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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 2004)
In addition to refining their message, en- vironmental groups are navigating a post- McCain-Feingold campaign finance land- scape that provides a new chance to elevate the profile of green issues. A slew of new political organizations — including several backed by or including environmentalists — are raising money to defeat Bush now that the Democratic Party can no longer col- lect unlimited “soft money” contributions. “It means a lot of different constituen- cies, certainly the environmental commu- nity, are going to have to take more respon- sibility ... in terms of getting out the vote and directly communicating with citizens and voters,” says League of Conservation Voters (LCV) political strategist Mark Longabaugh. Environment2004, one of the new groups, plans to research blocs of voters re- ceptive to its message, while leveraging the clout of its members to attack the Bush record in battleground states. Meanwhile, LCV and the Sierra Club are working with labor officials and other interest groups in America Votes, which will attempt to vastly increase coordination among liberal-lean- ing groups’ voter mobilization efforts later in the year. Another new organization unit- ing the top officials of several interest groups, America Coming Together, plans to raise and spend over $90 million on the presidential and congressional races in nearly 20 states. “Outside groups are going to influence the debate more than they used to,” says the Center for Responsive Politics’ Steven Weiss. LCV, which in the past has focused far more on congressional elections, this time will spend millions across several swing states to beat Bush, and enviros say their lo- gistical plans are evolving alongside their message. Longabaugh and other environ- mentalists believe they must devote more resources to grassroots organizing and voter contact strategies after large TV buys didn’t prove decisive in 2002 races. LCV plans to field more than 20,000 volunteers in four states alone, including Florida and New Mexico. The Primary Season While green groups consistently attack the administration’s record with a flood of reports and statements on the latest rollback, their political voice remains somewhat muted in the primary season. To date, major environmental groups’ primary strategy looks designed to avoid falling out of favor with a candidate who may capture the nom- ination — green groups are simply not pow- erful enough to risk irritating the nominee if they back the wrong guy. Organizations like LCV show no sign that they will make an endorsement until the nomination battle is over or effectively so. But they are not completely ignoring the primaries either, leading LCV to adopt the rather awkward posture this month of issu- ing a report stating Sens. John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman have the best green records, while endorsing neither because the group says any of the candidates is a big improvement over Bush. The major candidates themselves are of- fering substantive environmental platforms 9th Annual Environmental Justice Conference The POWER of ONE JANUARY 23-25, 2004 • Keynote Speakers • Poetry Slam • Workshops University of Oregon EMU Student Union Fri. 12:30-8pm • Sat. 8am-10pm • Sun. 8am-2pm FREE and Open to the Public! Breakfast and Lunch provided Sat. & Sun. 8-9:30am Wesley Foundation Center For more information visit http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~caer/ Event sponsored by Coalition Against Environmental Racism (CAER) Art donated by Dylan Freeman and www.dirtline.com Please Join Us At Riverpark Health Care Campus Saturday, February 7th 10am-4pm for the First Annual Health & Wellness Fair Over 25 booths including: Gateway Medical, Rainbow Optics, Lincare, Willoughby Hearing, Curves Fitness, Easter Seal Pool, Oasis Wellness Products, Rejuvenation Mind Spa, Massage, Reiki, Mobile Oral Hygiene, E-Z Coil Shoes, Physical Therapy, In-Home Care, Home Heatlh, Nursing, Emerald Valley Kitchen, Chiropractor, Vicky's Salon, Herbal Products and much, much more . . . Free Door Prizes, Refreshments and Entertainment Free Lectures on Osteoporosis and Body Mechanics with Tina Meyer, MSPT Free massage, balance testing, walker and wheelchair maintenance, food samples, hearing checks, blood pressure, eyeglasses cleaning, information, mini manicures and much more! Call Elizabeth for more information 345-6199 425 Alexander Loop (off Goodpasture Island Rd.) R iverpark HEATLH CARE CAMPUS www.touchmark.com JANUARY 22, 2004 11
