Environmental Advocates Are Cooling on Obama

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/science/earth/18enviros.html

Environmental Advocates Are Cooling on Obama

By JOHN M. BRODER
Published: February 17, 2010

WASHINGTON — There has been no more reliable cheerleader for President Obama’s energy and climate change policies than Daniel J. Weiss of the left-leaning http://www.americanprogress.org/">Center for American Progress.

But Mr. Obama’s recent enthusiasm for nuclear power, including his budget proposal to triple federal loan guarantees for new nuclear reactors to $54 billion, was too much for Mr. Weiss.

The president’s embrace of nuclear power was disappointing, and the wrong way to go about winning Republican votes, he said, adding that Mr. Obama should not be endorsing such a costly and potentially catastrophic energy alternative “as bait just to get talks started with pro-nuke senators.”

The early optimism of environmental advocates that the policies of former President George W. Bush would be quickly swept away and replaced by a bright green future under Mr. Obama is for many environmentalists giving way to resignation, and in some cases, anger.

...

[Lorien]

1. Candidate Obama's positions on the environment and green energy was one of the

biggest reason's that I worked so hard for his campaign. Unfortunately President Obama has taken a very different stand on those issues.

[FBaggins]

2. There's quite a bit of that going around. n/t

[zipplewrath]

3. +1

You can say that again. I've even notice the ratio around here seems to be drifting away from him. Few staunch defenders and more pragmatic explainers.

[nashville_brook]

4. when triangulation becomes making GOP policy for them, what the point of electing Dems?

nuclear power, really? this is the "green revolution" we were promised? jeebus.