New LCV Environmental Rankings: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

By: Lowell
Published On: 10/17/2008 10:53:12 AM

The League of Conservation Voters is out with its "2008 Scorecard" on environmental issues for all members of Congress.  Here are the scores for the Virginia delegation (in descending order):

The Good
1. Jim Moran (100%)
1. Bobby Scott (100%)
3. James Webb (91%)
4. Rick Boucher (77%)

The Bad
5. Tom Davis (38%)
6. Frank Wolf (31%)
7. John Warner (27%)
8. Rob Wittman (23%)

The Ugly
9. Eric Cantor (8%)
9. Thelma Drake (8%)
11. Randy Forbes (0%)
12. Virgil Goode (0%)
13. Bob Goodlatte (0%)

According to the LCV:

The majority of the 11 Senate and 13 House votes in the 2008 Scorecard are energy votes that presented Congress with a real choice: chart a bold new course that puts Americans back to work, saves families money at the gas pump and on home heating bills, improves our national security, and protects the planet for future generations; or continue the disastrous energy policies of the last eight years that have benefitted only the oil industry. This Scorecard separates those members of Congress who are embracing a new energy future from those who are wedded to the past.

So, big surprise, guess which side Virginia Republicans are on, "protect[ing] the planet for the future" or continuing the "disastrous energy policies of the last eight years?"  Sadly, but not surprsingly, the wrong side. By the way, since when did protecting the planet, what many people believe to be "God's creation," become a partisan issue?  For Virginia Republicans, particularly "the ugly" but also "the bad," it's apparently all about pleasing their buddies in Big Oil and Big Coal, not about doing what's morally the right thing for life on this planet and for future generations.  Shame on them.

P.S. Great work by Jim Moran, Bobby Scott, Jim Webb and Rick Boucher. On November 4, it's time to replace a few "uglies" and "bads" with a few more environmental good guys like boys in "blue" above.

Comments



Virgil Goode, uggh (ToKnow - 10/17/2008 11:27:06 AM)
I wish this guy would have a macaca moment and fade off with George Allen!


LCV Endorses Gerry Connolly for Congress (11thCD - 10/17/2008 12:36:45 PM)
The League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club have endorsed Democrat Gerry Connolly for the 11th Congressional District seat.


Look at the money (divingthewreck - 10/17/2008 2:29:24 PM)
I wonder if there's any correlation between Dominion's money and who was bad?  Eric Cantor has received nearly $25,000 from Dominion in the last year and he voted against environmental education, to eliminate a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, and against public transportation giving him an "ugly" rating by LCV.  

But that is just a drop in the bucket compared to what Dominion has actually spent.  They've spent nearly $500,000 was spent on lobbying expenses in just the last few months.  Even this is a huge increase, compared to the $20,000 the previous quarter.  View their disclosure report here: http://soprweb.senate.gov/inde...

Obviously, the fight against climate change is between the people and Big Oil and Big Coal money.  Does anyone actually believe that investing in renewable is a bad thing?  And public transportation in Virginia?  WTF?  Why are these politicians getting away with playing with the stability of the climate in exchange for...what?  We can't outspend the energy corporations but we can outnumber them, and we can vote their cronies out of office.