Guest guest Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 > Mon, 30 Aug 2004 08:29:18 -0700 > Progress Report: The Global Warming > Flip-Flop > " American Progress Action Fund " > <progress > American Progress Action Fund- Progress Report by David Sirota, Christy Harvey, Judd Legum and Jonathan Baskin August 30, 2004 ENVIRONMENT The Global Warming Flip-Flop CONVENTION Extremism No Vice, Moderation No Virtue? Under the Radar Sign up | Send tip | Permalinks | Mobile | Print ENVIRONMENTThe Global Warming Flip-Flop President Bush and other top administration officials have long argued that there is no clear scientific proof to link human activities to global warming. Last week, that stance appeared to change. The Bush administration released a report, signed by Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Secretary of Commerce Don Evans, which " supported the view of many scientists that human action from driving automobiles to running power plants helped cause global warming. " According to President Bush, however, this does not constitute a change in position. Asked during an interview by the New York Times why his administration switched its view, Bush replied " Ah, did we?...I don't think so. " Despite the administration's own claim that the report was based on " the best possible scientific evidence, " White House Spokesman Trent Duffy insisted, " The president's policy is the same...we need to fill in the knowledge and the scientific gaps. " GLOBAL WARMING ALREADY MAKING AN IMPACT: The administration report found that global warming is already making a significant impact on the environment in the United States. According to the administration, " the severe drought that has affected the Western United States since 1998 is part of a persistent climate pattern. " Additionally, " a large number of studies of plants and animals across a wide range of natural systems worldwide have found that many species have shifted their geographic ranges or changed temperature-sensitive behaviors - such as migration, flowering, or egg-laying - in ways consistent with reacting to global warming. " The administration report also found that carbon dioxide concentration is " more of a curse than a blessing for farmers and ranchers. " Studies show " increased CO2 stimulated the growth of five of the most important species of invasive weeds more than any other plant species yet studied. " STILL IGNORING THE PROBLEM: But no matter how severe the problems are, the Bush administration is fully prepared to ignore them. John H. Marburger, the president's top science advisor, said that the report has " no implications for policy. " James R. Mahoney, director of the administration's climate change science program, called the report " not a significant science finding or policy finding. " BUSH REPEATEDLY IGNORES HIS OWN POLICY ADVISORS: This also isn't the first time President Bush has ignored his own administration's conclusions on global warming. Two years ago, a report by the Environmental Protection Agency found " human activities are behind climate change that is having significant effects on the environment. " President Bush dismissed that report as something " put out by the bureaucracy. " #160;#160;#160;#160;#160; BUSH WAS FOR CAPS ON C02 BEFORE HE WAS AGAINST THEM: On the campaign trail in 2000, Bush promised to impose mandatory caps for carbon dioxide on industry to control global warming. Soon after taking office - after a relentless lobbying campaign by the coal industry - Bush switched his position, and announced his opposition to mandatory caps. In making the switch, Bush cited the " incomplete state of scientific knowledge of the causes of, and solutions to, global climate change. " For more Bush policy reversals see this American Progress document. CONVENTIONExtremism No Vice, Moderation No Virtue? As the Republican National Convention kicks off this week in New York City, the GOP is doing everything it can to hide the far-right conservatism that has gripped the party over the last four years. The key prime time speakers include Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a serious critic of the president who has repeatedly broken with the White House, and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki, who have split with their party on critical social issues. But as the St. Petersburg Times editorial board notes, " the moderate face the Bush convention presents to a national television audience will be cosmetic, and voters should not be fooled. " In truth, as the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram points out, " Republicans [are] working to reinforce their conservative base, " utilizing everything from right-wing radio to invasive requests to churches to fire up the most extreme elements of the party. THE MODERATES - FORMER GOP OFFICIALS CRITICIZE BUSH: AP reports that a group of former GOP officeholders launched a new advertising campaign today urging the Republican Party to " come back to the mainstream. " The problem lies with the " extremist element that controls the Republican Party, " said former Virginia Gov. Linwood Holton, who added that these extremists have " polarized this country. " In its ads, the group called on Bush and the GOP to " stop weakening environmental law; start using 'pay-as-you-go' budget discipline to end deficits; clear the way for embryonic stem cell research; and appoint mainstream federal judges. " The group's president, Jim Scaratino, said the convention is a " moderate face that is going to be draped over the GOP of Tom DeLay. " Former Sen. Edward Brooke (R-MA) wrote in the New York Times that many Bush officials " show signs of arrogance, self-righteousness and intolerance, and of losing touch with the basic values of the vast majority of Americans. " THE EXTREMISTS - BUSH-CHENEY WEEDING OUT DISSENT: The Washington Times reports the Bush-Cheney campaign " stifled debate " in the party's platform and is working to make sure there is no serious moderate dissent at its convention this week. As the conservative paper notes, " the White House and the Bush campaign did that by ensuring that only loyalists willing to accept discipline from the top became convention delegates. " Knight Ridder notes, " the GOP platform on social issues widens the rift " between conservatives who control the party and moderates who are being squeezed out. Despite the prime time lineup of social moderates, the GOP last week " approved a platform that supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and opposes other legal recognition and benefits for same sex-couples, such as civil unions. The platform also reaffirms the party's longstanding call for an amendment banning abortion " and supports a ban on stem cell research. THE EXTREMISTS - GOP CONTINUES SLAMMING NYC: Last week, House Speaker Dennis Hastert continued the Republican Party's smear on New York City, this time by disparaging those who wanted Congress to adequately fund the city's reconstruction after the 9/11 attacks. Last year, former GOP congressman and right-wing talk show host Joe Scarborough attacked the city for " not standing by us in the looming attack on Iraq " when the Big Apple's city council supported a resolution against the war. Two years ago, then White House budget director Mitch Daniels said those who demanded reconstruction funds were " money grubbing. " In the 1980s and 1990s, Newt Gingrich attacked Democrats for holding their 1992 convention in New York, saying the party would be " standing in the middle of the collapse of the welfare state. " THE TACTICS - CHURCH EFFORT RAISES OBJECTIONS: The Bush-Cheney campaign believes " religious conservatives are at the heart " of their electoral strategy. Earlier this summer, the president's campaign tried to identify 1,600 " friendly congregations " in Pennsylvania and encouraged religious conservatives in that state to " send your church directory to your state Bush-Cheney '04 headquarters or give to a BC04 field rep. " According to the Lexington Herald, that effort " was roundly criticized not only by groups favoring separation of church and state but by leading Catholics, evangelicals and mainline Protestants. " Just recently, the Bush campaign's top official on Catholic outreach was forced to resign after the National Catholic Reporter exposed his sordid sexual forays and ensuing sexual harassment charges filed against him. THE SPEAKERS - " MODERATE " GIULIANI SHILLS FOR DRUG INDUSTRY: Although the media have trumpeted Giuliani's solid pro-choice credentials, few talk about his close connections to the pharmaceutical industry and his current work to make sure Americans continue paying the highest prices in the world for medicines. Earlier this year, the drug industry's main lobbying group put Giuliani on its payroll to help fight bipartisan proposals to allow Americans to purchase lower-priced, FDA-approved medicines from Canada. The proposal is being pushed by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), among others, and is supported by 70 percent of Americans. The former mayor of New York has long-time ties to the industry: before leaving the Senate race in 2000, he raked in almost $100,000 from drug industry executives in just the few months he considered running. THE SPEAKERS - " MODERATE " PATAKI VETOES MINIMUM WAGE: Pataki has touted himself as a moderate and potential 2008 presidential contender, but a look at his recent behavior shows how closely aligned with the far right he really is. Late last month, he vetoed a bill raising New York's minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.15 by 2007 - a small increase over three years. The bill was so mainstream, it passed the 212-member state legislature with only 26 lawmakers dissenting. Currently, a strong majority of Americans support raising the minimum wage. THE SPEAKERS - WHERE ARE MCCAIN'S PRINCIPLED OBJECTIONS?: Many are wondering where Sen. John McCain's principled leadership against GOP extremism is. The senator has broken with the White House on " a roster of key domestic issues, " including " tax cuts, stem cell research, global warming and gay marriage, among others. " McCain has also demanded the White House end the smear campaign its Texas cronies are financing against Sen. John Kerry's war record. As McCain noted, the tactics reflected " the same kind of deal that was pulled on me [by the Bush campaign in 2000]. " The White House, however, has refused to disavow the ads, with First Lady Laura Bush offering a tacit endorsement of them in a new Time magazine interview. Under the Radar IRAQ - CALCULATING THE COST OF WAR: The Center for American Progress teamed with Project Billboard to unveil a billboard in Times Square as well as a full page ad in the New York Times on the skyrocketing cost of the war in Iraq. According to calculations by American Progress, the war in Iraq has drained over $144.4 billion from American taxpayers' wallets. With troops committed to Iraq for the foreseeable future, that bill is expected to grow by at least $50 billion next year alone. (You can check out the ticker on the web or view it live at 47th and Broadway in New York City.) Here are some ways that money could have been used to secure America: adding two new divisions to the Army; putting 100,000 new police officers on the nation's streets; doubling the size of the Firefighters Grant Program; doubling America's Special Operations forces; undertaking significant improvements to safeguard ports; and funding important initiatives to safeguard loose nuclear weapons. FOX REJECTS THE NATION: A new ad that The Nation was hoping to run during the Republican National Convention has been rejected " out of hand " by Fox News, according to executives at the magazine. The commercial says, " Nobody owns The Nation. Not Time Warner, not Murdoch. So there's no corporate slant, no White House spin. Just the straight dope. " Arthur Stupar, senior vice president for circulation at The Nation, said, " I find it ironic. They are the G.O.P. cable station, a champion of free markets, and they got spooked at the thought of running an ad that doesn't publish spin or serve the agenda of corporate conglomerates. " The ad will appear on Time Warner's CNN, as well as NBC Universal's MSNBC and Bravo. REED'S CANCEROUS ACTIVITY: Ralph Reed, Southeast regional chairman of the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign and former executive director of the Christian Coalition, " confirmed on Sunday that he accepted more than $1 million in fees from a lobbyist and a public relations specialist whose work on behalf of American Indian casinos prompted a federal investigation. " Roll Call reports Reed, who has formerly referred to gambling as " a cancer on the American body politic, " was paid more than $3.8 million during a yearlong period in 2001 and 2002 by Michael Scanlon, a former aide to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) (DeLay is currently the subject of four major investigations involving possible ethics and lobbying violations). An inquiry is underway, led by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a senior member of the Indian Affairs Committee, involving at least $45 million in lobbying and public relations fees, alleged misuse of Indian tribal funds, possible illegal campaign contributions and possible tax code violations. IRAQ - SANCHEZ GOES TO THE DOGS: According to the Washington Post, a new investigation by the U.S. Army into the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq shows responsibility for the abuse goes all the way to the top. The senior U.S. military commander in Iraq at the time, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, has denied he ever approved the use of dogs in interrogations. However, the report exposes a secret cable Sanchez sent describing the interrogation techniques he was set to authorize. One of the tactics: " Exploit Arab fear of dogs while maintaining security during interrogations. " Army officials say the practice of using police dog handlers to help intimidate detainees " helped sow the seeds of prison abuse in Iraq. " EDUCATION - THE STUDENT LOAN LOOPHOLE: According to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), student loan companies are exploiting a loophole in a government subsidy law to the tune of nearly $1 billion a year, four times the amount it was only three years ago. This unnecessary subsidy does nothing to expand student access to colleges; instead, it allows companies to siphon money away from college grants for students to line their corporate profits. The Bush administration has dragged its feet on kicking these corporate interests away from the trough, however. It's no surprise: the Bush White House has cozy political ties with lenders. For example, Don R. Bouc, the president of one of the largest student loan companies, Nelnet, was tapped to serve on a financial aid advisory committee in the Department of Education. " According to federal records, provided by members of Congress, Nelnet's quarterly payments from the government at the old subsidy rate have gone from about $4.6 million at the end of 2002 to $48.7 million in June. " It's vital to act immediately to close the loophole: the Institute for College Access and Success estimates that " waiting another year to close the loopholes could cost an extra $2.8 billion. " ELECTION - FIRST LADY STANDS BY SMEAR TACTICS: The Bush White House has refused to condemn the scurrilous smear campaign perpetrated by the Swift Boat Veterans against John Kerry. In the latest example, Time magazine asked First Lady Laura Bush if she thought the ads - which hurl nasty, unfounded accusations at Kerry's war record - were unfair. The First Lady's response? " Not really. " Meanwhile, the White House has denied a recent Freedom of Information Act request for records " detailing White House contacts with individuals connected to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT). As grounds for the denial, the White House claimed that it was exempt from having to disclose the information. " Last week, " Bush-Cheney legal adviser Benjamin Ginsberg and retired Air Force Col. Ken Cordier, an unpaid adviser to the campaign on veterans' issues, resigned the campaign " over their involvement with the swift boat group. FeaturesDON'T MISS DAILY TALKING POINTS: No Moderates in NYC SWIFT BOAT: The New York Times reports conservative columnist Robert Novak has a personal connection to the Swift Boat Veterans' book, " Unfit for Command. " IRAQ: According to new calculations by the Center for American Progress and Project Billboard, the Iraq war has drained over $144.4 million from American taxpayers' wallets. CONVENTION: Lobbyists " indulge " GOP in NYC. ELECTION: Former Texas House Speaker Ben Barnes says he is " ashamed " that he helped President Bush get into the Texas National Guard so he could avoid serving in Vietnam. DAILY GRILL " I think his service is heroic.I think him going to Vietnam was more heroic than my flying fighter jets. He was in harm's way and I wasn't. " - President Bush on John Kerry's service in Vietnam VERSUS " I don't think so. " - First Lady Laura Bush, asked if the ads by the Swift Boat Veterans group attacking John Kerry's service were unfair. DAILY OUTRAGE Fox News rejected " out of hand " an ad The Nation was hoping to run during the Republican Convention, even though the network will have an ad in the newest issue of the magazine. A spokesman for Fox News said, " We reject ads all the time, " and declined further comment. Archives Progress Report Opportunity The Center for American Progress is now accepting intern applications for the fall semester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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