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.