Friday, January 29, 2010

Lincoln Sees "Dirty Dozen" as Badge of Honor


The League of Conservation Voters this week named Senator Blanche Lincoln (R-Waffler) on their 2010 list of the "Dirty Dozen" most anti-environmental members of Congress seeking reelection after she signed on to co-sponsor the "Dirty Air Act" resolution offered by Alaska Republican Senator Murkowski. “Instead of embracing a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill that creates jobs, reduces carbon pollution and increases energy independence, Senator Lincoln has decided to cast her lot with Big Oil and other corporate polluters who oppose transitioning to a clean energy economy,” said Gene Karpinski, LCV President.

Lincoln responds that she has an outstanding voting record on environmental issues, although she has a career LCV score of only 49%. She has taken more than $1 million in campaign cash from Big Oil and other energy interests, with oil and gas companies being among the top five contributors to her campaign this cycle, and that should more than offset any effective opposition from the poorly funded environmental organization.

In a press release from her campaign office, Lincoln slammed the League of Conservation Voters as "a Washington-based, liberal environmental group," as she boasted, “Threats from extremist groups from outside our state tell me I’m doing something right for Arkansas.” That statement was followed by quotes from Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce President Randy Zook and Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach expressing their appreciation for her opposition to EPA authority to enforce the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases, which they usually deny exist.

Blanche knows that there are more polluters than environmental voters in Arkansas, and she thinks she can get Republican corporate types to vote for her instead of a genuine Republican candidate. She is also very well aware that she has received much more money from Chamber of Commerce and Farm Bureau members than from local environmental groups, so you know who gets the lump of coal. Expect more of the same from the woman who replaced Dale Bumpers (100% LCV in 1997 & 1998) in the United States Senate -- and weep.

18 comments:

  1. The only thing I really expect from Lincoln is her failure to get re-elected. Sadly I think this is the only time she'll live up to my expectations.

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  2. RE “Threats from extremist groups from outside our state tell me I’m doing something right for Arkansas.” --

    I guess it's a good thing Walmart and Tyson are local. I guess.

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  3. .
    ...vote for her instead of a genuine Republican candidate.

    Well, let's be considerate of out-of-work comedians when making up funny shiz like that. The votes won't change, save for Court appointments, should Mz Blanche be replaced by a real Republican.

    She just stinks more every day. If Team Arkansas Senators from the Right appoints Boozman as Republicon Real then what's going to happen to the anti-incumbent moods?

    Here's a suggestion.

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  4. Quandary is that to vote Green may mean helping the Boose man.

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  5. @Anon 10:36 - It's worth it though. I'm through with defensive voting. We will never have elected officials worth a damn until people stop holding their noses and voting for conservative-lite types with "D" next to their names.

    Boozman is a reprehensible politician, but voting for Lincoln just to keep him out will only perpetuate her lameness. Assuming she can even win re-election, that is.

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  6. Jonah:
    methinks Ms. Blanche's dirty air efforts can also be laid at the feet of Big (Beef) Ag. It's those feedlots feeding grain, which our poor beeves were never designed to digest...
    Sorry 10:36: Your logic may seem unassailable but the end result is that we will never in our lifetimes see a third party of any consequence. Vote your values. Ain't a dimes worth of diff. between the Dems / Repugs in any event.

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  7. Progressives and tree huggers better stick with Blanche and quit griping or the GOP will take this set back.

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  8. @Anon 7:17 - Just like the abused spouse that keeps coming back to the abuser, we should support Lincoln no matter how little respect she has for us or our values? No thanks.

    I don't think she stands a chance at re-election anyhow.

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  9. drclark is right. Lincoln is going to lose, with or without my vote. I would feel really slimy to have held my nose and voted for her instead of voting for a true man of principle like John Gray.

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  10. Senatorial Candidate John Boozman's Ear-Mark requests(pork) of which he publicly states he is opposed.

    Click here.

    I hate pork except that allocated to me and all our buddies at the World Trade Center in Rogers who are only there to hep ya.

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  11. Congressman Boozman loves subsidizing those near-private airports:

    OVER TWO MILLION FOR DRAKE FIELD

    City of Fayetteville $400,000
    Drake Field, Taxiways B, C, and F
    City of Fayetteville
    113 W. Mountain
    Fayetteville, AR 72701
    This project widens the only remaining narrow taxiways on Drake Field to accommodate the various aircraft that typically use the airport and who must now re-route taxi to avoid the narrow runways.

    City of Fayetteville $400,000
    Drake Field, Taxiway G
    City of Fayetteville
    113 W. Mountain
    Fayetteville, AR 72701
    The east side parallel taxiway (Taxiway G) was constructed to accommodate the USDA Forest Service Fire Base. Additional funding was not available at the time to complete the taxiway to the south end of the runway. This project is essential to eliminate numerous runway crossings when taxiing from the parking aprons on the east side of the airport to the south end of the runway. This project opens up additional land for aviation related development on the east side of the airport.

    City of Fayetteville $400,000
    Drake Field, Terminal Apron Rehab
    City of Fayetteville
    113 W. Mountain
    Fayetteville, AR 72701
    Terminal Apron Pavements are deteriorating badly and cause FOD at the section joints due to pavement cracking. This project restores the pavement thus eliminating the FOD hazard.

    City of Fayetteville $1.225 million
    Drake Field, High Intensity Runway Lights
    City of Fayetteville
    113 W. Mountain
    Fayetteville, AR 72701
    The airport has Medium Intensity Runway Lighting. High Intensity Light will lower approach minimums and provide better runway visibility in low visibility situations.

    See link in previous post.

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  12. Meanwhile, Senator Blanche wants Arkies to pay

    SEVENTEEN PER CENT (17%)INTEREST RATES!

    How thoughtful of her.

    Blanche's website calling for raising the Ark interest rate.

    --------------------------------------
    "U.S. Senators are never elected. They're sent."
    the late James Gregory in private conversation

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  13. .

    More Pork from PORKO JOHN and his co-sponsor?

    None other than Sen Mz Blanche.

    It's here.

    Soooie Pigs.

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  14. wow. choosing between Lincoln and Boozeman at the polls? You know, it's been a long time since I was glad I moved to Iowa but...

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  15. Indeed. Never mind the lesser of two evils-- they both strive to be the lesser of two candidates.

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  16. Arkansas was once a leader in the nation. That was when it held onto its 10-percent interest rate for deades. The idea of paying even 10 percent interest on any load is ridiculous.I haven't read about her 17-percent plan. But the idea is NEVER TO BORROW MONEY. WHEN Arkansans stop borrowing, the rates will fall. If you can't pay for it immediately, don't buy it.

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  17. If you can't pay for it immediately, don't buy it.

    That worked in the days of old, before Ray-gun, before the time when emergencies didn't take every extra dime a working family had. Now they've given workers NOTHING in terms of real increases, less than 2% of families earn over $250,000 and Rwingnuts say that is not a wealthy family.

    The game has changed. One unexpected surgery which your insurance company refuses to pay can cost a year's earnings for an average family.

    Banksters are turned loose as never before to pillage and steal families blind with an ink pen. Consider Countrywide Mortgage and the widespread destruction they did on America. Then the CEO gets handsomely rewarded with million$ in exit bonus.

    We're not in debt in our family but we have no kids and the dog don't eat much, she weighs 17 lbs. However the dog did manage to cut her paw real good a few months ago late on a Friday evening. She bled heavily. So I found a 24 hr pet clinic. The bill for two levels of stitches was $460. That could hurt a family living on the edge.

    Times have changed.
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  18. Mz Blanche is OUT TO HEP SAVE THE CHILLREN.

    Yes sir. After dumping plenty of CO2 and mercury on them she wants to remove vending machines from the
    schools.

    NY Times story here.

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