McCain for the Environment

by REP Director Bill McLaughlin
published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Ontario, California, February 4, 2008

Wednesday, the four candidates for the Republican nomination for the presidency debated. Only Sen. McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Romney really have a significant chance to win.

There are so many issues one could discuss, but in the overall picture we have a man who has stood for principle his entire life no matter what the threat to his popularity.

On the other hand, we have Mr. Flip Flop who cares little for issues important to the people.

One could discuss international relations, military affairs, the economy, immigration, the judiciary, or public education, and McCain would rate higher than Romney.

Let us instead discuss the environment, an issue below the radar screen for many in comparison to the others. Still polls have shown that some 77 percent of voters consider environmental issues important, and if we screw up our environment, we will have nothing else left.

McCain was attacked by Romney for addressing the most critical issue of climate change through the McCain-Lieberman Bill. This bill attempts to address a challenge to our way of life that Colin Powell has called the biggest threat to our civilization other than nuclear war. McCain has been one of those in the Senate leading the struggle to insure our national parks have proper funding.

Virtually every major piece of environmental legislation signed into law in our country was signed by a Republican president. Most of the national parks, national wildlife refuges, and national monuments were created under Republican administrations from Yellowstone and Yosemite in the times of President Grant to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by President Eisenhower and Redwood National Park by President Reagan.

McCain received the endorsement of many, including Republicans for Environmental Protection, the only environmental group recognized by the National Republican Party. We need McCain as our president—and so do our grandchildren who have to live in the world we leave them.