and where the American people want to go. The candidates here tonight have shown us that -- quite simply -- we can, and we must, do better.
Americans want cleaner air and safer drinking water. They want to live in communities free of environmental hazards. People want corporations to be held accountable for polluting the environment, and for polluters -- not taxpayers -- to pay for the cleanup.
Americans want to preserve and protect our priceless natural resources for future generations, and for our national parks, forests and wilderness areas to remain unspoiled.
Tonight's forum was a first close look for Americans on the environmental views of these presidential candidates. These presidential contenders know that standing up for strong environmental protection demonstrates values that transcend party lines. By bringing the Democratic candidates together for tonight's discussion, we have raised the profile of the environment in the context of the Presidential election.
On election day, Americans will be taking environmental issues with them to the ballot box. We think that tonight's forum has given them the facts.
See the following sites for coverage of the forum:
- Bush attacked on environment / Democratic hopefuls attend debate San Francisco Chronicle
- Democratic hopefuls rip Bush / Five call the president's environmental policies a disaster Sacramento Bee
- Democratic Candidates Speak in L.A. San Jose Mercury News (AP)
© 2008 California League of Conservation Voters. Contact us.
