OT Support Pro-Environment Candidates
 

All of us who are concerned about the environment should
support pro-environment candidates in the very important
mid-term elections this November. The following is a letter
from John Kerry.

Ken

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It's time for an accountability moment for Clay Shaw and Dave Reichert.
They're a couple of Republican congressmen with absurdly bad
environmental voting records and connections to big oil that would make
Dick Cheney blush, and their Democratic opponents are closing in on them
every day. If we give these pro-environment Democrats the immediate help
they need, we can win two of the most environmentally critical elections
in the country.

Support strong pro-environment Democratic candidates right now:
https://contribute.keepingamericaspr...a.html?sc=7108

Clay Shaw (Florida) and Dave Reichert (Washington) are from opposite
ends of the country. But, they're as close as they could be when it
comes to cozying up to polluters and giant oil companies. In fact, they
share identical 28% scores on the non-partisan League of Conservation
Voters environmental scorecard. That means they vote against the
environment 7 out of every 10 chances they get.

They've voted to open up the Arctic Refuge to drilling, gut funding of
environmental protections for clean water and environmental
conservation, and sell off our public lands to the big mining companies.

The contrast couldn't be more compelling. Their Democratic opponents are
strong environmentalists. Ron Klein, running to unseat Clay Shaw, has
been a leader in the Florida State Senate opposing the Bush
administration's efforts to open up Florida's coastline to oil drilling.
And Darcy Burner, opposing Dave Reichert in Washington, is running
because she's fed up with the Bush Republicans paying only lip service
to alternative energy and conservation while they give away billions of
dollars in tax subsidies to giant oil companies that are already raking
in record profits.

Here's how you can help. Make sure the voters in Florida and Washington
state reject the 28% voting records of anti-environment Republicans by
donating $28 each to the fast-moving campaigns of Ron Klein and Darcy
Burner.

Support strong pro-environment Democratic candidates right now:
https://contribute.keepingamericaspr...a.html?sc=7108

And, while you're at it, please consider sending another $28 to Francine
Busby. She's a committed pro-environment Democrat running in a very
tight race in California. Her opponent, Brian Bilbray - a former GOP
congressman turned energy company lobbyist - is running on the dubious
proposition that what Congress needs right now is more Republican
advocates for Big Oil.

Francine Busby is running against Bilbray in the seat vacated by the
GOP's Randy "Duke" Cunningham who has admitted to a long string of
corrupt acts. Sending someone as clean and green as Francine Busby to
replace Cunningham would truly be a breath of fresh air. The special
election to fill this seat is only 3 weeks away, so please act today.

Support strong pro-environment Democratic candidates right now:
https://contribute.keepingamericaspr...a.html?sc=7108

Every day I become more hopeful that, thanks to you, our hard-driving
efforts to deliver unprecedented levels of grassroots support to key
Democratic candidates can turn the tide in 2006.

I'm tired of being forced to spend so much of our time just trying to
stop bad things from happening in Washington.

If we can take back Congress in November, we can stop anti-environment
Republicans from threatening the Arctic Refuge, selling off our national
forests, weakening environmental standards, and we can finally do right
by our national security by putting America on a path to genuine energy
independence.

You and I both know that the best way to protect our environment is to
throw ourselves heart and soul into winning these elections.

Think we can't do it? Think again. I believe in this cause with all my
heart and gut. I know it's not easy, but I remember when you couldn't
even mention environmental issues without a snicker. But then in the
1970's people got tired of seeing the Cuyahoga River catch on fire from
all the chemicals. So one day millions of Americans marched. Politicians
had no choice but to take notice. Twelve Congressmen were dubbed the
Dirty Dozen, and soon after seven were kicked out of office. The
floodgates were opened. We got the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act,
and the Safe Drinking Water Act. We created the EPA. The quality of life
improved because concerned citizens made their issues matter in elections.

We need to do this all over again.

If possible, I urge you to send $28 to each of the three pro-environment
candidates we're focusing on this week. If you can't afford that, I urge
you to pick one or two candidates to support. But, whatever you do,
don't let pass this opportunity to build strong momentum in must-win
races across the nation that will determine who controls Congress for
the next two years.

Thanks so much for all of the hard work you're putting into this campaign.

Sincerely,

John Kerry

P.S. In addition to providing direct candidate assistance, I hope you'll
add a special donation to Keeping America's Promise in support of our
broader efforts to help shape the outcome of this November's elections.

Paid for by Friends of John Kerry, Inc.
Authorized by Darcy Burner for Congress
Authorized by Klein for Congress
Authorized by Francine Busby for Congress