WAPO: League of Conservation Voters to Endorse Hillary Clinton

[msrizzo]

League of Conservation Voters to Endorse Hillary Clinton

The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund on Monday intends to endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton, the first time in three decades it has endorsed a presidential candidate before a single primary vote has been cast.

The decision to back Clinton over two Democratic rivals with equally strong, if not stronger, liberal environmental records shows the extent to which some environmentalists are concerned the Obama administration’s policies could be rolled back under a Republican president. The group’s president, Gene Karpin­ski, said it needs to activate volunteers and donors early to make sure Clinton is strongly positioned for the general election.

The LCV Action Fund picked Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley because “the stakes are so high” and Clinton “has proved she’s an effective leader who can stand up to the big polluters and push forward an aggressive plan to tackle climate change,” Karpin­ski said.

More at https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/league-of-conservation-voters-action-fund-to-endorse-clinton/2015/11/08/4020cc9c-862d-11e5-be39-0034bb576eee_story.html

[RandySF]

1. .

[firebrand80]

2. Third Wayers nt

[onehandle]

3. Yeah, but Conservation is so close to Conservative, so of course they endorsed her.

[arikara]

33. I read it first as Conservative

and chuckled to myself. Then I realized it was Conservation. Not so funny any more, especially after just reading this one.

How Hillary Clinton’s State Department Sold Fracking to the World

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251783865

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. I see petitions

EOM

[JaneyVee]

5. Honk Honk!

Here comes the bus!

[iandhr]

28. beat me to it.

[reformist2]

6. This is getting embarrassing. It's actually a sign of weakness, that everyone's lining up so early.

[askew]

12. Yep, they are trying to ram her down voters' throats.

They'd be happy if she goes through the whole primary process without giving us concrete policy platforms on anything. She is running a pretty vapid campaign and hope voters are too stupid to notice.

[LuvLoogie]

21. So dramatic!

It's not Obamacare you know. You are free to vote for whom you want.

[SCantiGOP]

27. Reformist:

Read the second sentence of your post and see if that statement makes any sense.

[stevenleser]

7. K&R nt

[askew]

8. Wow, that is moronic.

She hasn't even published a full climate change platform yet. O'Malley has the best climate change platform and he has done more for environmental concerns than Hillary or Sanders.

How are they going to hold Hillary accountable, when they endorse her before she even lays out her environmental agenda. Just shameful. This makes it all about cronyism and not about the cause they are supposed to care about.

[stevenleser]

9. She had one 8 years ago and she has a senate record.

http://grist.org/article/clinton_factsheet/

[askew]

11. That's absurd.

She's flip-flopped on her Senate record and her past platforms on issue after issue. You can't take anything she said in the past as something she believes now.

Also, her campaign platform from 2008 is significantly weaker than both Sanders and O'Malley.

The only reason for this endorsement is cronyism.

[stevenleser]

14. I think LCV & Grist probably both know what they are talking about.

In any case they will have good company under the bus.

[ismnotwasm]

24. What's bigger than a bus?

Cause -- Damn.

[Armstead]

56. The head is a close friend and ally of Clinton

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=784381

Nothing wrong with that, but it;s not just some politically neutral organization

[HerbChestnut]

15. As cynical as it may be I have to agree with you.

The WP article does a pretty good job of listing the reasons they *shouldn't* have endorsed her, especially considering, like you said, Sanders and O'Malley have much better environmental proposals than she does. This is an extremely disappointing endorsement for many reasons.

[askew]

18. Yeah, there is no environmental justification for this endorsement.

It undermines their cause and would make me take them less seriously if I was a donor to that group. Hillary has never been great on environmental issues (much like Bill) and there was zero harm in waiting until she put out a full environmental platform. The only reason to do it is to try to end the primary process before voting begins.

[Armstead]

57. This,,,,

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=783871

[Hoyt]

16. Like the announcement says, the stakes (losing to GOPers) are high. Losing is too great a risk.

[MBS]

62. I agree.

Last edited Tue Nov 10, 2015, 08:23 AM - Edit history (1)

I could easily see, and would support, LCV endorsement in the GE (assuming that she is the Dem nominee), since ALL Dem nominees outshine all Republican nominees on environmental and conservation issues; but endorsement in the primary election is puzzling and premature, at best - and, honestly, also unearned - especially given the fact that O'Malley and Sanders have better voting records and/or stronger plans than HRC.
Earlier Dem presidential candidates endorsed by LCV in earlier primaries, such as John Kerry and Al Gore, had several decades of strong commitment to environmental issues before announcing their candidacies for the presidency. HRC does not have that kind of record.

[Thinkingabout]

10. K & R

[Scuba]

13. Why would a legitimate conservation group endorse the Queen of Fracking?

[riversedge]

17. They know a good strong woman who will get good things done for the US.

[cantbeserious]

25. Keep Dreaming The Impossible Dream - The People Know Better

eom

[Cha]

38. Hillary's way ahead.. yes the people know better and agree with the League of Conservation Voters.

[Armstead]

58. And....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=784381

[askew]

19. Cronyism.

It's another cynical endorsement by Hillary's team. I find it a bit funny because it just isn't working. No one is buying this BS outside her supporters.

O'Malley has the best record of environmental accomplishments of all the candidates and the best climate change platform.

It weakens their leverage if they endorse the candidate with the weakest environmental record who can't even be bothered to put out a full climate change platform.

[Hoyt]

20. As they said, the risk of going backwards if Sanders is nominee is too great.

I also suspect Clinton has made some serious commitments.

[Armstead]

36. She's a Clinton crony

Nothing wrong with that, but this is more a political endorsement

[RiverLover]

44. That's for certain.

Makes me sad for our chances in stemming catastrophic climate change.

[Armstead]

37. Because its head is a Clinton Political Ally -- This is just a political thing

Carol Browner (See my post below)

[oasis]

46. Having a personal connection with Browner is a good thing.

It will eliminate a ton of red tape when it comes to policy proposals.

[Armstead]

54. Not saying it's wrong

But it should be clarified that it's a friend and political ally of Clinton, not just some environmental organization without a dog in the hunt.

[ismnotwasm]

22. Holy moly that's a big one

Awesome!

[cantbeserious]

23. One Wonders What The Bribe Was

eom

[msrizzo]

26. I'm the first to say that Hillary is her own person.

But I have to push back on claims that the Clinton administration didn't have a good environmental record. And hello, Al Gore?

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/07/17/2314341/epa-building-renamed-after-bill-clinton-to-recognize-his-administrations-environmental-record/

Not saying that what Bill did is a reason to endorse Hillary, but the conventional wisdom among some folks today that Bill Clinton was the worst president in the history of the world is just wrong.

[misterhighwasted]

29. Great News for HRC & reflects the outstanding Leader she will be as President.

She listens & she hears the concerns and engaged them in contributing to a solution.
She doesn't have to shout her message nor run a smear campaign to have a place in this race.
She hears the concerns & with her brilliant knowlege of policy & diplomacy, will see that their concerns will not be forgotten.
She engages those concerned about a critical issue, in also finding a solution.

This is why she has the endorsements she does.

She's not shouting her message in anyones face.

That is a great leader
HRC 2016

[SidDithers]

30. DU rec...nt

Sid

[BeanMusical]

31. At first I thought that the tittle said:

League of Conservative Voters

[onecaliberal]

32. The stakes are so fucking high you endorse the candidate who is guaranteed to protect

Her corporate donars. They must think we are complete idiots.

[VanillaRhapsody]

52. Maybe they don't think it at all...

[hay rick]

34. Foolish. nt

[Armstead]

35. Not an unbiased endorsement. Carol Browner. A Clinton Insider.

Carol Browner - Chair of League ..... A good environmentalist, but not exactly unbiased. Clinton Crony. Member of Clinton and Obama administrations....Center for American Progress

Obama's director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011. Browner previously served as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the Clinton administration from 1993 to 2001.


In the 2008 presidential election, she was a strong supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton's bid for the Democratic nomination.[8] After Clinton lost her bid, Browner campaigned for Barack Obama in several battleground states and in League of Conservation Voters events.[8]


After the Clinton administration, Browner became a founding member of the Albright Group, a "global strategy group" headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

But...
Until summer 2008 she was a member of Socialist International's Commission for a Sustainable World Society,[61][62][63] although the commission's web site still had her listed as a member in January 2009.

[askew]

39. Ah, cronyism.

That's what I thought.

[oasis]

47. Being well connected is a plus in the real world. (eom)

[Cha]

40. This is so freaking Awesome.. I don't care how BS fans try to throw LCV under the bus.

LCV works to turn environmental values into national, state and local priorities. LCV, in collaboration with our state LCV partners, advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-environment candidates who will champion our priority issues.

http://www.lcv.org/about/mission/

Good job, msrizzo!

[VanillaRhapsody]

53. Nice Cherry Blossom Pic Cha!!!

[Cha]

59. Yeah, nice pic they chose.. I love Cherry Blossoms in Spring, VR!

[riversedge]

41. Congrats to Hillary and her Team.

[RiverLover]

42. I must have missed where we voted on this.

This must be how union members feel when leadership makes a decision without input from members.

[Cha]

43. "The group’s president, Gene Karpin­ski, said it needs to activate volunteers and donors early to

sure Clinton is strongly positioned for the general election."

YES!!

[cannabis_flower]

45. Is the League of Conservation Voters ..

a recipient of funds from the Clinton Foundation? Just wondering? If so, why would they endorse Bernie if it might be killing the golden goose?

[msrizzo]

48. Why don't you look it up and tell us?

I don't know who they fund off the top of my head so I can't help you.

[cannabis_flower]

49. There was a thread

that showed a list of some of the organizations and it wasn't there, but then someone downthread said something about them so I thought probably but couldn't find where they got the list from.

[cannabis_flower]

50. This is the one

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1107&pid=25973

[msrizzo]

51. Thanks.

I notice the thread says that it is just a "small list" of the organizations they fund.

[cannabis_flower]

60. Yeah, which is why..

I wonder where they got the list, or is this something that the Clinton campaign put out and there isn't a link.

[Armstead]

55. League is run by a close froend and political ally of Clinton

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=784381

[Cha]

61. They know what they're doing.. they see the Big Picture. They know what the repubs are capable of.

Hillary is going to win and they're need to get started on this yesterday.